Age won’t pin wrestling coach
Working with kids has kept C.C.’s Mike Rodriguez, 73, inspired for 48 years.
By Rob Parker / The Detroit News
AUBURN HILLS — For years now, Mike Rodriguez has been talking about retiring and going fishing.
Most folks Rodriguez ‘s age, 73, wouldn’t still be working, let alone working as hard as when he started in 1957.
But most people aren’t like Rodriguez, wrestling coach at Detroit Catholic Central High School.
Calling him special is too easy, too cookie-cutter. He is a wonderful man whose life mission is to help mold the youth of this country. It just so happens to be through wrestling, a sport he loves.
“What drives me is the young people I have the opportunity to work with. They’re classy people, “said Rodriguez, in his 48th year of coaching, during the Michigan High School Athletic Association wrestling finals at The Palace on Saturday afternoon.
“`Not too many go on to a wrestling career, they’re business people. These are people who go to school, go out start working, own their own business and they hire a lot of people. That’s rewarding.”
His wrestlers admire him, too.
“He can at be home, going fishing like he always talks about, “senior Erik Vojtkofsky said. “But his heart and soul is in wrestling. I think he’s been doing it his whole life.
“He loves the kids and loves being around the sport.”
Rodriguez, who recently broke the national coaching record by reaching 702 career dual-meet victories, doesn’t do it alone. He coached all three of his sons, Steve, David and Chris. David and Chris have helped coach the Shamrocks. David, who won a state title for C.C. before going to Michigan State, helped his father for five years.
“He’s a great man, “said Chris, who still works with his father. “I could probably coach anywhere else, but not too many kids can say that they can spend time with their dad. That’s one of the reasons. No. 1, it’s my school. No. 2, it’s my father.”
Rodriguez’s sons aren’t alone. Some of his former wrestlers have pitched in from time to time. `”I love when they come back and help, “Rodriguez said.
All the help and hard work resulted in a lot of success this season. Detroit Catholic Central placed four wrestlers in the Division 1 All-State honors finals — senior Trevor Stewart (160 pounds), junior Sean Dong (135), senior Brad Bartram (171) and Vojtkofsky (215). It is the first time since 1988 that four wrestlers had a chance to win state titles.
“I thought about it, “Rodriguez said when asked why he hasn’t retired. “But then you get a group of young men like this and it just rejuvenates you.”
It hasn’t been a smooth ride throughout Rodriguez’s career.
“There are highs and lows, “he said. “I’ve been through that a lot of times. You wait for a group of young people to come in that are just hungry to excel. I am so proud of this group.
By no means is Rodriguez an old man hanging on. He doesn’t coach from a chair. He’s short and solid. He’s still fiery and sharp on his feet. That’s why when Catholic Central moves to another building in the Wixom-Novi area, Rodriguez will go, too. In the new school, his wrestlers will have a weight room and a training area complete with bleachers for matches.
“The kids keep him ticking, “Chris said of his father. “He’s got a great mind, a great heart and people come back.
“He’s helped so many people. I have alumni that I know can call him any time day or night and he’ll be there. He’s like a father figure to most people.”
Rodriguez’s dedication to the kids and the sport means so much. Enter Vojtkofsky. Everyone in the world thinks he came to C.C. to follow in his cousins’ footsteps.
Wrong.
It was the lure of Rodriguez that made Vojtkosky’s decision as easy as a takedown against a sportswriter.
“He’s the biggest reason I went to CC, “Vojtkosky said. “He’s been by my side since freshman year. I went through injuries my sophomore and junior years, he’s always been there. He’s never left my side.”
Dong, who won his first state championship, agrees. “He’s a great guy. He’s in great shape for a senior citizen, and he’s an inspiration to me.”
Rodriguez has seen times change and kids along with it.
“In this day and age, young people want instant gratification, playing with the video games and stuff, “he said. “But these kids are hard workers.”
Case in point. For motivation, Central’s wrestling team hung pictures on a wall of the last time the school won a state title. It was from 1978.
“So we decided to put our heads together, work hard from 2:30 p.m. until whenever and put in our time and effort every day, “Vojtkosky said.
All four of Rodriguez’s seniors qualified for the finals.
“I guess they got tired of seeing what was going on and just put it together, “he said of the school’s lackluster results recently. “They drove all the other young men to get excited.”
Rodriguez isn’t one of these all-talk, hands-off guys. If his wrestlers aren’t doing it right, he will gladly get on the mat and show them firsthand.
“I’m still very much into what’s going on and what they should be doing, “he said. “Fortunately, these young people are very educated and they do listen.”
And when they don’t? Rodriguez enters the fray.
“He’s still out there, 73 years old, still putting his shoes on and showing us moves, “Vojtkofsky said. “That’s right. He comes out there sometimes, if we mess up or get an attitude, and puts us in our place.”
Added Rodriguez: “I’m very proud of them. I know they are going to go out and do something with their lives.”
Some people stay around too long. But every so often, a wonderful man such as Rodriguez comes along and you hope he stays around forever
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