Meet the Member: Ben Rogers
Where are you from and what brought you to the Reno/Tahoe area?
Battle born in Carson City in 1977. It was the hospital nearest South Lake Tahoe, where my parents lived. My dad took a job with Harrah’s a couple years later and we moved to Reno. I’ve happily called the “City of Trembling Leaves” home ever since.
What’s your tennis story? How did you get started and what keeps you going?
Tennis is the family sport, starting with my grandmother Virginia. (Readers will surely recall her epic battle in the final of the 75-and-over National Hard Court Tennis Championships in La Jolla, CA versus International Tennis Hall of Famer, Dodo Cheney.) Grandma could hold (and toss any one of) three tennis balls in one hand. She had a penchant for down-the-alley passing shots, and passed the game on to her three sons, all of whom played it forward. We played a lot of mother/son vs. father/son doubles. I took lessons from Glenn Grisillo at the then newly-built Caughlin Club. Glenn let me sub in the adult leagues; I started with the “Ladies D” group and worked my way up. I played at Lakeridge in their “Junior Davis Cup” with Bob Deller and John Matkulak, played local junior tourneys and spent many summers at John Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch. Later I played at Reno High School, where we won the state title twice—the second in rather dramatic fashion (for me, at least), when the crowd gathered to watch my late-finishing decider match and I was way down in the set, but rallied (cue crying parents).
Decades passed. I played on vacation. My wife, Jill, and I raised two daughters. Then, in 2022, a colleague had an extra ticket to the Davis Cup in downtown Reno, and said “you play tennis, right?” I went. I witnessed Taylor Fritz (whom I’d never heard of) hit a forehand that left a Hawk-Eye ball streak longer than my hand—the best shot I’d ever seen live. While there I crossed paths with Chris Tiller, who said “you play tennis, right?” Next thing I knew I was on a USTA team! I fell right back in love with the sport. Such an interesting set of folks who gravitate to the game, right?! So fun to focus on getting ‘gooder’ at something. Now I spend 2% of my waking hours texting people to schedule playtime and another 2% icing my elbow.
What is another favorite hobby other than tennis?
There are others?
Who are your favorite professional tennis players? Why?
Growing up, my guy was Stefan Edberg (see photo). Loved his serve and volley, his Swedish-ness. During my half-hiatus from tennis, I was merely aware of the Big Three. However, lately I’ve been delving into the archives as they pertain to Roger Federer (what a dude) and was heartened to discover Edberg coached him. So, those two guys.
Any fun plans for the upcoming winter? How do you like to spend your time during the cold weather months?
I’ve gotten a season pass to Mt. Rose since about ’91. But last winter I decided I’d rather play tennis. (I used to put my racket away when the snow flew; now I liken my tennis game to a bear that no longer hibernates, but just eats garbage to survive the winter.)
Can you tell us about your family, pets, etc.?
My parents—Jim and Sandy Rogers—are avid players, supporters, and fans of tennis. My wife Jill and I just celebrated our 25th anniversary. We have two daughters, Sydney and Quinn. Sydney also won a state tennis title with Reno High (Go Huskies!). Quinn spent years as a competitive dancer and is now a cheerleader at Reno High (ditto!). Our “son” is a Pomeranian named Ulysses, an homage to both the big novel and the big hero.
Can you share about your occupation?
I am the Director of Engineering at NevadaNano, a company I co-founded in 2004. We’ve invented some cool gas sensors and sensing systems that, as our tagline proclaims: “Protect People, Property & Planet.”
Any other fun information you would like to share about yourself?
I love to write. I am the author most recently of the novel The Daughters from the University of Nevada Press, as well as The Flamer, The Heavy Side, and The Mayfly—the last of which has a story about tennis in it. I’m also the lead author of two textbooks on nanotechnology. More about my writing can be found here: https://readrogers.com/
Thanks so much for having me at Washoe—I love all the folks I’ve met here!
