It’s Official: Bryan Baker and Tennis
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There’s a simple reason why Long Beach resident Bryan Baker would rather spend an afternoon working as a tennis official for a USTA Southern California junior match than he would overseeing an adult tournament.

“I remember my interactions with officials growing up and it wasn’t always so positive,” said Baker, 46, who played tennis for Edison High School in Huntington Beach and spent weekends as a teenager playing one SoCal junior tournament after another. “It just wasn’t as hands on or personable as I thought it could be.”

While it’s only been a little over one year since he received his certification, Baker said being an official is his chance to give a little bit back to a community that is special to him.

“This is my shot to be that person on court that’s bringing the positive vibes and being an ambassador for the sport and treating people with respect and kindness,” said Baker, who started playing tennis at age 10 at the Lakewood Tennis Center and played against the Bryan Brothers as a junior. “That’s what I love to do.”

Baker sees himself as a mentor to young juniors, always ready and eager to help when issues arise.

“I love to chat with the parents and the kids when questions come up on the court,” Baker said. “I love to be able to give them the right direction when they’re navigating through a difficult tiebreak when they often don’t know what side they should be on – the deuce or the ad court. Just little things like that I really love doing because I felt like when I was playing the juniors I wasn’t getting that so much. So I just thought ‘What if I did this and could kind of add my twist to it’ and that’s what I’ve always done.”

Baker was first encouraged to become an official by his good friend Thomas Schlack.

In his role as the USTA National Officiating Growth Manager for USTA National, Ken Grassel knew right away Baker would make an excellent official as he attended a shadow training session with Baker on Thanksgiving Weekend in 2023.

“I could just tell he was going to be good,” Grassel said. “He was engaged and attentive. He was so cool, calm and collected and you could tell he wasn’t going to lose his temper if there were any disagreements. When you see someone interested and engaged, that’s the type of official we are looking for. We are truly ambassadors of the sport. Plus, he plays adult leagues and he’s a competitor, so he knows the game well.”

Baker said he plays both national and sectional-level 4.5 tournaments every couple of months. “I love it,” he said. “And then it gives me the other side so I see the officials working and I have a whole new respect for them. I love seeing the officials that I work with and then having them work a tournament that I’m in.”

Speaking to Baker, you get a sense he has a true affinity for the game of tennis. “I always want to be attached to tennis,” said Baker, adding that his eventual goal is to be a collegiate umpire. “I feel like when my playing days are over and I’m not competing any longer, this is a great way to stay connected to all of it. One of the things I think that’s appealing about it is I can do this for years and years to come.”

Baker, a Senior Manager of Human Resources at California Pizza Kitchen, said tennis has always provided a “safe” place for him as an openly gay man. “It was a place where I felt I could be myself on a tennis court and I always felt normal. I’ve always felt like the programs the USTA have are all about diversity and inclusion and that’s what I love about it.”

June is a month dedicated to the celebration of LGBTQIA+ pride and something that Baker reflects on each year. “I think for us it’s a month for people to focus on diversity and being inclusive,” he said. “I think that means hopefully looking back at the history of it…and to understand what our community’s been through. I think it brings people a focus to just respect everybody.”

Baker concluded: “We have Women’s History Month, we have a Black History Month, all important times to reflect and understand how differences actually unite us. I think Pride Month brings a focus to people that are different and shines a spotlight on it. For me, I don’t do anything in particular, just keep being kind and understanding to all those that might feel different or alone. I do love supporting a pride tournament and the attention that it brings. This type of awareness is a huge deal for many of us. Often, a small impact can go a long way!”