KIM RODRIGUEZ

had no idea what she was getting into. Neither did her parents, Rigo and Roxana.

But the casual choice made by Roxana Rodriguez just over a decade ago set in motion a path for her daughter that created countless unforgettable opportunities and the hopes and dreams of even more.

Kim Rodriguez’ introduction to soccer came as an eight-year-old in Porter, Texas, where she remembers not liking the heat or the amount of running involved in the sport. Neither of her parents had played the game – her dad had competed in basketball, baseball and football but “didn’t even like soccer.”

But Rodriguez soon began to develop an affinity for the sport — and it helped that she possessed a skill level that set her apart.

“I didn’t even know what soccer was — my mom just signed me up and put me in it,” Rodriguez said. “I started playing and the coach went up to my dad and said, ‘She’s really good!’ I was a chunk (laughing) so my dad was like, ‘What?!’

“I didn’t really think I was going to go anywhere with it — I just thought it was something to do. But once people started telling me I was really good and I realized how much I enjoyed playing, I got really serious with it.”

Now, Rodriguez can’t imagine her life without soccer and the opportunities it has and continues to afford her. It’s taken her all over the globe, including to Stillwater, Okla., where she stars for Oklahoma State and coach Colin Carmichael’s Cowgirls.

OSU is but one stop on Rodriguez’ soccer journey.

Early in her career, as Rodriguez began to shine at the club soccer level for Texas Rush, she was spotted at a showcase event by a scout for Mexico, who liked what he saw and told the 14-year-old she needed to try out for Mexico’s youth national team.

Rodriguez made the most of the opportunity as she traveled to Mexico City for a tryout and earned a spot on Mexico's U-17 National Team.

“I was really nervous, but I guess I did good,” Rodriguez said. “I’d been to some U.S. camps and never gotten called back, but I knew I wanted to do it. My dad told me to keep working hard and go try out with Mexico, and it worked out great.”

Thus began Rodriguez’ ascent through the Mexico Women’s National Team system. She made her debut at the Youth Olympics in China in 2014 and was a starter for Mexico at the 2014 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup; she had a breakout year in 2016 as she was selected to the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship Best XI and once again played in the U-17 World Cup.

After progressing to Mexico’s U-20 team, where she played in the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and helped the team capture its first-ever CONCACAF Under-20 Women's Championship title, Rodriguez got the call everyone wants to hear earlier this year when she was selected for a full national team camp in January. As has become the norm, Rodriguez impressed and secured a spot on Mexico’s national team for the 2019 Cyprus Cup, where she earned her first caps as a starter on a team that finished 2-1-1 at the tourney.

“Probably what most young soccer players dream of is representing your country at the highest level, and being able to achieve that at the age of 20 is really phenomenal,” Carmichael said. “I know one of Kim’s goals is to play for Mexico at the Olympics or the World Cup, and she’s really driven to get there. This is the next step in her progression after playing with the U-17s and U-20s. It’s a big jump from U-20 to full team — you’re now playing with full-time, professional women as opposed to under-20 girls. But she’s certainly capable of doing it.”

Mexico Women’s National Team head coach Chris Cuellar said the sky is the limit for Rodriguez.

“Kim is a player we’ve had plans for and been developing from the beginning,” Cuellar said. “She’s a left-footed player who’s always been very technical with the ball so she really fit in with what we want to do with the ball from her position.

“Being in the program for so long, she understands what we try to do, our system of play. It’s really important that she’s able to find her options and play out of the back; we’re a team that likes to play possession. She’s also very good in the air. She scores goals off of set plays and can mark set plays. She reads the game and anticipates extremely well so she’s able to steal a lot of balls by being in great position.”

Those are the types of skills that made adding Rodriguez to the OSU program a priority for Carmichael and his coaching staff, and Rodriguez was an easy sell.

“Whenever you have a kid playing at that level, that’s obviously the level of talent you’re trying to recruit to your program,” Carmichael said. “Recruiting-wise, it’s great that your program is recognized where a kid that plays at such a high level considers your school.

“Kim felt like Oklahoma State was a place that could help her develop to get to where she wants to be with the Mexico National Team, and I’m glad we’ve played a small part in helping her get there.”

“Honestly, I didn’t know much about the team (at OSU), but just when I visited everyone was so friendly and nice that I just felt comfortable and knew it was a place I wanted to be and play,” Rodriguez said. “Then when Colin talked to me about the style of play and how he wanted to use me, I knew it would be a great fit.”

And it has been.

Rodriguez helped lead OSU to a Big 12 Conference championship and was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team in 2017, and she followed that by earning United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region and All-Big 12 honors as a sophomore last season.

Rodriguez led OSU with over 1,600 minutes played in 2018 and tied for the team's leading scorer as she tallied 14 points on four goals and six assists. Three of her goals came via penalty kick, while her six assists ranked as the seventh most in the Big 12. She also led the Cowgirls with 41 corner kicks, and 12 of her 20 shots were on goal.

“Her reading of the game and her technical ability has always been top notch, and her ability to strike a ball with her left foot is world class, without question,” Carmichael said. “Her delivery on free kicks and corner kicks and being able to strike a long pass is amazing.

“One of the areas we talked about improving is her mobility and her athleticism, and she’s made huge strides there. I would say that went from being a weakness to being an area that she’s actually good with still the ability to get stronger. She’s worked very hard with our strength and conditioning coaches and nutritionists to maximize what she can do physically. That’s the biggest area I’ve seen improvement from Kim.

“She’s always been composed, she’s always been very good on the ball and now her mobility is improved, and that’s helped her.”

Along with her physical skills, one intangible sets Rodriguez apart, according to both her head coaches.