While the Warsaw boys soccer team's season came to a close earlier this month, senior José Rodriguez isn't close to being finished. Rodriguez found out recently that he's one of 40 players across the country invited to take part in the 2011 High School All-America Soccer Game in Birmingham, Ala. on Dec. 10. Rodriguez had been notified that he was on a watch list during the season, but didn't make too much of it until he received an e-mail telling him he was still in the running last week. "I was told I made the cut to the final 95, and I thought, 'Oh, that's cool,'" Rodriguez said. "Then, I went to the web site and saw my name on the list of candidates, which made it kind of real. A couple days later, I received an e-mail from the organizer of the event, asking if I'd like to be a part of the All-America game in Birmingham." The game will feature 20-member teams, with Rodriguez being on the West team along with Bethany Christian's Femi Hollinger-Janzen. "I know three other guys on the West team, because of club soccer," Rodriguez said. "There are going to be two of us from Indiana, as well as some players from the national championship team in my age group from Grand Rapids." And by playing alongside some of the names he sees on the All-America game list, Rodriguez can take some confidence into the game because of his play with his travel soccer team. "Playing with the Fort Wayne Fever, I've played against some of the top teams in the country," he said. "I've seen most of the players, because our club team, even though it's not an academy yet, plays pre-academy squads and teams in those leagues, which are sponsored by pro teams." And his selection to the team can give him an extra boost of confidence. "At first, when I was selected to play with the top 40 players in the country, I did feel a little nervous," he said. "But as I began to recall playing against some of the guys on the East team, and knowing I played against teams that played them, I lost that sense of nervousness. I was chosen because I can play with the top players in the country." Along with being an all-state first team selection as a junior, and expecting to make the team again within the week, Rodriguez is also a two-time member of the ISCA All-District 2 squad and is Warsaw's all-time leader in assists. But even with all those accomplishments, the midfielder also had to meet a few other qualifications to make the team. Among the criteria to make the team were being an NSCAA All-America selection more than once, being in good academic standing and being a likely candidate to play collegiate soccer. Rodriguez met each of those, with the last one being a major factor in his involvement with the game. Currently, he's holding full-ride scholarship offers from IPFW, Valparaiso and Wright State, but he's putting his decision off for a little while. "I told those schools I'd make my decision by the end of the month, but I've pushed that back two or three weeks now," he said. "I have an all-district game coming up, playing against some of the best players in the state, which will give me some exposure. And two weeks later, I'll get even more exposure at the All-America game." On top of gaining exposure from college coaches at the game, Rodriguez will get a glimpse into the life of a college player, as he'll be on hand for the NCAA Final Four, which will be held Dec. 11 in Hoover, Ala. "Travel down there will be up to my parents and me, but once we get there we have three free nights in a hotel," he said. "We also get free tickets to the Final Four, as well as soccer gear for the game and an article on ESPN.com for each player." The publicity will be nice for him, but he knows he will have something to prove on the field, as he tries to impress some big-name collegiate programs. "I know there's a little bit of pressure, because the game's important if I'm going to go somewhere big," he said. "But I know when I don't feel pressure and play like I know I can, I tend to play better. So, I'm going to go down there to have fun. If I have fun and play without pressure and with confidence, I can play at the top of my game."
