Athlete of the Week - Shadow Ridge's Keira Rodriguez

What started at six years old for Keira Rodriguez has grown into a journey that takes her all the way to college and beyond.

Rodriguez first started playing flag football in first grade, largely inspired by her dad, whom she credits as one of the biggest reasons she fell in love with sports. Nearly a decade later, that early introduction has turned into a serious pursuit. The Shadow Ridge Lady Mustang has already received 16 college offers and has her sights set on continuing her playing career at the collegiate level. Rodriguez said. “I want to play at the next level and become a part of history.”

What keeps Rodriguez motivated is not only the competition, but also the people she meets along the way. She loves forming relationships with teammates and working together toward a common goal. “I love being able to form new relationships with my teammates and be able to work together to get a win,” she said. “Also just showing people my skills and being able to make my parents proud is what I enjoy the most.”

Getting to this point, however, has required plenty of sacrifice. Rodriguez said her improvement has come from countless practices, missed social events, and putting her goals ahead of things she might otherwise want to do.

 “Football is a very time-consuming thing,” Rodriguez said.

“I had to pick between going to this event or going to a game or practice, but I have to look at the bigger picture and see what’s better for my future.”

That commitment has paid off with some memorable moments, including a championship that stands out above the rest. Rodriguez’s club team, Sin City Khaos, won its first championship ring against one of the top teams in the country. The tournament also helped the team earn a national ranking. One championship game in particular showed Rodriguez exactly why she loves the sport. Her team found itself in a back-and-forth NFL flag championship game with only minutes remaining. Down by a touchdown, they got the ball and managed to score, taking a one-point lead. With only seconds left, the opposing quarterback threw an interception. Rodriguez’s team came away with the ball and the championship.

“It was just an amazing feeling,” Rodriguez said.

That ability to stay composed under pressure is something Rodriguez works on during every practice. Her training includes conditioning, offensive plays, defensive strategies, footwork, and route running. She also spends time learning how to create separation from defenders and how to respond to different situations on the field.

“We also work on being good with adversity and how to be calm in stressful situations so it doesn’t mess up our game,” she said.

Rodriguez describes herself as competitive, strategic, and completely locked in once she steps onto the field.

But that is only one side of her personality. “People might not see my personality and my character while on the field,” Rodriguez said. “Off the field, I am this bubbly person who is always laughing and loves to do activities with people. I am really caring.”

Away from football, Rodriguez enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and friends, exploring nature, and making memories before she heads off to college. She is also a fan of country and R&B music, pho, “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,” and trips to St. George, Utah.

For Rodriguez, the future is about much more than simply playing college football. With flag football continuing to grow at the collegiate level, she hopes to help shape what comes next for the sport.

“I am very blessed to be a part of that,” Rodriguez said. “Hopefully in time this sport will become a professional sport, and I hope that I can be a part of that and help other people who also have that dream achieve their goals.”

From picking up flag football at six years old to earning 16 college offers, Rodriguez is already proving that the next level is within reach.