ASCENT is an advisory firm for families making one of the largest decisions of their child's life.
We are not a recruiting service. We are the people families call when the noise is loud, the offers are unclear, and someone needs to say plainly what the evidence supports.
Mission
To give families the clarity, structure, and confidence to make a college athletics decision they will still respect in four years — grounded in evidence, never in enthusiasm.
Clarity before commitment
Level, fit, and cost are answerable questions. We answer them in writing, before a family commits time or money.
Guidance, not promises
We do not sell outcomes. We build the plan, explain the reasoning, and stay with the family through the cycle.
Core Values
Three convictions shape every engagement, and they rarely change.
Evidence over enthusiasm
Level, fit, and cost are questions of evidence. We report what we find, including when it is unwelcome.
The family decides
Our work is to make the decision legible. We advise; we never pressure a family toward an outcome.
Four-year horizon
A good decision still looks good in the senior year of college. That is the standard we hold.
ASCENT FOUNDER
Clarity Before Commitment.
A founder’s approach built on fit, evaluation, and honest guidance for families making high-stakes decisions.
Read the Founder’s Approach01
Where it began
I grew up in the Bronx and first discovered tennis through the NJTL pathway, inspired by the legacy of Arthur Ashe. From there, I earned my way into the Beacon School in Manhattan and became a four-time New York City public school and private school team champion, while also winning the individual private and public school league title. That experience taught me early that talent alone is not enough — guidance, exposure, and timing matter just as much as ability.
02
The difference between guessing and knowing
After high school, I did not have the recruiting guidance many families need today. I explored options like HBCUs and other college paths, but I did not fully understand how much could be opened with stronger strategy, better connections, and more intentional exposure. I later found that junior college gave me a powerful bridge: a full scholarship, high-level training, and the chance to compete against international and Division I-level players while developing my game and my understanding of the college system.
At ASA College, I trained with players from around the world, played at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and experienced firsthand how recruiting works behind the scenes. That path ultimately led to Division I opportunities and a full athletic scholarship to continue my education and tennis career at Prairie View A&M, where I competed at the top of the lineup and traveled to play major programs across the country. I learned that merit aid, academic planning, walk-on value, and the right development path can change everything for a family.
“I know what it feels like to miss opportunity because no one explained the process clearly.”
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Why ASCENT exists
Ascent Sports Advisory exists because I lived the difference between guessing and knowing. I know what it feels like to miss opportunity because no one explained the process clearly. I also know what happens when an athlete gets the right guidance, the right fit, and the right plan. This company was built to give families the clarity, structure, and confidence I wish I had earlier.
Bronx → NJTL → Beacon School → ASA College → Prairie View A&M → founding ASCENT
BACKGROUND PLAYING HISTORY
- New York Times — A National Title, if Not a Court, of Its Own
A profile of Beacon School's national championship team and the realities of building a winning program while commuting for court access.
- New York Post — The Post's All-City Boys Tennis Honors
A record of the 2011 Mayor's Cup singles title.
- Prairie View A&M — Men's Tennis Match Report
A Division I match report documenting college-tennis competition after ASA-Brooklyn.
ASCENT Team
ASCENT Team
Taylor LeFridge — Co-Founder
Taylor LeFridge is a Southern California native who learned to balance textbooks and tennis racquets under the California sun. A former Division I athlete, she climbed to the national Top 40 rankings, competing at the #1 spot before transferring after her sophomore year to the University of California, Irvine, where she finished her collegiate career.
But here's the part of her story that doesn't show up in the rankings: Taylor grew up as a first-generation student-athlete with no roadmap. Despite interest from powerhouse programs like LSU and Oregon, she chose Prairie View A&M University not for the brand, but for a personal experience that felt right. That decision was brave, but it also came with a steep learning curve. When she later transferred to UC Irvine, the process was stressful, confusing, and overwhelming — filled with eligibility rules, credit hurdles, and endless paperwork. She knows firsthand how easy it is to feel lost when everyone expects you to just “figure it out.”
While earning her degree, Taylor began coaching during her senior year and remarkably, many of her very first students went on to play Division I tennis themselves. That success ignited a new fire. After college, she chased her own professional dream on the ITF circuit, all while honing her coaching craft.
Today, Taylor and her husband have built a tennis academy that develops players nationwide. But their mission goes deeper than strokes and strategy. They started this company to bridge the gap that Taylor once fell through — creating a clear, honest, and supportive pipeline from junior tennis to college recruitment. No more guessing games. No more stressful transfers alone. No more talented kids slipping through the cracks because nobody showed them the way.
Her story is proof that your path doesn't have to be straight to be successful — it just has to be yours. And now, she's dedicated to making sure the next generation has the guide she never did.
Why ASCENT Exists
Because the gap between guessing and knowing decides most outcomes — and almost no family is given the map in time.
The process is not explained
Timelines, eligibility, and aid mechanics are learned too late, usually after a window has already closed.
Opportunity is uneven
Access to exposure and connections is not distributed evenly. Strategy is how a family closes that distance.
Fit outlasts the offer
The right development path, academic plan, and cost structure matter far longer than any single commitment.
Independence & Objectivity
Families early enough in the process that clarity still changes the outcome — typically sophomore through junior year, occasionally later when a reset is needed.
Independent by design
We accept no compensation from programs, camps, or platforms. Our only client is the family.
Deliberately small
A limited number of advisory engagements per cycle so each family gets direct attention.
Ready to start?
Begin with a free assessment.