About Me

Hey! I’m Ryan Rucker…

Family Man, Girl Dad, Ice Cream Maker, Children’s Book Author, Game Show Champion, Former Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Basketball Coach, Personal Trainer, avid Parks and Recreation watcher, Cheesy Christmas movie reviewer, and big-time Indiana Pacers fan.

I write about Modern Fatherhood and the beauty of stepping into vulnerability, along with stories about equity and community, primarily through the lens of Black voices.

I enjoy writing about topics that make people think deeply and wrestle with common perceptions, but I also love writing about nonsense like JC Chasez’s Thug Appeal and fictional Dad drafts.

I am a proponent of balance and joy — ideally, my writing reflects that goal.

About me:

Born in Upstate, NY, I live in Northern California with my wife, Allie, my daughters, Raegan and Sienna, and our rescue dogs, Pacer and Biggie. Our days are consumed with walks outside, stops at our favorite food spots, visits to our local parks, and lots of Basketball (Go Pacers!).

Why fatherhood?

I love being a dad. The ability to sit courtside, enjoying the best seats in the house as the kids grow, learn, and develop, is my favorite thing in the world. It pains me to see people struggle with the intentionality needed to thrive as a dad.

Fatherhood especially means a lot to me because I grew up without mine. Though my father missed most of my childhood, in 2020, we connected for the podcast Complicated Fatherhood, where I dove deep, asking him questions about his life and absence to understand how his decisions affected my mission as a dad.

Speaking of Podcasts

I host the podcast Courtside Forever, dedicated to bringing intentionality back to parenting.

Every Tuesday, I’ll bring you episodes designed to make you feel seen as a parent and normalize the struggles that we deal with. I get that society hasn’t been built for parents, but that will never stop me from providing parents with resources to enjoy the best seats in the house.

I also make ice cream!

Since 2015, I’ve run Be Ice Cream Or Be Nothing, a space dedicated to family and ice cream. What started as a dream to create an ice cream shop turned into an actual ice cream business, though during the early stages of the pandemic, that vision shifted into its current iteration.

Through tutorials, videos, recipes, and books, I aim to encourage families, especially dads, to get in the kitchen and make memories with their kids.

Speaking of books, I wrote one!

It’s a children’s book titled, “Is This Your Favorite Ice Cream?” It’s a 34-page ode to ice cream and making memories. Throughout the story, this father and daughter duo travel the country in search of their favorite ice cream, only to find that their favorite scoop may have less to do with the taste and more with the person they share it with.

Self-publishing a children’s book can be challenging. Thankfully I received a boost from one of the most unlikely sources you could think of.

I won Ellen’s Game of Games!

In September 2020, my wife and I competed for the crown of Game Show Winners, ultimately succeeding in our efforts. Through slime, 30-foot drops, and an intense grilling by Ellen DeGeneres, I walked away a winner, gaining the funding to self-publish my first children’s book.

I’ve also been a public servant.

Adding to my insanely random resume, from 2017–2021, I served two terms as a Vacaville City Commissioner for their Parks and Recreation Department.

Local government has always fascinated me because of its direct impact on people’s lives. So, after a 2016 general election that I was not pleased with, I got involved locally to advocate for those seeking to live in a better community.

Why the Parks and Recreation department?

Because of the show, seriously. From 2009–2015 I religiously watched Leslie, Ron, Tom, and crew make life better for the people of Pawnee, no matter how much their neighbors hated them for it. Parks and Rec has always been my safe show, comforting me amid difficult times.

Sports and Training.

In March 2023, I began coaching my daughter’s basketball team. As an avid hoops fan, it was everything I needed. After going through two layoffs in two years, I felt I was receiving signs to say, “You need a new direction.”

In October 2024, I received the City of Vacaville Most Outstanding Coach award for my work with kids in their basketball program. The following month, I received a call saying I was being inducted into my High School’s Hall of Fame for my athletic achievements in Track & Field.

I love coaching, working with kids, and bringing joy to athletics, so in January 2025, I received my Personal Training Certification through NCEP and started Courtside Coaching, dedicated to bringing joy to personal training.

Thanks for reading!

Whatever brought you here, thanks for stopping by.