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Sports May 28, 2026 7:00 am

Athlete of the Week 05.28.26

By Dylan Tice

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Dominic Rodriguez

Photo courtesy of Amanda Rodriguez

Dominic Rodriguez attends Lakeland Christian School and is going into eighth grade next year. He plays football, baseball, basketball, and does track and field (discus & shot put).

How long have you been playing each sport?

Track and Field – 2 years, Baseball – 8 years, Football – 5 years, Basketball – 9 years

Which of the sports is your favorite and why?

Baseball, because of the complexity and the level of difficulty makes it fun and challenging.

Which of the sports is the hardest and why?

Track and field, as there’s always room for improvement, and the littlest challenge can set you back.  Mastering the technique takes time and dedication.

In each sport, what’s something you want to improve?

Track and field – getting better at perfecting my technique in discus and shot put, so I can throw farther.  I train with a former Olympian down in Sarasota (Throws Coach Florida – Andy Vince), which helps with this. Baseball – Get better at hitting more consistently. Football – Learning the different plays and executing. Basketball – Continue to learn the basics.

What’s your favorite sports memory?

Placing 4th in Middle School States in discus on 5/16/26 at IMG in Bradenton.  I was (1) of (8) 7th graders out of a total of 53.  The top 3 were 8th graders, so hopefully next year I’ll be on top.

Do you want to play one of these sports professionally down the road?

Yes, but not sure which one yet.  It’ll definitely either be football or baseball.  It would also be cool to throw in the Olympics one day.

When you’re not doing sports, what are you doing in your free time? 

Sleeping, riding my dirt bike, and playing video games with my friends.

Any fun plans for the summer?

I’ll be doing a lot of traveling. In June, my G3 Baseball 12u team is going to Cooperstown, NY, to play. In July, I head to the beach in Sarasota for a week for vacation, then my baseball team is heading to Pigeon Forge, TN, to play in another tournament. Finally, in August, I plan on heading back to the Junior Olympics for the 3rd time to compete in Discus and Shot Put in Des Moines, IA.

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