He touched on this moment in his Mental Buckets conversation with Packie and Mike; “I’m a firm believer that you gotta surround yourself with the right people because once you surround yourself with the right people, people in a different environment, people that have guidance, people that had a vision, it was just contagious for myself.”

Chasson Randle cemented himself in the Bay Area record books as Stanford men’s basketball all-time leading scorer, finishing his Cardinal career with 2,375 points. From Illinois Mr. Basketball to a 2018 EuroLeague Champion, Randle has made his presence felt around the world thanks to the game of basketball. But now he’s got something else in store.

Seth Curry currently has the second-highest three-point percentage in NBA history. Just a touch under Steve Kerr, Curry has converted 44% of his three-pointers. But his success carving out a role as a shooting assassin doesn’t give justice to the mental fortitude it took to get to his current role as a cornerstone of the Dallas Mavericks.

“I knew basketball was something I wanted to pursue my career in one way or another from the very first competitive game I played in 4th grade,” Ruta tells me. “The atmosphere of the game, being apart of the team, the adrenaline that rushed through your body after wins and losses, all of the ups and downs of the workouts, practices, games, injuries and successes, I knew I wanted to be a part of that for the rest of my life either through playing or coaching.”

One of my favorite parts of this transition is that I am able to develop my own learning style. I can take all of my favorite past experiences and tools that helped me along the way and use it to create my own distinctive style. We all know what we like and didn’t like from different coaches, trainers and experiences along the way. I try and use all those experiences to create a program that helped me. At the end of the day my goal for my clients is to help them find joy in the game appreciate the process of working hard at something until you get it.

The reality is that most of your competition is making this same exact mistake, so you have a really cool opportunity to use this as a secret weapon to level up your game and really separate yourself from the pack.

I’d argue that if you truly understood the treasure chest of results on the court that you would be unlocking by eating properly, you would be open to implementing those strategies. By the end of this article, you will have a crystal clear understanding of exactly how fueling properly will allow you to use nutrition as your “secret weapon” and finally achieve the level of athletic performance on the basketball court that has been eluding you for so long.

At UPB, we are committed to being a part of the change to always support and empower female ballers. In February, we hosted an 100% free clinic for local girls and were met with a full gym and 30+ attendees.

UPB partners with The Boys and Girls Club of The Peninsula, Stanford Basketball, others to create a community event in December.

The clinic at UPB was made available to girls of all ages, from Kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as boys. Appearances at the October She Hoops included countless college and pro basketball players include current Stanford superstar and high school player of the year, Haley Jones, former Santa Clara guard Iman Scott as well as the most beloved photographer in the NBA, Cassy Athena. She currently has over 200k followers on Instagram and has shot the likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry. Beyond being an overwhelming hit, She Hoops was also for a worthy cause because 10% of camp proceeds ultimately supported breast cancer research and awareness.

At UPB, there’s an intention behind every step taken with an athlete, regardless of age or level. Whether rolling with a tennis ball, using a resistance band while shooting jumpers, or even practicing on the Vertimax, various basketball as well as physical and mental health professionals weigh in on every decision made. Every athlete we have will be pushed, but a distinction is made between being challenged and overworked.

Ezra Manjon: Manjon will most certainly be a candidate for Big West Rookie of the Year next year as he starts his collegiate career at UC-Davis. Manjon averaged 15.8 points and five assists as a senior at Heritage High School, and concluded his season with a 33 point outburst in the NorCal Regionals. Off the court, Manjon lists Raising Canes and Chick-Fil-A as two of his go-to restaurants. 

During spring workouts with our staff, Hayes worked on improving his soft touch, footwork and the ability to make reads. Off the court, he is a self-proclaimed “Momma’s Boy” and has the swagger of a champion (look no further than his Simpsons themed necklace at the draft). Looking forward to seeing the 1-2 punch with Zion in New Orleans now that Hayes has explored the West Coast and seen his favorite animal, a giraffe, live with Packie.

For the past few months, the most commonly asked question at the UPB training facility has been “where’s Coach Packie?” For those still wondering, an opportunity fell into his hands to prepare draft prospects and facilitate a pro day for BDA Sports Management. To properly prepare these players for the NBA draft, BDA had Packie and their clients stationed in Santa Barbara to work with the renowned Peak Performance Project (P3) training facility who also call Santa Barbara home. The players and coaches visited P3 six days a week for athletic training off the court.

That’s why I named this blog The Difference, I’m a firm believer everybody’s journey will be different. So when you are able to understand that you can achieve your goals your way. Not my way, not the top pick in the draft, or NBA/oversea superstars. Or even your friends/teammates/peers on the school teams way. It’s always going to be different and be ready to accept that at all levels of basketball along with life. If you take anything from this blog, always remember to set your goals high. And everyday just look for improvements on getting close to your goals. Rome was not built in a day, but a brick was laid every 24 hours. I’m going to continue to lay bricks on and off the court daily.