Rodriguez loves to teach hockey, and the first clinic he ever conducted was with Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC), with kids who were mostly non-English speaking. He assumed the attendees had never played before, but one child truly surprised him.
She told him that she had just emigrated from Mexico with her parents, and she had, in fact, played hockey. Except in the town she was from, they would go to the jungle to get a stick in the shape of a traditional hockey stick, crush a can to use as a puck, and draw a square on the ground for the goal.
She went on to score three goals in the ensuing game.
Right then and there, Rodriguez knew he had found the perfect marriage of his Latino heritage and the game of hockey by working for the Coyotes.
"When I first got hired here, I figured I was just going to teach kids to play hockey, but I quickly learned it's way more than that," he said. "It's bigger than hockey. It's an outlet. They go home, and maybe they don't have a great home life, but then they go to school and they'll see four guys coming to the school in Coyotes shirts, and it just gets them excited.
"It means everything."
Rodriguez grew up in Los Angeles and said his Latino heritage is all about family. His parents are of Mexican descent -- his mom was born in Mexico and his dad was born in the United States -- and though he said he didn't appreciate that heritage when he was younger, it started to mean more and more to him as he got older.
He recalls the days of helping his grandma run her churro business on LA's renowned Olvera Street - a spot where his family has had shops for years. That time helped mold him into the man he is proud to call himself today, and he said his family - and his heritage - now mean everything to him.
"It means to be prideful of where you come from, to be hard working, to be a man of your word, and to put your family first," he said. "Also to do whatever you can, to give back as much as you can to others, and constantly thank god for all your blessings."
Working for the Coyotes has presented an opportunity that Rodriguez said he's truly grateful for. The club strives to be inclusive with all Arizona residents, and though the Hispanic community doesn't make up the most traditional hockey market, the team truly wants everyone to engage.
"That means everything, and it's an honor to be a part of it," Rodriguez said. "Since day one, the Latino community has been a priority. We're not just checking off boxes, and it's an honor."
Rodriguez is proud to be part of the Arizona community, and as he continues his career in professional sports, he said he knows it won't always be easy.
When he runs up against a challenge, though, he'll apply the lessons he's learned from those he holds most dear.
"I've been blessed to have some good people around me to help guide me and take me under their wing," Rodriguez said.
