Chicago water polo coach, Brian Ruiz, pushes his athletes to succeed

Ruiz, a water polo coach, has been working for the Chicago Park District (CPD) since 2002. Ruiz is a former CPD athlete who grew up within the park district.

Ruiz teaches them “not only water polo skills, but life skills” by talking to them one on one. 

Ruiz says that by playing water polo, athletes learn to be respectful, disciplined and courteous. Ruiz's definition of a success story is “a kid that comes in and works hard, doesn’t have the best life, I know I grew up with a lot of kids that were dealt a bad hand, parents, family, where their family members were in gangs. My success story for me would be a kid put into a situation, where he can succeed with minimal help.”

Ruiz spoke about encouraging his athletes to eat right and stay away from Flamin' Hot Cheetos. Many of the challenges with coaching is getting the athletes to keep a healthy diet for not only better performance, but for their own benefit. “The generation now,  parents are more health conscious and are trying to give their kids better food. Better food translates into healthier kids, and into better athletes.”

Ruiz says that growing up and living in the city definitely gave him an edge.
“You have to deal with a lot of elements that are unexpected.”
Ruiz says coaches in the city have to deal with gangs, shootings, and people from different walks of life.
“You have to have thick skin to grow up in the city.” Ruiz says that living in the city gives someone an edge.
“If they can take that edge and translate it into the water positively, then that’s a win for me.” 

Ruiz says the most rewarding aspect to be a coach “would be having the kids use the techniques you teach them and applying them. Just watching the fruits of your labor. But not only that, if you teach them to be respectful... and you see them mature as players, and as human beings.”

Ruiz has many years of coaching experience, has a real-life connection to his athletes, both in and out of the water. Ruiz says he continues to make a difference in the lives of inner-city kids that just want to play water polo.