From the green turf and cleats of fall soccer to the ski boots and falling snow of ski season, senior Ben Taylor can always find it in himself to motivate those around him.

As a captain of the FHC ski team and a key leader on the boys varsity soccer team, Ben has seen it all in his four-year sports career. To him, the most crucial part is getting others to match his passion for competing. 

“It’s all about hyping them up and keeping the motivation up,” Ben said, referring to his teammates. “I just tell them to not get down on themselves, keep pushing, and keep going hard.”

Within this mentor role, he finds it extremely rewarding to witness his friends and teammates mature as not just athletes, but people as well. 

Not too long ago, Taylor was the measly freshman waiting to be led. Now, he has become the very thing he needed in those days. It is not easy to take on leadership positions; yet, Ben has made the transition to a two-year ski captain almost seamlessly.

“Ski team is definitely a more fun environment,” he claimed. “All of the captains have gone a long way towards including everybody and making the team feel like a family.”

Ben certainly doesn’t discredit the soccer team’s family atmosphere, though. In fact, boys soccer was a major highlight of fall sports at FHC in 2021. Following just a three-win season in 2020, the boys varsity soccer team exceeded expectations to a massive extent. Under head coach Paul Kramer, Ben and his fellow seniors were able to enjoy one last–and very memorable–ride to regionals to finish out their high school soccer careers.

“We won districts after a disappointing season my junior year,” he said. “We were able to come together before this season and grind during the summer in order to leave our mark.”

Taylor’s work ethic ended up paying dividends later on. He enjoyed an extremely successful senior season, as he was a key factor in FHC’s numerous win-or-go-home matchups in which Ben and his teammates came out on top.

Although a heartbreaking loss in PK’s halted their run at regionals, the feeling was second-to-none for the longtime soccer player.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about something in my life,” he said jokingly.

With the ball rolling on the 2022 ski season, Ben is starting to pick up considerable steam in his final campaign. In FHC’s first race, he showed out. The senior captain–who took home first at a Norms Invitational race just last year–placed fifth overall and showed the coaches that he can be counted on for the remainder of the season.

Despite his individual skiing achievements, he has felt blessed to witness the growth in FHC’s ski program over the years.

“Just a few years ago, we were finishing last at regionals,” Ben said. “This year, I think we have a good shot at qualifying for states.”

Ben has willingly emerged as a top athlete and leader at FHC in recent years, providing his respective teams with unmatched energy and leadership. To many, including junior soccer player Tyler Poth, he stands as a guy to constantly look up to.

“Ben is a great player and an awesome guy to be around,” Tyler praised. “Everybody follows his example and benefits from it.”

It is hard to ignore the magnitude of Ben’s four years as a Ranger. As a top student, athlete, leader, and friend, he wears all sorts of hats. Regardless, he has been able to handle all of it and goes the extra mile in the process. As he turns to his college days ahead, he has the utmost respect for FHC and its tradition of success.

“The best part about FHC sports is their reputation to be the best,” Ben concluded. “It’s a high bar to meet, but everybody is pushed to meet it. That kind of standard is what keeps the ‘state champs’ flag flying outside.”