Ryan Braun was born on November 17, 1983, to Joe and Diane Braun. He and his younger brother Steve were raised in Los Angeles. He grew up a Los Angeles Dodgers fan. Braun's PONY League teammates included Jack and Matt Cassel, Jason and Jarron Collins, as well as Jon Garland. Braun later picked up basketball, which became his favorite sport, and soccer, in which he played forward. By the time he entered high school, Braun chose to focus solely on baseball.