Coach Ben Ruelas on Knowledge Beyond the Court

3 Minute read

By: Andrea Aruino

Coach Ben Ruelas, one of UPBasketball’s newest Player and Development Coaches, can’t recall a day in his life where basketball wasn’t something that he thought about at least once. His journey with this sport began at the ripe age of three years old. As a Los Angeles Lakers fan, he was enthralled by Kobe Bryant’s ability to pass, shoot, and most of all his mentality. Seeing the level that pro players were seamlessly playing at, was enough to inspire Ruelas to continue working to build up his skills. Day in and day out, he made sure that the work he was putting in was going to pay off. He knew that the price of being a great athlete meant devoting as much time as possible to the sport. 

Attending Lutheran High School in Orange County paved an opportunity for him to be surrounded by great players who had similar goals. Being surrounded by people who were willing to put in as much work, if not more, pushed him to take basketball more seriously especially during his junior year of high school. At that point he had fully dedicated his everything into building himself as a top player. His senior year, he was able to play on an AAU team called Open Gym Premier, that exposed him to competition he had never played against. Inevitably, this helped his game in ways he couldn’t have imagined. Competing against top prospects made him think faster, find ways to move or shoot the ball differently, and most importantly communicate with his teammates. All of this experience was important for years to come. 

The confidence that his coaches placed on him was something that made him want to pursue basketball even if it wasn’t as a player. Ruelas chose to focus his time on school and attended San Francisco State University where he studied psychology. Despite choosing not to play at the collegiate level, he knew that he still wanted to use his skill and knowledge of basketball in other ways. 

“My passion for the game didn’t fade and I knew I wanted to apply what I’d learned throughout my years of playing into something useful. I began coaching and training athletes, which reignited a deeper love for the sport. Through coaching, I met Graham Betchart and eventually joined his internship program. That experience led me to pursue my Master’s in Applied Sports and Performance Psychology,” Ruelas said. 

Ruelas learned a lot from Betchart who was able to expand his knowledge regarding the mental aspect of basketball. Betchart has been a part of the UPB family, continuing to help educate athletes on how to create healthy mental habits on and off the court. His focus is on sports psychology and mentors athletes like Ruelas to highlight and spread the message on why sports psychology is valuable for a player. 

The integration between his love for playing basketball and how the mind works as an athlete pushed him to different heights of learning. He wasn’t just educating himself on the best moves or plays to make in a game, he’s now incorporating his knowledge of psychology into the intricate ways a mind works for an athlete. As the mental aspect of the game becomes more and more important, UPB is thrilled to have more coaches like Ruelas who is eager to teach players how to use their mind as an advantage. 

Over the past three years, he has been a fundamental part in the success of the Menlo College, Sacred Heart high school lacrosse team, and Sunnyvale Prep’s soccer program. Apart from being a coach, he is continuing to pursue a Masters in Applied Sports and Performance Psychology. During this time, he was able to publish that focuses on effective coaching in youth athletes, something he applies in his own teaching and lessons with young players. Achieving this success is no easy job and it didn’t come without any hurdles for Ruelas. As someone who had always loved playing, it was hard for him to accept an injury that stunted his ability to play, but he continues to focus on what can be controlled. 

“In college, I dealt with a serious back injury that made it difficult to run, let alone play. It shook my identity as an athlete and made me feel weak. But using the growth mindset I’d developed, I set small, achievable goals and committed to daily progress. While I’m still on the journey, I’ve been able to return to playing and am no longer burdened by that injury in the same way,” Ruelas said.

Eventually, Ruelas had found out about UPB through Coach Corey Cilia and Betchart. From then on, Ruelas knew this was a place where he could grow as a coach as well as help his players grow. He centers his coaching style around helping players grow in ways that challenge them. He aims to focus on strengthening their weaknesses which in turn, builds their resilience in working on something that might seem far out of reach. 

“I want to instill a mentality of continuous improvement, joy in the process, and the ability to view challenges not as setbacks but as opportunities to grow. I believe that when players embrace that mindset, they not only elevate their game but also grow as people. It also helps being around other coaches who are always learning and growing has pushed me to adopt a learner’s mindset myself,”  Ruelas said. 

Ruelas is ready and excited to work with more players in improving their game and helping them grow their love for basketball. We hope you’re just as excited as us to welcome him to the UPB family!