Our Tennis Coaches

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Founder of 21 Athletic Clubs

Ken Cooper is passionate about athletics and fitness!

One might ask, "What does 21 stand for?" The answer is Ken. 

He was a successful multi-sport talent from Orem, Utah (MVHS) in Baseball, Basketball, and Tennis. With sports that he had a number, it was #21!

He is a 15 year RSPA (USPTA) Teaching Tennis Pro. And, he also coached AAU Basketball for 5 years. 

Ken has taught ALL Levels from Beginner to Advanced! He has had the honor to teach in Utah, Florida, and briefly in Hawaii. His diverse experience from being part of the best programs and facilities in the USA has allowed him to develop a Tennis System to which he implements with all his players and 21 Athletic Club coaches.

 Players coached by Ken have achieved the status of State Champs, Region Champs, USTA Sanctioned Tournament Champs, Non-Sanctioned Tennis Tournament Champs, Top 5 Ranked Juniors in Utah, Top 20 ranked juniors in the Intermountain Region, Women's Teams of all levels, and junior players of all ages.

Players taught by Ken have been offered to play at the Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, and NAIA levels.  

As an athlete himself, coming out of high school, Ken had opportunities to play minor league baseball,  D1 Basketball and, of course, Tennis.

Ken excelled in these sports (lots of trophies and honors on the local, state, and national levels) culminating in being named the Outstanding Male Athlete of his high school. 

He was a 3 year Varsity Starter in Baseball, 2 Years in Basketball  (Top 10 Scorer in School History and Also Should be Top 3 All-Time Assists Leader), Varsity Tennis Freshman Year (ended #1 Singles), and also played Varsity Golf his Senior Year. 

At the same time, he excelled as the point guard of the Utah Valley All Stars who won the AAU Western Regionals and downed Kansas in the AAU Nationals to which he was named the MVP. 

Afterward, Ken played  #1 singles in tennis at UVSC. Ken is Bi-lingual in French and English having lived for close to 2 years in Belgium and France.

Ken has a BS in Finance, BS in Business, and a BA in French. 

Junior Director of Tennis

 With a strong background in both tennis and soccer, Benjamin brings years of competitive experience and coaching expertise. 

As a former top 2 youth tennis player in Utah and Nevada, and a top 20 player in the Intermountain region, he understands the dedication it takes to succeed at a high level. 

In soccer, Benjamin was part of a U17 national championship-winning team and holds a USSF C coaching license. 

He is passionate about helping athletes develop their skills, stay focused, and reach their full potential through a structured and supportive training approach.  

UTR and Tournament Director

 Jocee loved playing tennis growing up and working towards collegiate tennis. 

As a result of her hard work, she ended up playing D1 tennis at Utah State and loved everything about that experience.

Jocee loves helping kids understand how to work towards their tennis dreams and watching/guiding them on that journey. S

She loves setting up match play and tournament opportunities for our team and working with them day in and day out to improve. 

She is thrilled to be a part of Team 21! 

Tennis Academy Director

 Born in Santa Monica, California, and raised in Marina del Rey for 23 years, Derrick developed a passion for tennis early on, shaping himself into an all-court player. 

Derrick reached a career-high ranking of #1 in the nation in both singles and doubles, capturing titles at the USTA National Hard Courts, USTA National Clay Courts, and the prestigious Easter Bowl. 

At 16 and 17, he competed on the ITF circuit, securing victories at events like the Costa Rica Bowl, which propelled him into the Junior US Open. There, he faced the world #23 in a hard-fought 7-6, 7-5 match—an unforgettable experience, especially sharing the players’ area with legends like Roger Federer and Serena Williams.

As a scholarship athlete at 6th-ranked Texas A&M, Derrick continued to compete at an elite level. 

During his freshman year, he played a professional event, nearly upsetting ATP #69 Robert Kendrick before falling in a tight three-set match.

With 20 years of coaching experience, Derrick was honored as High-Performance Coach of the Year. He has developed players from their early years into collegiate and professional athletes, with many earning scholarships to top programs, including Georgia, TCU, Northwestern, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, Utah, and BYU. 

His passion for the game continues through mentoring the next generation of champions. 

Director Men's Tennis

21 Athletic Clubs is pleased to have James Romera as one of our experienced coaches. He brings to our community a wealth of knowledge, experience, and results on competitive and recreational tennis.

Some of the key highlights of James’ career include:

- USPTA Member  pro level 1
Teaching/Coaching Juniors/ Adults (beginning to nationally ranked players)
-ACE - 5 years
-WOODS CROSS HS - Head coach/ assistant coach - 4/5 years
- DESERT HILLS HS - Boys Head Coach
- BLOOMINGTON TENNIS CLUB - Teaching Pro/ Juniors and Adults.
-ALMADEN SWIM AND RACQUET CLUB - Head Pro
- ASSISTED IN TESTING PROSPECTIVE USPTA CANDIDATES
- PROVO HS TENNIS COACH