She’s Got Game

Apart from physical education in school and simple games with her friends and family, Rodriguez had never played on a team until now. “Before, I would play catch with friends and family, but I can’t catch the ball,” recalled Rodriguez. Prepared to expand her skills, paving the way for other girls wanting to join the sport while having fun, she decided to try and see if she could join the team.

After making the team, some of her friends tried to convince her to drop out by saying things like “you could get hurt” or “but it’s the boys’ team.” Rodriguez even brought up a rather rude remark, “you’re a girl, and we need you to be able to repopulate.” Deciding to ignore the hateful comments and focus on the support provided by others, her courage faltered for only a brief moment. “Football is really about holding your ground and staying low. And a lot of my support comes from girls who have been supporting me and some of the guys, which I really appreciate,” she commented. With supportive coaches and team members, she couldn’t help but notice the surprised looks on their faces given whenever she defended, did a play well, or even when she joined.

While playing a match or practicing skills, Rodriguez knew that the team was pulling their punches when playing against her, so she called them out on it, by changing the well-known and unflattering phrase “you hit like a girl” into “you hit like a baby,” or better yet, “you hit like an angry toddler!” Rodriguez’s method worked quite well, and some of the boys would hit harder than before, which was progress.“A few of them will hit hard, then harder, and I enjoy it when I keep my ground so when a game comes, I will be prepared and not totally caught off guard,” she explained.

Practices were her time to expand her knowledge, test her skills, and prove the boys wrong. She was supposed to show everyone that a girl could play just as good as the boys during their final game but sadly, the other team forfeited due to bad grades. “Well, I haven’t played in any of the games, but I was supposed to play in our last game. But for that game, the other team forfeited because of their grades. So I was a little sad that I couldn’t play in that game,” said Rodriguez. Her effort was not in vain, nor were the hours of sleep she sacrificed for her family.

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With new siblings on the way, homework pilling up, practice times to keep track of, and chores to do, Rodriguez wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to do it all.

The stress hits her, especially when her parents nag about being on devices all the time. “Yeah, it’s tough, and sometimes I snap at my parents when they tell me to get off my phone, but I’m doing my homework on it,” Rodriguez admitted. She feels pressured to start preparing to set an example before the babies arrive, which means chores can’t be left undone or partially completed.

When Rodriguez mentioned her “no regrets” about joining the team, she left out some doubts before joining the first place. “Yes, there was a point where I did say I wasn’t going to do this due to family things, but I was like forget it, let’s do it, and got it done with. And I’m glad I got to take that choice because I’ve learned a lot, I’ve gotten to meet a few people, and I appreciate it,” Rodriguez explained. Fitting into the uniform and eager to play alongside the boys she knew this was where she belonged. Maybe by the time she reaches her goal, her younger siblings will be cheering her on from the stands.