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.

Thanks for being here and visiting my website. While you’re here you’ll see anything from my writing to merch and everything in between. For years I’ve written on Medium, shared videos on YouTube, posted pictures on Instagram, and used these platforms to connect with people. This website is a space to house everything I love, mainly my love of fatherhood, but let’s get into it all.

Where is home?

I was born in Upstate, NY, but moved to California while I was in high school. I still live in Northern California and share a home with my wife, Allie, our daughters, Raegan and Sienna, and our rescue dogs, Pacer and Biggie.

Our days are consumed with walks through our neighborhood trails, stops at our favorite food spots, visits to our local parks, and lots of basketball from the NBA, WNBA, college hoops or most importantly our local rec center where I’ve coached both my girls basketball teams.

Of all the things to talk about, 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 because now more than ever, our kids need us to be happy, healthy, and whole.

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.

If there is one mission I have not related to my circle, it’s giving men the tools they need to build a better story.

Did you say You Have a Podcast?

Yes! While I produced the podcast series, Complicated Fatherhood, in 2020, today I host the podcast Courtside Forever, which is a podcast dedicated to bringing intentionality and stillness to back to homes.

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 do a mix of solo episodes and conversations where some weeks you’ll hear me speaking to new dads about how to parents in unprecedented times. Other weeks you’ll hear me interviewing phenomenal story tellers about their work and parenting.

I heard you make ice cream…

You heard right! 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. Be Ice Cream Or Be Nothing has been a blast to create, and I look forward to making more ice cream memories with my family for the rest of my life.

Tell Me About Your Ice Cream Book

I’d love to! 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, our 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.

Didn’t you win a game show?

Strange, but true. In September 2020, my wife and I competed for the crown of Game Show Winners, ultimately becoming Game Show Champions!

Competing on a game show was never on my radar, but 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.

The experience one a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am forever grateful to the Ellen’s Game of Games team for making it happen!

What else have you done?

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.

And if you were curious, yes, Leslie Knope played a part in my decision. From 2009–2015 I religiously watched Leslie, Ron 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, which is why it was a joy to call myself a Parks and Rec Commissioner for a few years.

What about your coaching?

In March 2023, I began coaching my daughter’s basketball team. As an avid hoops fan, it was everything I needed at the time. Though 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, my personal training servives dedicated to bringing joy to sports and growth.