Photo courtesy of @beastmentality_trainings / Instagram.
The late Kobe Bryant had his iconic “Mamba Mentality” that he used to conquer on and off the basketball court. He defined it as “attacking what’s in front of you with passion and purpose, without fear and doubt and without an ounce of quit.”
Ryan Villa, a local hooper from Bayonne, NJ, has a similar mindset that he uses. It’s a mindset that has spawned teams of local basketball players with a burning passion for the game–all because of Villa’s love for the game.
The mindset? Beast Mentality.
“Beast Mentality is really a lot of people who have a lot of relentlessness and a lot of fight, whether it’s on or off the court,” Villa told Slice of Culture.
Villa has always had a love for basketball.
He attended All Saints Catholic Academy in Bayonne, NJ, and carried his passion for ball into and throughout high school while attending Queen of Peace High School in North Arlington, NJ and Marist High School in Bayonne, NJ.
After playing throughout his academic career, Villa wanted to find a way to keep up with basketball in any way he could.
“I always thought about like ‘Man what can I do to stay close [to basketball]?’’ Villa said. “Even as a player or a coach, I was like ‘Why not make my own business?’”
Then, on March 7, 2023, Villa’s 23rd birthday, Beast Mentality Trainings LLC was born.
The company initially started as 1-on-1 training sessions between Villa and others that either wanted to better their basketball skills or needed personal training, but the business quickly grew and became a way for Villa to create and train his own teams of players from all around New Jersey.
The purpose behind Beast Mentality is to give their players a stage to be able to gain recognition to play basketball at the next level, whether it be in college or professionally. On top of that, Villa aims to create a culture that fosters a family-like bond amongst the players.
“Seeing all of my players succeed is what brings Beast Mentality together,” Villa said. “[My dream] is to build a family within this community.”
The three teams under Beast Mentality, known as Beast Mentality Pro, Beast Mentality Elite and Beast Mentality Motion. They are coached by Villa himself as the head coach, assistant head coach Xavier George, assistant coach Chris Symonette, assistant coach and media manager Michael Dimaculangan, and head coach of strength and conditioning Kurt Espiritu.
These three teams differ by their divisions and the age range of their players.
Beast Mentality is currently active in two different leagues: a Wednesday men’s league, Millennial Sports, and a Sunday men’s league, NJ Ballers.
Beast Mentality Pro brought home a championship trophy from the NJ Ballers league in June 2024.
“I’m really proud of how the program [and the players] are, but this is only the beginning,” Villa says.
Winning a championship in any sport is one of the highest honors for an organization. It’s a representative of a collection of hard work and determination from hundreds of individuals. But winning a championship in only their second season in a league, is a feat that Beast Mentality achieved, and it’s one that’s fueling Villa, the coaches and players for future accomplishments.
“[Winning the championship] gives us a bunch of motivation,” Villa said. “The guys here, their motivation is just even more than expected…They’re ready to ball out, they’re ready to get another one.”
The players on the team have been enjoying the journey that Beast Mentality has been taking them on. Ezekiel Michael, shooting guard for Beast Mentality Pro, has been with Beast Mentality since March and he’s hoping to get a shot at playing basketball in college.
“I hope that I can get some connections to colleges,” Michael told Slice of Culture. “I think that this team really challenged me to get out of my comfort zone and do things I wouldn’t usually do and [I’ve] become a better basketball player [because of that].”
Luis Pagan, small forward and power forward for Beast Mentality Pro, joined the team after coming to the open gyms that Villa would host for Beast Mentality, where he would ask Pagan to join the team.
Pagan has had a love for basketball since he started playing, and he never looked back.
“The day I started playing basketball I was addicted to it,” Pagan told Slice of Culture. “I probably won’t stop playing until I can’t anymore.”
Beyond plans to bring home more hardware, Villa looks to the future of Beast Mentality and wants to build a gym around the Bayonne and Jersey City area to give kids and adults alike the opportunity to learn, train and play.
Ultimately, Villa aims to give those who may not have the resources or access to basketball the opportunity to do so.
“I try to do this for a lot of inner city kids who don’t really get a shot [to get into organized basketball],” Villa said.
Beast Mentality Trainings can be best accessed through their Instagram account, and they play their games for both their Wednesday and Sunday men’s leagues at NJCU’s John J. Moore Athletics & Fitness Center.
