Mari Taylor’s unwavering passion and exceptional work ethic have had a profound impact within the tennis community, both locally and nationally. In Southern California, she has stepped into crucial roles that were long in need of support, most notably as a USTA-certified official and an Adult Area League Coordinator. Going above and beyond expectations, Mari is the only person in the section, and one of only a handful nationwide, to manage both of these demanding positions.

While her career in tennis is more than impressive, her path to this point was anything but traditional. Rather than following the traditional route of rising through the junior tennis circuit, Mari’s athletic journey began in a different sport entirely. 

Born and raised in Downey, California, Mari is the daughter of an immigrant mother from Japan and a father who served as a U.S. Navy officer in Japan. After her parents divorced shortly after her birth, she grew up in a broken household. Rather than allowing these early challenges to define her, Mari channeled her energy into athletics, a field where she naturally excelled. While tennis wasn’t her first love, she quickly became a standout athlete in every sport she tried, with track and field becoming her primary focus.

Her interest in track began after attending a top-tier meet at the LA Coliseum as a child. Inspired by the talent on display, she told her father she wanted to pursue the sport. From that moment on, her path was seemingly set.

“I started training when I was eight years old and was a National record holder and National champion by the time I was nine,” Mari recalled. “I won multiple Nationals in AAU Track and Field meets and also National and State Championships in cross-country in multiple age groups. It dominated my life for many years, and my coach was actually one of the USA Track and Field Olympic coaches. I had high hopes to make it to the Olympics but it didn’t work out for me.”

Despite her success in track, Mari always had an interest in tennis. Though she didn’t play the sport as a child, she enjoyed watching the Grand Slams on TV, idolizing the likes of John McEnroe and Steffi Graf. Tennis, it seemed, was never far from her heart. 

Mari stuck with track for all four years of high school, competing for Marina High in Huntington Beach. After her graduation, she competed for two years at Orange Coast College on a state championship team before hanging up her cleats and shifting her focus towards her future. 

While most of her life had been spent in California, Mari took a brief detour to Northwest Arkansas years later, relocating her family for business reasons. Juggling motherhood with three young children and a full-time job, Mari faced the challenge of balancing a demanding schedule, but she always found a way to manage. It was in Arkansas that Mari first decided to pick up a tennis racket, as the USTA is extremely prevalent in the Southern region. 

“I started playing tennis at the country club we were members at after some ladies invited me to play,” shared Mari. “I loved it immediately and was instantly addicted, could not wait to compete and satisfy my competitive needs. 

After joining local leagues within the USTA, Mari rapidly grew as a player, excelling on the court and as a leader. Over the years competing, her rating jumped to as high as 4.5, allowing her to compete against some of the sport’s top recreational talent both regionally and globally, as she competed in local events, Sectionals and Nationals. She did not just stop at playing however, as she also took over the duties of captaining many of her teams, enjoying the responsibility it provided and friendships it helped foster. Mari’s time spent in Arkansas proved to not only be beneficial to the social growth and connections she made, but also to her professional growth. 

“I already had a very good understanding of the game and the strategy after observing the sport for years. This gave me instant success competing on USTA teams and I quickly moved up in my rating,” Mari stated. “I captained many teams while living there, and even founded my own company in Bentonville, Arkansas focusing on the global business as Walmart Stores corporate headquarters is based there. The relationships I made in tennis helped me to make my publishing business successful. Some of the best memories I had while living there and playing tennis were going to Sectionals and Nationals with a group of friends, as the team bonding goes to a whole other level. I discovered that you come to  understand the concept of team bonding so much more when you experience it competing as one team against unfamiliar players and teams from various areas.” 

After several years in Arkansas, Mari eventually returned to California, settling on the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo. She was eager to continue playing competitively, but found that there were no USTA leagues in the area at the time. Undeterred, Mari decided to take matters into her own hands and became the area’s first ALC.

“I became an Area League Coordinator when I lived on the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo County,” said Mari. “I actually launched the leagues up there as there were no USTA leagues at all. So, I started from ground zero and developed adult leagues the best I could with a lot of phone calls and convincing of players to form teams. It was definitely challenging as I was very hands-on to make sure the leagues were viable, but also very rewarding as I helped put together and coach a 3.5 team from SLO that won its Sectionals and went onto USTA Nationals. That was such a blast and created a lifelong memory that I share with all of those ladies.” 

Mari continued to lead as the Central Coast’s ALC until early 2020, following the conclusion of her Winter leagues and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that point, a new opportunity arose closer to home in Orange County, prompting her to relocate once again, this time to Dana Point. Upon her move, she immediately stepped into the role of ALC for Orange County, which presented a new challenge, given that the region is home to one of the largest populations of tennis players in the country.

Embracing the challenge head-on, Mari quickly made her mark in her new position. Under her leadership, Orange County saw remarkable growth, becoming the number one area in the nation for tennis participation last year, a milestone that Mari takes great pride in.

Her impact within the Southern California section didn’t end there. While working at a Sectionals event, Mari struck up a conversation with Ken Grassel, Officiating Growth Manager for the USTA, who suggested she pursue certification as an official. Intrigued by the challenge and ability to continue making a difference in the sport, Mari embarked on the process, and before long, she earned her certification. Over the last few years as an official, Mari has officiated a plethora of events, primarily at the junior, adult and collegiate levels. In this short period of time, Mari has become widely regarded as one of the most reliable and professional officials in the section.

“Regarding officiating, I really like the challenge of being involved in the sport and trying to be the best I can be to make the sport fair and also enjoyable for the players,” Mari added. “It’s important to be dedicated to the profession from day one and show up prepared. It is much more complicated and challenging than it seems. Your knowledge of the rules is crucial and is the key to success. If you are confident and do a good job, you can get lots of assignments and possibly move your way up to do high-level college tournaments and possibly advance to the professional levels.”

Mari’s dedication to her craft as an official was recently recognized at an Officiating Summit organized jointly by USTA SoCal and USTA NorCal. The event, held in Fremont, California, brought together over 100 tennis officials from both sections, offering valuable education, resources, and networking opportunities. During the closing awards ceremony, the most exceptional and hardworking officials from the state were honored. Mari was one of only ten individuals selected for this prestigious recognition, marking her as one of the top officials in all the state. In addition to this honor, she was also named “Rookie of the Year” for the SoCal section.

“I am so honored and humbled by this recognition and award,” shared Mari. “I went into this profession with the mind-set of being the best I could by being prepared, working hard every day, and learning from everyone I worked with. I was blessed to be the last official personally trained for my certification by Anthony Montero before he took on his National role, and I truly feel that gave me a huge jumpstart in understanding how to be the best. How amazing that he also just won an award for being the best, not only in Southern California, but in the entire country for the USTA! We have some of the most skilled officials in SoCal and I am so thankful that I was welcomed by many highly experienced professional officials who gave me so much opportunity to work with them for the past two years and earn this award!”

While not playing competitively any more, Mari is grateful for the opportunities to remain involved within tennis, and working with USTA SoCal. Her passion for the sport runs deep in her family, with all of her children excelling in competitive athletics.

“I have two sons that have both played tennis,” Mari commented. “My older son Brandon played as a junior, and my younger son Tyler recently started playing after being a Division I golfer. He loves it and now plays tennis more than golf! I also have a daughter at home who is a teenager and a very serious dancer who competes often in large competitions.” 

Looking to the future, Mari aspires to continue growing in her various professions, especially as it pertains to tennis.

“I am always pressuring myself to be the best at whatever I am doing, so I push myself to continue to grow the leagues to beat expectations, and also strive to be one of the top respected tennis officials,” stated Mari. “I can’t help it, it’s just how I operate.”