Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame

		Mitch Ruiz


		MITCH RUIZ Hueneme High School Educator and Coach Mitch Ruiz was bom and raised in Carpinteria, graduating from Carpinteria High School in 1987. He continued his education at College of the Redwoods, where he played intercollegiate football, and received his bachelor of arts degree from California State University, Chico. After overcoming a battle with cancer, Mitch decided to get into public education so he could make a difference in young people's lives. He returned to the local area, where he enrolled and eventually completed his teaching credential at National University. While working on his credential, he completed a student-teaching assignment at Ventura High School, which he credited with giving him a solid foundation as a public school teacher. Mitch was then hired by Hueneme High School as a social studies teacher and coached boys' and girls' basketball until his untimely death of pneumonia on December 27,2000.
				Mitch's influence on the young people of this community cannot be measured. He was a great father to his three children. Randy, Jessica and Jonas, and a loving husband to his wife, Michelle. He coached at Hueneme with a passion and commitment that we all could emulate. He was a teacher who continually strived to improve his teaching techniques so his students would receive the best he could give. And he was a man who was always happy, had a kind word for everybody and loved his students. He will be missed.