Tommy Rodriguez - Class of 2005

Where did you go to college and did you play soccer for the college?
I played for Presbyterian College

Please share a quick bit about what you are up to?
After graduating from Presbyterian with my degree in accounting, I went to the University of Denver and earned my MBA in Finance and Masters in Accounting. Today, I live in Aurora, CO and am a father of two. I work for my father helping grow our family-owned taxes and accounting firm (T. Rodriguez & Associates LLC) which has been in business 40+ years. When I'm not working and spending time with the family, I manage to sneak in some indoor soccer with some of the lads I grew up playing with at Real.

Favorite Food?
Steak.

First concert you went to and where?
Jay-Z, Pepsi Center.

When did you come to Real Colorado?
U11 or U12

Favorite Movie?
The Godfather I

What team did you play at for Real Colorado?
Real Colorado '86 boys National.

Who were some of the coaches your remember?
Lorne (hard to forget when you're on the same team as his son lol), Jared Spires, Shawn Comegys, Neil Payne, and Frank Kohlenstein - to name a few. Remembered for different reasons, but all had a positive impact on my life, both on and off the pitch..

What is a best memory(ies) at Real Colorado?
Having won regionals here in Colorado a man down against a stacked CA team as well as being one of the first two teams from Real to make it to Nationals. We basically put Real Colorado on the map - you're welcome future generations ;) (jk lol).

What do you view as the most important qualities you learned as a player that apply to your current life?
Teamwork and accountability. Teamwork is an obvious one, but the real world is a very individualistic place and it's easy to forget how important and impactful being a team player can be to a team or organization. Couple that with holding yourself as well as your teammates/coworkers accountable for doing their part is crucial..

If you could go back in time and talk to yourself when you first started playing, what advise would you give?
Throughout most of my playing days, I relied so much on my speed that putting effort into practicing dribbling, juggling, etc. was an afterthought because my 'push and go' worked almost every time. It really wasn't until Nationals/playing D1 soccer that I realized I couldn't just push the ball past opponents every time. So if I could go back I would tell my younger self to play to my strengths but not to forget about putting in the same amount of effort into my weaknesses.

What is a key life lesson you learned from playing soccer at Real Colorado?
It's not really a life lesson, but more than anything, the time spent at Real and playing soccer was about the friendships I forged and the relationships built with my teammates and coaches along the way. These are people I've leaned on, done business with, invite over for birthday parties, go to Rapids games with, etc. It's a family at Real Colorado which is something missing at other clubs.

Connect with Tommy Rodiguez:
Email Tommy or check out his website at www.tomrodcpa.com