LA Galaxy's Memo Rodriguez visits Coachella Valley student-athletes
Azael Lopez, 8, dressed in LA Galaxy's all-white uniform on Monday, waiting to see who from the team would be paying him and other Coachella Valley student-athletes a visit. Once the second grader from Martin Van Buren Elementary spotted midfielder Jose "Memo" Rodriguez, he grew focused on the professional soccer player's tips for the game and in life.
Grinning from ear to ear, Lopez said he likes watching LA Galaxy players because they "work hard and are strong."
About 50 other students from the Coachella Valley Unified School District gathered at the Coachella Valley High gymnasium at 10 a.m. and first heard from school staff and parents about how furthering their studies will allow them to follow their passions. But Rodriguez's advice was what made students most excited.
The 27-year-old recalled leaving his home of Wharton, Texas, for the first time to play with the Houston Dynamo team in 2015. "That was the biggest challenge. I was living alone, learning to cook and take care of myself," he said.
Rodriguez was signed to LA Galaxy just last month.
He told students to listen to their parents and credited his mom with being supportive of his dream to play professional soccer. "She would drive an hour and a half to and from my soccer practice, knowing it wasn't guaranteed that I'd become a pro," he said.
Rodriguez also heard from students eager to ask questions about what motivates him. He said he looks to the world's best soccer players, like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, for inspiration and is constantly working to improve his technique. "You can always get better," he advised students, "Whether it be in soccer or if you want to be an actor or a musician."
After the assembly, Lopez and other students joined Rodriguez on the field to kick soccer balls around and practice.
LA Galaxy also presented the district with a $5,000 check for its Migrant Program, which helps children of farmworkers, who often have to move in and out of the area as their parents follow seasonal agricultural work. Students received free backpacks, snacks for the day and tickets to watch LA Galaxy's season-opening game against the Los Angeles Football Club later this month, at the Rose Bowl.
"It was very important for me to talk a little bit about my story, to motivate the students, especially because I've been in their shoes," Rodriguez told The Desert Sun. Growing up in a low-income household, Rodriguez said, sometimes made him question if soccer was really for him.
Rodriguez's visit was coordinated through a partnership the school district has with LA Galaxy, said Lissette Santiago, the district's spokesperson. "It's also part of the work that Lydia Rodriguez does, because she's a migrant teacher, to give students in our district these types of opportunities." (The teacher is not related to the soccer player.)
It was Rodriguez's first time in the Coachella Valley and he said he enjoyed getting to know the community and thanked everyone for the warm welcome.
Eliana Perez covers the eastern Coachella Valley, including the cities of Indio and Coachella. Reach her at eliana.perez@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ElianaPress.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: LA Galaxy's Memo Rodriguez visits Coachella Valley student-athletes
