In this engaging and heartfelt interview, Ben Bradshaw, a tennis coach, community leader, and devoted father, shares his journey from growing up in a tennis-centered household to coaching in the River Region. Bradshaw reflects on his earliest memories of playing with his father, the valuable lessons he learned competing at Clemson University and professionally, and the joy of seeing players grow on and off the court. With a deep Christian faith guiding his life and coaching philosophy, Bradshaw emphasizes the importance of trust, perseverance, and grace in facing challenges. Whether inspiring young athletes or encouraging older adults to take up the game, Bradshaw’s love for tennis and its power to build community shines through. As a family man, Bradshaw cherishes time with his wife and children, balancing his professional and personal life with gratitude and purpose.


BOOM!: You grew up in a tennis home with your dad as a coach. Can you share one of your earliest tennis memories and how it shaped your love for the sport?

Ben: Well, I can’t really even remember my earliest experiences of playing tennis. I have seen the home movies of me hitting against the fridge in my diaper and hitting with my dad at two years old. He was an amazing person, and we had a tremendous relationship. Some of my favorite things in life include hitting a tennis ball with Dad and playing doubles as his partner (picture at the top of this article). The most important thing he taught was to trust the Lord. 

BOOM!: You went on to play tennis at Clemson University and then played professionally. What was the biggest lesson you learned during those competitive years that you still carry with you?

Ben: Tennis has been an avenue for opportunities to travel the world and to meet people. Tennis is a global sport with a worldwide network of players. I grew up in a small town in a depressed part of Northeast Ohio where my friends didn’t have much opportunity to travel. At first, tennis gave me the opportunity to travel around the neighboring states to play in junior tournaments. Then, in college, I got to fly around the country for our team matches, and after college, I had the opportunity to play tennis in many countries around the world.

My favorite tennis story is when I was in Vietnam. Missionaries were not allowed in the country, so they worked normal jobs and would share their faith undercover. A missionary I met there said he had wanted to learn tennis because the local government leaders in his town often played tennis, and he wanted to play with them to build relationships. It was such a thrill to be able to help him learn the sport.  

BOOM!: Your Christian faith is very important to you, and you’re also a father. How do these two roles—father and faithful believer—inform and influence your approach to coaching and everyday life?

Ben: Hudson, 13, Wyatt, 11, and my wife, Erin, have been my greatest blessing in life and have brought a new level of joy. I think being a father and a coach magnifies my shortcomings and need for Christ’s love and forgiveness. I mess up all the time, but I’m so thankful to serve a forgiving God and to have children and a wife to grow with together in Him. Thankfully, we are not saved through our works but are justified by grace through faith. Then, our sancti-fication in striving to become more like Christ can be amplified through the challenges of fatherhood and coaching. God is referred to as Father, so through my many failures, I can look to Him for forgiveness and as the example of the perfect Father. 

BOOM!: In your work as both a tennis coach and a community instructor, what’s your core coaching philosophy? How do you balance teaching fundamentals with inspiring a genuine passion for the game?

Ben: My philosophy is to try to find the best way for each player to improve and keep it fun. If anyone would watch me teach different people throughout the day, the sessions would have some similarities, but the differences would be drastic. I think this is why I am still challenged by teaching after doing it for about 40 years – every person is unique, and it is so rewarding to help them try to improve.

An interesting thing about trying to improve in tennis is that tennis doesn’t become easier; it kind of becomes more difficult. The hitting of the ball becomes easier, but as you improve, the level of competition becomes stronger, the shots your opponents give you become tougher, and it is more difficult to figure out ways to win at the higher levels. So, as in life, there are always things to learn and to improve on.

BOOM!: You’re passionate about getting people involved in tennis. Why do you believe tennis is such a powerful tool for building community, especially here in the River Region?

Ben: Tennis is an integrated sport with frequent opportunities to meet, play with, and get to know others from different backgrounds. It is common to see four people from different cultures, having divergent views on politics, religion, and social issues, still having fun together on the same tennis court.

Competition through athletics can build strong bonds between people. In the past month, the tennis community has shown how much they support each other. We have a friend dealing with a major medical issue, and her tennis teammates immediately visited her at the hospital and set up a drop box at the tennis center for people to leave cards and gifts. I also attended a funeral this month for a good friend, and there was a big group from the tennis community there.  An encouraging message was delivered at the funeral by tennis player pastor John Ed Mathison.

BOOM!: Recent research shows tennis is one of the healthiest sports and offers amazing benefits for brain health. How would you encourage someone over 50 to start playing, and what unique benefits might they see?

Ben: You mentioned the research, and the studies have shown that tennis players live an average of 10 years longer than those who don’t play. Tennis not only provides a whole-body workout involving dexterity, balance, and coordination, but it also involves mental stimulation and the challenges of strategy, problem-solving, and perseverance. Other benefits include social interaction, connectedness,  and the community we just mentioned.  There is a group at O’Connor called the Early Birds who play every Monday, Wednes-day, and Friday, and almost all the players are in their 60s, 70s, and 80s.

There is a network of team tennis through the USTA and River Region Team Tennis where you aren’t just playing by yourself but on a team where you can connect and develop friendships. Also, we are blessed to have the Dream Court program in Montgomery, which Jessica Weyreuter developed to provide tennis to athletes with special challenges, including autism, Down syndrome, and wheelchair tennis. Dream Court not only results in opportunities for the athletes to experience the many physical, mental, emotional, and social benefits of tennis but also rewards the numerous volunteers needed to help with the program. 

BOOM!: As you know, pickleball has been sweeping the nation.  Famous tennis pros, like John McEnroe and Andre Agassi, are now on TV playing. Is there room on the courts for pickleballers?  What are your thoughts on its popularity?

Ben: Pickleball is huge! Like all racquet/paddle sports, the benefits are numerous and similar to those of tennis. Pickleball does not require as much running, and the technique used to hit the ball is not as integral to the results, so a person who is just starting usually has more immediate success. I am in full support of pickleball players having as many courts as can be built. We just can’t sacrifice tennis courts to do it.
Tennis has also been growing over the past 10 years, and there are not nearly enough tennis courts in town to meet the demand. During the high school tennis season, all 30 courts at O’Connor and Lagoon are booked with matches every afternoon from the end of January through April. There are over 25 boys and girls varsity, JV, and middle school teams in town with hundreds of players, and only one school in town has playable tennis courts. With O’Connor and Lagoon trying to accommodate all the school matches, there is nowhere for teams to practice.

So, please build pickleball courts. There is demand for them, but there are plenty of places to do it other than on top of tennis courts.

BOOM!: Over the years, you must have had countless memorable moments on the court. Is there one coaching victory or breakthrough story that stands out in your mind? 

Ben: The rewards of coaching are countless, but my favorites are the players who initially didn’t seem to have extreme talent and have become good players. There are many examples, but here are two players I hope will not mind having me mention them. 

1) I have been coaching the Saint James tennis team for about 10 years. Michael Phan came out for the team in 7th grade, having not played tennis before. Pretty much the entire first season, there were nearly as many shots at the back fence he didn’t make contact with as there were hit in the court. We have always had an outstanding group of players at STJ, and they supported him and encouraged him while Michael worked very hard, putting in countless hours of practice. Now Michael has a state championship ring and is one of the top players on the team.

2) I’m thankful to have the opportunity to play tennis with Jane Kennett nearly weekly. She hadn’t played any sports throughout most of her life, and now, in her 70s, with some of her joints replaced, she continues to improve and enjoy tennis with her husband. She is a part of the River Region Team Tennis program on Saturdays. Jane really inspires me. 

BOOM!: Tennis can be highly competitive but also a lot of fun. How do you recommend balancing the competitive spirit with the pure enjoyment of the game—especially for older adults who might be worried about injuries?

Ben: Haha – I like this question. Maturity brings some good perspective to many people when it comes to athletics and competition, but there are still those who take it too seriously and make it tough on others. Thankfully, the vast majority of the players keep a good perspective and have a good balance between the competitiveness and the fun.

As far as the injuries go, tennis is a relatively safe sport – there isn’t any tackling required. Some of the arm injuries can be avoided by taking some lessons and learning better techniques from one of the many top-quality tennis instructors we have in Montgomery.

BOOM!: We always love to ask: What do you appreciate most about living and working in the River Region, and why?

Ben: First, I’m thankful for my church (First Baptist Montgomery) and how Pastor Mark Bethea challenges us and helps us grow in our walk with the Lord each week.

Secondly, I’m thankful for my job at O’Connor Tennis Center and the people I get to work with in the Parks and Rec department in Montgomery. It has been an outstanding and supportive group I have been able to work for, from Wiley Steen, Scott Miller, Kay McCreery, Rob Spivery, Ed Card, and David Card to the excellent new team of Brandon Dean, Kim Davis, Roy Wilson, and Billy Taylor. And through all the years, the tennis director at Lagoon Park, Geoff Waring, has been the best boss anyone could ask for. Everyone has been supportive and helpful with programs and recent improvements and renovations at O’Connor, which allow us to best serve the citizens of the River Region.

Thirdly, I really appreciate the weather from November through March. 

BOOM!: If you could see one change or improvement in the River Region—related to sports or otherwise—what would it be?

Ben: I would really like to see more youth playing tennis. So many parents get their children involved in baseball, basketball, soccer, and football. There can be benefits to these sports, but in 10 minutes of tennis, a child will have more hitting and activity than in a two-hour baseball game. Katrina Wilson and Casey Boswell have been doing a ton of work lately, taking tennis to PE classes in schools around the city and introducing them to the sport. I hope more children will find the fun and challenge tennis provides. 

BOOM!: If you could have one celebrity or historical figure as a doubles partner, who would it be and why?

Ben: Hands down, for me, this would definitely be Bruce Springsteen. His music has accompanied me along many literal and figurative roads throughout my life. Although we have very different opinions on many topics, as I mentioned earlier, the tennis court is a great place to have fun with someone who has different viewpoints. If Bruce isn’t available, I’m going with Bob Dylan. I don’t picture him being as much fun or as good a player, but he is probably even more interesting. 

BOOM!: When you’re not coaching or playing tennis, what’s your favorite way to unwind or stay inspired?

Ben: My answer to this has always been travel. I love seeing different things and especially eating different foods. Now, with children in the house, this has changed a good bit. We try to make trips as a family as school and sports team schedules will allow, but now, trips are mostly much shorter. Shorter, as in across town to Buddy Watson Park to watch a little league game or all the way to Prattville to see a middle school basketball game that the boys are playing. The food may not be as exotic, but spending time with family is the best.

BOOM!: Finally, what words of wisdom would you offer our readers looking to stay active, keep learning, and live their best lives after 50?

Ben: The advice I have is mostly directed to myself because I need constant reminders. Keep the main thing the main thing. For me, that is definitely my relationship with the Lord. I like the quote by Francis Chan that says, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure… but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” Going to scripture for guidance, Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”


We want to thank Ben for sharing some of her life’s story with us this month. If you have comments or suggestions about our cover profiles, including nominating someone, please text Jason Watson at 334.328.5189 or email jason@riverregionboom.com.