Carlo Rodriguez will be cheering the Philippine Women’s Football Team tonight
“Behind every great daughter is an amazing dad.”
That is how we describe all the dads that raised the players of the amazing Philippine Women’s National Football Team that is on the verge of qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand next year.
Without these special dads there would be no daughters who have sacrificed themselves to reach the quarterfinals of the AFC Women’s Cup tonight against Chinese Taipei.
Without their dads these daughters would be doing something else aside from playing football for the Philippines.
And one of this dad is 53-year-old former Ateneo De Manila University varsity player Carlo Rodriguez.
Carlo has brought up his daughter Kathleen Camille Rodriguez playing all sports she ever wanted.
Camille is one of the veterans of the PWNFT that will play in the quarters tonight. She is one of the pillarsof the team.
She has represented the country many times starting only when she was 17 years old. Her first stint was in the Asean Football Federation (AFF) tournament in Malaysia.
But according to Carlo when Camille was younger she was already into different sports like gymnastics, taekwando, ice skating and even ballet.
“She has always been a woman who had her own mind, but I nurtured her and she eventually found out for herself, the beautiful game,” he said.
But what really sparked the interest of Camille to concentrate on football was when her younger brother Carlos won a medal in a tournament organised by the Ateneo Football Center in the summer of 2004.
“Initially she just wanted to win a medal but did not win one during that summer, however that was when she discovered the beautiful game,’’ Carlo said.
The rest is what they say is history as her football journey to the national team slowly but surely began. Her inclusion to the National U16 team in 2008 opened the doors to the opportunity to play for the flag.
She then made it to the National Women’s Football Team while she was only 17 years old and a rookie at the Ateneo de Manila University.
From then on there was no stopping for Camille as she now has become one of the most capped Filipinas along with Hali Long and Sarah Castaneda.
How about Carlo? Well he is the reason why Camille is into the sport. He gave his all out support just like any football dad would do to his beloved daughter so she will become successful.
Carlo grew up in Zamboanga city where he used to play for Ateneo de Zamboanga. He also played for Ateneo De Manila University for three years.
After his college football career was over, he went into coaching and was a coach of Loyola Football Club during the United Football League days.
Once, he was president of the Zamboanga FA from 2011-12 and was also the head of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) women’s committee.
Carlo who now operates a product distribution business with his son Carlos, was also successful in football management being the manager of the Loyola Meralco FCin 2014.
That was when the club won the Cup that season in the UFL. He left his football management job to focus on his growing product distribution business.
Carlo is not just an ordinary football dad. He is a super football dad having raised his two children Camille and Carlos on his own when his wife Rochelle died when Camille was only 11 years old and Carlos was only six.
It was during those times when father and daughter made football their strongest bond in their darkest hour. Those dark years have long past and father and daughter have moved on but still those memories can not be forgotten.
As Camille continues his football career with the national team, Carlo has now married to his second wife Paola with whom he has one kid and one more coming this April.
Paola had two kids of her own. Now he has five kids and one more coming this April.
His son Carlos who is now 22 years old, is helping him run his company. At 53, a super dad like Carlo needs so much help.
But despite of his busy schedule he will surely be in front of the tele tonight to watch history break.
And part of that history is his daughter Camille.
Surely Carlo is a proud father. Just like the fathers of the other members of the Philippine National Women’s Team. (jackbiantan@gmail.com)
