“[Skateboarding] gives you discipline, patience, confidence and endurance to keep trying until you achieve your goal. Whether it’s obstacles in your life or sports, it helps you stay in the right frame of mind.”
–PAUL RODRIGUEZ JR., PRO SKATEBOARDER
In a world where skateboarding just verges on being considered a sport, 22 year old, Paul Rodriguez is a legend in his own time. P-Rod, as he’s known, is one of the biggest names in skating and was deemed the “golden child” even before achieving Rookie-of-the-Year status in 2002. He’s 1 of only 5 athletes to have a Nike shoe named in his honor, and with 2 consecutive X-Game gold medals, even his persona lives large – as a character in 2 of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video games, as well as the EA game, “Skate.”
As you can imagine, the son of professional comedian, Paul Rodriguez Sr., is no stranger to fame. His father’s name and connections alone could have driven him to a career in show business, but P-Rod wanted his own success. He found a love for skateboarding and a roaring, undeniable talent soon followed.
That’s how he got here, and this is his message. No matter what life hands you, you need to look inside yourself to find the answers. And once you find that thing you love, you have to believe you can be great at it. When you do that – when you trust your instincts and truly believe in yourself – the rest will fall into place. Talent follows desire.
There are too many kids out there with unexercised talents and unspoken desires that will never see the light of day. Every child has a dream– to achieve greatness, in one way or another – but many children never understand how to get there. They don’t have the means, and they don’t know the strengths they possess.
That’s why P-Rod is standing up, using his voice, and joining the Let Me Play initiative. He knows first hand the kind of greatness athletic achievement can lead to, not only in the park or on the court, but in life. Just getting out there and trying can change your whole perception of the world, and it can be incredibly empowering. Everyone deserves that. Kids, especially, deserve a chance to exercise their dreams, or at least a chance to get out there try.
Paul Rodriguez and Let Me Play are doing just that. Giving kids a chance, helping them understand they can succeed, they deserve to be happy, and most importantly – giving them the opportunity to get out there and play.
