Laila Rodriguez '19 Recruiting Profile

Hello my name is Laila Rodriguez and I aspire to be a pediatrician or nurse someday.  I love working with kids so I think a career in the medical field will allow me to help others and be a part of something fulfilling. I am a dedicated and hard-working person.  I currently have a 4.0 grade point average. I was the salutatorian for my 8th grade class.  Academics is a priority for me and it doesn't come natural I study hard for every "A" I get. I love basketball! I love the speed, the energy and competitiveness that the game is played with.  I believe I have a high IQ for the game, finding that open player on the court for an easy basket is as gratifying to me as winning a game on a buzzard beater.  I enjoy cheering on my team and working on and off the court with my teammates. Its where I've made most of my close friends.  I started AAU Travel in the 5th grade and while others warned my parents that maybe it's too early to devote so much time into a sport my parents and I found that it was the right time and exactly what I needed.  Early on I was overlooked on the top teams because of other possibly naturally gifted players but I interpreted it as I need to work harder and if I do that I can't be overlooked anymore. While others were sleeping in on Saturday mornings I was training by 7 am. Marlon London, a former Kansas/DePaul University basketball player, has been my personal trainer since the 5th grade and he has helped me not just with the skills needed to play the game but to understand the way the game is played and love it! I take pride in saying that my parents have never set the alarm for me to get up at 6 am Saturday mornings. They said if I want it I have to wake them up.  As silly as that may sound I think that set my foundation at a young age that if I want something I have to work for it attitude. Aside from my personal training sessions, as a point guard, I do feel I have to work harder than anyone else on the court so I tend to work on my dribble and shooting on my own as well.  My hard work is paying off. To name a couple of accomplishments, I was the starting point guard for my High School Varsity team as a freshman and I have made the USJN All Stars team several times while playing on my club teams.  To be successful in life you have to have a "Balance in Life" and I feel that I found my balance. It may sound trivial but my routine is broken down like this:  if I want Fridays for relaxation or social activities, I have to work hard Monday thru Thursday on my studies and at my basketball skills. I find that this system works for me; it keeps me grounded and focused on short term goals like an impending test and long term goals like being noticed on the basketball court and playing college ball.  Lastly, nothing in my life has been handed to me or has come easy, not grades, not teams but in my short life I firmly believe that if you work hard at something, if you are passionate about something, someone will take notice and when that time comes I want to be ready!