Senior Ben Bruce is a competitive athlete and a driven student. He has been able to have a successful high school career thus far while keeping up with the responsibilities of being a student athlete.

   As a team member of both UC High’s Varsity Football and Basketball Teams, Ben Bruce continues to grow as an athlete and as an individual. He is constantly finding new ways to improve and keep his skills consistent on the field and on the court.

   Ben Bruce explained, “I was really sad that football came to an end, but now I can focus on basketball.”

  Having had both his father and older brother play basketball,  Ben Bruce fell in love with the sport at a young age.  His role model is Houston Rockets Point Guard and Shooting Guard James Harden due to the way he “plays with poise,” and “has a winning mentality.”

   “Basketball has given me skills like leadership,” said Ben Bruce. He began his basketball career in the sixth grade and he says it has only bettered his life since. Additionally, the sport has helped his time-management skills and motivates him to be a more hard-working individual.

   Ben Bruce is greatly admired by his family, teammates, and coaches. “I think he is a really good teammate, and [overall] he does a really good job. He tries to hype up the team and get everybody going,” stated Boys Varsity Basketball Head Coach Terry Stonebraker. Stonebraker also highlighted the quality within Ben Bruce that has been consistently noted by opposing teams — his competitiveness.

   “He is always working to find ways to get better at what he does,” said his younger sister, Sophomore Gaby Bruce. She described him as a hardworking individual who strives to excel in anything and everything he does, whether it be on or off the court. She continued, “He’s the best big brother I could ever ask for. I go to all of Ben’s basketball games to encourage him to do what he loves.”

   Ben Bruce’s family has been a driving force in his athletic career through their unconditional love and support. He explained, “My family comes to every one of my games, no matter where it is, and they always motivate me to keep playing and working hard.”

   Ben Bruce has clearly enjoyed previous seasons and is excited for this year’s. He explained, the team is a lot younger than previous seasons. However, he’s going to try to motivate and lead the team as much as he can. “I want to go as far as possible, given that it’s my senior season. Hopefully, we can pull off a league title or go far in CIF,” he stated.

   He recounts his favorite memory from last season as being the bus ride to Brawley, a town about two hours from San Diego, during his junior year. He explained, it was a time when he and his teammates bonded over a fun experience all together.

   Overall, basketball has impacted Ben Bruce’s life in an extremely positive way. He has clearly proven to be an asset to the team and his efforts are greatly appreciated by his teammates, coaches, and peers. Though Ben Bruce feels bitter-sweet about this season marking his final one playing for the UC High Basketball Team, he hopes to continue playing throughout college and possibly become a coach in the future.