Stella Pham

FIGHTING THROUGH STORMS Coach Johnny Rodriguez cheers on his players as they ace their attacking skills during an after-school practice. Despite the cold rain, Rodriguez remains on the field as his players’ biggest supporter and source of positivity, leaving a lasting impact on them. “Coach Rodriguez has changed my perspective in life, [making it] more positive,” O’Hara said. “[He reminds me that] there’s always something good to do, and I want to put that to my lifestyle.”

Athletic coaches serve as the head of a team, using their knowledge to guide and empower players by aiding them in developing skills and a positive mindset. For a decade, Coach Johnny Rodriguez has been the heart of the Mater Dei Boys Lacrosse program, dedicating his life to leading young men with discipline, resilience, and ambition. However, his journey took an unexpected turn when he was diagnosed with ALS, a life-changing condition, that put his strength to a test. 

Rodriguez’s journey with lacrosse began in high school in Baltimore, Maryland, in the early 2000s and continued through his college years at Salisbury University. After seven years as a professional player and winning various awards, Rodriguez transitioned into coaching at Mater Dei, where he found his true passion. Rodriguez has helped elevate the program to be named in the Top 25 National Rankings during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. 

For Rodriguez, coaching was never just about bringing the team to the championships, it was about teaching life lessons through the game. 

“We don’t coach these kids for wins and losses,” Rodriguez said. “It’s to coach them in life, you’re making an impact on their life.” 

On Oct. 20, 2023, Rodriguez’s own life was changed forever when he was diagnosed with ALS, a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and weakens muscles. Rodriguez first noticed the symptoms when he felt a pinched nerve in his right hand. Even after a year of MRIs, the discomfort remained, and Rodriguez decided to make an appointment with a neurologist.

“Johnny, you have ALS,” Rodriguez’s neurologist said. 

The news hit hard. Although Rodriguez is known within the community as a testament to joy and encouragement, the reality of his diagnosis completely changed him for a period of time. 

“I was so content with where I was in life at that very moment that it shook me [and] it shook me for months,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve not been a depressed guy [in life]. I have always been upbeat, positive, optimistic, [but] I was in a dark hole.”

Faith is one of the biggest factors that has guided Rodriguez through this challenge and helped him find peace in all aspects of life, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But that journey was not immediate. At first, he struggled to understand how the diagnosis would affect his future, but led him to realization and strength. 

“The biggest challenge in the journey was accepting the truth but not buying into what the internet says or the doctors say,” Rodriguez said. “I need to find trust in the Lord, and that gives me the strength, the grace, [and] the love to change every part of my life.”

Despite his diagnosis, Rodriguez continues to lead and inspire his team, which has always cheered him with support. His players have dedicated themselves to making every practice and every game count, reflecting the same discipline their coach has always fostered. 

“I would describe Coach Rodriguez as a leader and a mentor, and he means so much to me,” junior Harper O’Hara said. “He’s always leading, even though every day might not be his best day, he always tends to have the best attitude and [is] super positive which is super infectious towards everybody around them.”

Senior Preston Jensen reflects on Rodriguez’s ability to remain optimistic despite the obstacles and has taught the team invaluable lessons about resilience. 

“Coach Johnny is a huge inspiration for the whole lacrosse team,” Jensen said. “Him working and still pushing through all the hardships that he goes through makes him a real role model for the whole team. I look up to him, and I am praying for him.”

Senior Oliver Yang also shared a similar perspective, emphasizing how Rodriguez has influenced the team in keeping up despite hardships. Since their coach’s diagnosis, the team now cherishes every moment together.

“We tackled every practice like it’s our last,” Yang said. “We appreciate everything we have.”

With the help and support from people around him, Rodriguez’s experience has transformed his perspective on life. In addition to that, he remains committed to his three personal goals: maintaining his physical health, embracing love and emotional strength, and strengthening his spiritual relationship with God.

“I’m working on keeping my body physically as healthy as possible, allowing myself to heal emotionally, continuing to learn to love more, and to grow my relationship with God,” Rodriguez said. “I’m reading the Bible from front to back this year, so [I] understand His words better.”

Beyond the lacrosse field, Rodriguez also inspires the greater Mater Dei community. Deeply honored to speak at the Respect All Life Mass in October 2024, exactly one year since his diagnosis, Rodriguez understood the beauty and power of Masses to deliver his message.

“If I can share [my] message with others [and] give them a glimpse of what life is like when you really focus on what’s important, then I’m happy to share that message,” Rodriguez said. “It took a terminal diagnosis for me to realize what I was missing in life, but I hope others don’t have to go through the same to understand what truly matters.”

More than a year since the diagnosis, Rodriguez refuses to let the disease define him. Fortunately, his ALS has not progressed as rapidly as predicted, combating the odds and giving him hope for the future.  

“My life has been so much more beautiful, so much more colorful since I have been diagnosed,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve been very lucky to not have been progressing as fast as so many other patients have. I’ve actually gotten better, doing better now than it was last year, which is unheard of in ALS.”

Through it all, one thing that remains certain is Rodriguez’s impact. To his players, Rodriguez is more than just a coach, he is a role model and an inspiration. And if they could leave a message, the message would be:

“I love you, Coach,” both Yang and O’Hara said.