Coaches are a significant factor in an athlete’s success within their sport, but they also are largely involved in the development of their athlete’s lives. The way they conduct their teams has an everlasting effect on countless children. Blake Rodriguez is the direct result of being coached by his youth football head coach, Coach Trip Humphrey.

  Rodriguez started his football career in the first grade 10 years ago joining Coach Trip’s early Aurora Spartans team. As a passionate six year old Rodriguez would be introduced to one of the most influential men of his life. They had a strong relationship balancing the fun of football with the challenges and hardships of games and practices. 

  Just a few years into the journey Coach Trip has built up a talented group of young men trying to make a big push. The fourth-grade season would be the best of all.  Spartans Black went all the way to the big game and won the Arapahoe Youth League (AYL) Super Bowl. All the conditioning and yelling from Coach Trip had paid off in Blake’s mind.

  In the five-year run, Rodriguez had changed and grown in just about every way possible. Entering middle school with a new team and school ahead of him he was forced to start using the lessons learned from his experience with the Spartans. 

  The most important lesson was how “you have to work hard to obtain things and nothing comes easy. This has definitely applied in football and life,” said Rodriguez.

  One must fight for the starting job in the gridiron by indulging in many hours of workouts. Also, to have a successful career requires an extreme amount of work and effort to get a desired job. 

  The influence on Rodriguez was not overlooked, “I would definitely not be on varsity and be playing at such a high level,” he said. Without those early years, he would not be as mentally tough and hungry for success. 

  Overall the challenge provided by Coach Trip was vital because it developed Rodriguez into the man he is today.

  Rodriguez describes it as, “A challenge but it was a good challenge because he shaped me to be the man who I am now.”

  In times when he may have questioned his coach, he persevered and came out on top improving him as a person. Rodriguez now continues to thrive in life pushing his limits past his comfort and could not be any more thankful for having so many years under the great Coach Trip.