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  • 2 months ago
Transcript
00:00Rodney, this is a World Cup year.
00:03We are excited for it, and you have history in the World Cup.
00:06We talk in another episode about your path into becoming the legend that you have become.
00:13But what are you doing nowadays?
00:14I know you have many interests.
00:16One of them, which I'm very excited, is youth sports and helping the new generation continue developing themselves through football,
00:25but also passing on the many good things that soccer gave you in your life.
00:31You hit it right on the nail.
00:34Views Football Club is what I have started.
00:37It's a project that is now three years old.
00:39We're going into our third year.
00:42Latin Nation Football Club, Views FC.
00:44There could be some synergy there.
00:46I love it.
00:47It's focused on football.
00:49It's focused on the culture of the sport, but also player-first mentality where we develop not just the athlete,
00:57but we try to mold them into the kids that should be loved, they should be respected.
01:05So our motto is self-respect, respect for the game, and trust in your vision.
01:09So we want to give them that sense of self-love, self-respect, in order for them to then respect the game and the ecosystem.
01:17Little things like whether it's cleaning up after yourself, whether it's being respectful in your home, sportsmanship, things like that,
01:24and then you trust your vision with what we give you, the information that we give you.
01:29You apply it to how you best see fit.
01:33What are the three most important things that football has given you in your life?
01:37Family.
01:38I met my wife in Portland.
01:40We had our first daughter in Portland.
01:42Wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for football.
01:44So thank you, football.
01:45Self-respect.
01:47Self-respect was big because then you're able to let go of ego, and then now you're able to educate.
01:53So now from my perspective is my responsibility of, okay, I've built this family, and I'm able to be a connector.
02:01So another thing that football taught me is to bring cultures together.
02:05Now, final message for the Latinos, Afro-Latinos out there that might be getting close to the game,
02:14either as a player, young players that are practicing day in, day out, or maybe new fans that finally with the World Cup here are going to get their first exposure.
02:23What can football give them to them?
02:25Why are we so into it?
02:27I like the fact that you brought Afro-Latinos because Afro-Latinos, they feel as if there's not enough of them.
02:36So when they see a player or a mentor that they can relate to, so if I'm at an engagement with the youth or whatever it may be, an autograph event,
02:50and an Afro-Latino kid comes up, and I speak to him in Spanish, his eyes light up because you're just like me.
03:00But the Latino kids, the Afro-Latino kids, for example, they sometimes tend to shy away from the spotlight,
03:08when in reality, no, mijo, it's your time to shine.
03:13So it's really letting them know that you can, this is all yours, you can have this,
03:21but you cannot be afraid of the spotlight because of where you come from or because of where your parents come from,
03:28or if you're brown, if you're black, it doesn't matter.
03:31So you have to get rid of those barriers.
03:33And Latinos are some of the best players in the world, the kings.
03:37The women's sport is growing, so it's also important for the female players to really step up, too,
03:44because female players, in my opinion, they have a higher capacity of making an impact within the game
03:51from where it is now to where it's going.
03:54Yes.
03:55I can't wait. I'm a girl dad.
03:57Yeah, me too.
03:58Yeah.
03:58You know, my daughter is a goalkeeper.
04:00My daughter has played against BUS FC in the past.
04:03They're a great team.
04:04Yeah?
04:04So yes, yes, we've had a couple of friendly games.
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