Matthew Rodriquez was able to finish this year’s wrestling season right before the coronavirus made its appearance in the Florida area. Rodriquez, a junior, is committed to attend Lehigh University as part of their wrestling team after he graduates high school in 2021. He is a strong and determined young man who is aiming to win a wrestling state championship next year. We sat down with Rodriquez to learn more about him and how he’s doing during social distancing.
Tyrah Walker: With school being strictly online, how have you kept up with your wrestling training?
Matthew Rodriquez: I have a normal routine that we strictly stay on in the postseason. We lift hard and get a lot of endurance in. Lately, we have been taking our weights to the park and getting some different workouts. It’s a bit easier to get the workouts in because it allows us to work out in the morning versus in the afternoon. Then once I finishing working out, I can get back to my school work.
TW: How excited are you for senior year?
MR: I’m very excited for my senior year. I’m looking forward to my final high school wrestling season, but I’m also looking forward to starting my career to wrestle at Division I Lehigh University.
TW: What are some things you would like to work on for next season?
MR: I’m always looking at getting stronger and quicker. We travel around the country to compete to keep me on edge. It’s always important to improve technique. The corona virus hasn’t stopped anything. We can’t compete right now, but we are already scheduled to head out next week to get private lessons. My dad is always analyzing my technique and then sets the training I need to stay sharp.
TW: What made you decide to commit to Lehigh University? What are you mostly excited about?
MR: It was a focused process. My dad said he would allow me to make the decision, but I needed to weigh lots of options. I was asked to train at a camp at Lehigh, and I truly enjoyed how caring and dedicated the coaches were with the wrestlers. They had programs in place to guide their academic and athletic goals. To me, that was important. They made me feel that I was a part of the team and not an outsider. I’m excited to take my skills to the next level. There will be some great wrestlers there at Lehigh, and that will help me become better. I also enjoy the campus. It’s definitely something that I would like to wake up to in the morning.
TW: Who are some wrestlers that you look up to?
MR: I like Spencer Lee from Iowa and Zahid Valencia from ASU. Those two are the best at what they do. Speed, technique, and confidence. I enjoy watching them wrestle, and I had the opportunity to meet them, get wrestling advice, and talk with them.
TW: When you’re not training, what are some things that you like to do?
MR: I love going out to watch movies. I also enjoy cooking, hanging out with friends, learning to play the guitar, and reading. Plus, I look forward to going to offseason tournaments because normally after the tournament is over we always get to travel and explore cool places in the state that we are in.
TW: How has your dad helped you in your wrestling career?
MR: My dad has been in the room from day one. When I began learning, he also began learning. He is always taking notes and studying moves that would help me learn. As the years went by, he began teaching me how to study film and how to work on my strengths and weaknesses. He sees a lot of things that I may not see, and he is great at breaking down my opponents. It’s hard to believe sometimes that he has never wrestled for as much as he knows. He is more technical than many coaches I know, and I trust him to set up my training and many postseason tournaments.
TW: What advice would you give to other wrestlers?
MR: Anything is possible if you put in the work. No one is going to hand you anything without working for it. Therefore, work hard, stay focused, don’t make excuses, and have fun doing it. You’ll be surprised what will happen if you just go out and wrestle with confidence.
TW: How have you been practicing social distancing?
MR: It’s not that difficult! I actually have been working on my high school and college classes. And we have a lot to do at home. We take time for walks and also drives to get out of the house. We always stay busy, but we also have fun doing so.
TW: What’s the number one goal for next wrestling season?
MR: The number one goal is to win a state championship. In order to do that, I have to stay ahead of the pack. It’s what we are always training to do. I’m also hoping to get some of our other athletes to the state championship too. I want them to experience what I had the opportunity to experience.
Written by: Tyrah Walker
