Sean Rodriguez spent 13 years in Major League Baseball despite a difficult childhood. His new sports training facility in Largo will provide a refuge for local kids navigating similar circumstances. Rodriguez, a first-generation U.S. citizen, was a Tampa Bay Ray for six years and has long called St. Petersburg home. He founded R3 Athletics, a […]
Sean Rodriguez spent 13 years in Major League Baseball despite a difficult childhood. His new sports training facility in Largo will provide a refuge for local kids navigating similar circumstances.
Rodriguez, a first-generation U.S. citizen, was a Tampa Bay Ray for six years and has long called St. Petersburg home. He founded R3 Athletics, a youth baseball league, and opened The Yard in April.
The Yard is a state-of-the-art, nonprofit training facility that equally emphasizes both athletic skills and character development. Rodriguez said it is a welcoming and fun place for the community to escape the ultra-competitiveness and negativity that now permeate youth sports.
“I was less fortunate as a kid – I didn’t necessarily have a lot of opportunities unless there were families, coaches or teams that were willing to just take me on and basically do it for free,” Rodriguez told the Catalyst. “So, that is the nonprofit side of what we’re trying to do.”
Rodriquez, known for his versatility, played every position but catcher during his career. One of his most memorable moments with the Rays came in May 2014 when his three-run, walk-off homer at Tropicana Field snapped a four-game losing streak.
Baseball is in his blood. His father, who now works at The Yard, has coached baseball professionally for over 40 years.
Sean Rodriguez played for the Tampa Bay Rays from 2010 through 2014. St. Petersburg remained home, despite subsequent stops in Pittsburgh (twice), Atlanta, Philadelphia and his native Miami.
An American dream
Rodriguez’s parents had an arduous path to America. His mother was able to fly to Miami after winning Cuba’s immigration lottery. His father was a physician, and the Fidel Castro regime was reluctant to relinquish “anyone who had any kind of value.”
A guard held his grandfather and father, then about 9, at gunpoint when they attempted to flee the communist country via boat. Another guard questioned why they would “shoot one of our own” and let the two leave.
“They had a lot in Cuba; tons and tons of resources,” Rodriguez said. “They left all of that to come over here and start from scratch.”
He said his grandfather, who died in 2006, never regretted leaving everything he owned to start a new life in a “flawed” yet “amazing country.” Rodriguez was born and raised in Miami and moved to St. Petersburg in 2009 after the Anaheim Angels traded him to the Rays.
He and his wife bought a house in 2010 so his autistic son could remain closer to therapists. They decided to stay in St. Petersburg once his baseball career ended and purchased another home in 2020.
“We absolutely love it,” Rodriguez said. “It has been a blessing.”
Giving back
While his parents instilled Christian values, Rodriguez said he was “a little too self-driven” as a young adult. He then met his close friend and business partner, Ron Davis, when his son played recreational baseball in Pinellas Park.
Their relationship evolved, and Rodriguez continued meeting “great, like-minded people with the right intentions and a genuine passion to just pour into the community.”
The two launched R3, a traveling youth baseball organization that now boasts 14 area teams. They also found it challenging to share practice fields with other “very competitive” clubs.
Rodriquez said many coaches and parents “lose sight of what the purpose is behind putting these kids on a diamond.” While he was “out for blood” when he played competitively – “it was win or die” – pre-teens should be “having a blast.”
“The Yard was meant to be somewhere where anyone and everyone can go train,” Rodriguez said. “It doesn’t have to just be our R3 kids. It’s designed to be a place where we can bring people together.
“It’s just building each other up from within and trying to build better human beings.”
The Yard also offers a recovery and yoga room.
Rodriquez’s brother, who has also played and coached professionally, also works at The Yard. His wife shares administrative duties alongside the spouses of other coaches.
The facility is family-oriented with “enough professionalism and state-of-the-art equipment” to foster future champions. The Yard offers batting cages, private and group training, a recovery room with saunas, cold plunges and heat therapy, yoga, camps and strength, agility and endurance equipment.
Rodriguez said the overarching goal is to provide professional-grade services in a positive atmosphere. The facility at 11683 87th St. welcomes athletes of all ages and abilities. Aaron Sanchez, an MLB pitcher, recently trained at The Yard.
However, molding youth remains a focus, and Rodriguez plans to incorporate a “homeschool dynamic” with a classroom setting. The Yard provides scholarships for underserved kids in the community.
“My genuine hope is to find a way to make this a spot where people can come through and say, ‘Ok, if I book ahead of time, I’m good. I got a spot, and I don’t even need to pay,’” Rodriguez added. “And feel like it’s a viable product. A lot of people try to put something out, and sometimes it can feel either watered down or driven by the wrong purpose.”
DULUTH — Bill Punyko extended his arm, smiled and offered words of encouragement as one of thousands of runners took the water-filled paper cup from his hand. It was one of countless cups Superior’s longtime head swimming coach handed out alongside more than 60 other Spartan volunteers during the 49th annual Grandma’s Marathon on Saturday, […]
DULUTH — Bill Punyko extended his arm, smiled and offered words of encouragement as one of thousands of runners took the water-filled paper cup from his hand.
It was one of countless cups Superior’s longtime head swimming coach handed out alongside more than 60 other Spartan volunteers during the 49th annual Grandma’s Marathon on Saturday, June 21.
“We’ve been coming here for around 10 years,” Punyko said. “The purpose is to provide community service. It’s also fun; we’re dancing to music, handing out water, and all of the runners are very grateful for the volunteers.”
The Spartan swim team is one portion of a larger Superior presence that worked mile marker 19 near Lester River in Lakeside. In addition to their athletes, coaches and several parents, Superior also had volunteers from the Lake Superior Youth Chorus.
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group
Together, Superior’s swimming program and Lake Superior Youth Chorus volunteers — who ranged in age from young children through high school students — operated one of the largest multi-purpose water stations during Grandma’s Marathon this year.
Superior educator and Lake Superior Youth Chorus choir coordinator Elise Sterling said bringing multiple unique aspects of the community together for a day of giving back was a great way to bring everyone closer together.
“It’s a great and super-valuable community builder,” Sterling said. “As an organization, we want to make sure we’re giving back to the community. We have some swim team kids and some non-swim team kids, but we all came together as one group today.”
The Lake Superior Youth Chorus is a Duluth-based nonprofit organization that offers holistic musical education for children living in the Twin Ports. They had more than a dozen volunteers at Grandma’s Marathon on Saturday, including Sterling.
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group
Whether it was handing drinks to parched runners, continuously filling additional cups or picking up discarded trash, Superior’s volunteers — including roughly two-dozen swimmers — made a positive impact, according to water station captain Susie Burns.
“It’s so amazing,” Burns said. “I just love the groups that we have. This is the first year in a while that the Lake Superior Youth Chorus has volunteered, so we’re super excited to have them here. The swim team is back again, and it’s always great to have them, too.”
Multiple Spartans said giving back to the community is always a rewarding experience, but when surrounded by the fun and festivities of Grandma’s Marathon, it takes the joy to a completely different level.
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group
Among them is Max Carey, who just finished his junior year with Superior’s swim program. He said Saturday was a fantastic day of community service and that it was an honor to represent Spartan athletics on such a large scale.
“This is my first time volunteering,” Carey said. “We’re helping people, having fun and eating hot dogs, too. It means a lot to be able to get out here and do some community service because I have a lot of pride in our sports and athletes.”
It was an action-packed day that began as early as 5:30 a.m. for many of Superior’s volunteers. They filled thousands of cups and handed them out to a percentage of the thousands of people who raced in either the half or full marathon on Saturday.
Spending time together contributing to the greater good is something Punyko and Carey believe translates far beyond one extremely humid race day in June. For Spartan swimming, it’s a jumping off point that gets the program ready for the upcoming year.
“It’s not just swimming,” Punyko said. “They’re building the bonds you need for when things get hard during the year. They’re going to have to rely on each other, trust each other and have relationships. This is the first step in coming together for next year.”
Jed Carlson / Duluth Media Group
The Spartans swimming program has been volunteering for essentially a decade, but this year was the Lake Superior Youth Chorus’ return to Grandma’s Marathon after a couple of summers away.
Sterling said Saturday was a perfect return to Minnesota’s largest and oldest marathon, and that she hopes it’s the genesis of a lengthy run of the Lake Superior Youth Chorus volunteering again at a truly historic event.
“The fact that they wanted to include us, that’s really cool,” Sterling said. “We were like, ‘Of course we will be there to help, even if there are just 12 of us.’ This was exciting, and it’s something I think we will definitely continue.”
Reagan Hoverman joined the Duluth News Tribune as a sports reporter in July 2023 after spending the better part of two years covering a variety of prep and collegiate sports at the Pierce County Journal in Ellsworth, Wis. Before that, he was a news and sports reporter at the Inter-County Leader in Frederic, Wis.
INWOOD – In the resumption of a game that started on Tuesday, South Berkeley rallied from a three-run deficit to knock off Jefferson County 5-4 in eight innings on Friday to win the District 6 Senior League softball tournament and advance to the state tournament. Jefferson County was ahead 4-1 when the game resumed, after […]
INWOOD – In the resumption of a game that started on Tuesday, South Berkeley rallied from a three-run deficit to knock off Jefferson County 5-4 in eight innings on Friday to win the District 6 Senior League softball tournament and advance to the state tournament.
Jefferson County was ahead 4-1 when the game resumed, after it previously scored a run in the first inning, two more in the second inning and another in the third inning.
The San Francisco 49ers receiver is looking forward to the future, but he hasn’t forgotten where he came from. TEMPE, Ariz. — It’s been seven years since Corona del Sol High School product Ricky Pearsall committed to play football at Arizona State. His football career has taken him from the Valley of the Sun to […]
The San Francisco 49ers receiver is looking forward to the future, but he hasn’t forgotten where he came from.
TEMPE, Ariz. — It’s been seven years since Corona del Sol High School product Ricky Pearsall committed to play football at Arizona State. His football career has taken him from the Valley of the Sun to the Swamp and now to the Bay Area, but the second-year NFL wide out took time during his offseason to return to where it all began by hosting a free youth football clinic at his old high school in Tempe.
“I was just on this turf not too long ago and I know this process. I remember being a kid looking up to NFL players.” Pearsall said. “I just took a look around to remember all the memories. It’s really crazy how things go around.”
Pearsall became a standout receiver for the Sun Devils during his three seasons at ASU, then transferred to the University of Florida for two years. In 2024, the San Francisco 49ers selected Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. His talent and faith took him from Friday Night Fever on 12News to Monday Night Football on ESPN.
Before heading to Training Camp in Santa Clara, Pearsall wanted to return to his hometown and give back to the community that helped foster his football dreams.
“I always had that belief, and I think that just goes back to who I was raised by: my parents. They instilled that belief into me,” Pearsall said. “I had a great group of friends at [Corona del Sol] that always believed in me as well, so I had no choice but to believe in myself. Now we’re here.”
Ricky’s mom, Erin, says the mission behind the free football camp is to make an impact off the field and leave a legacy. Her son is living out his dream but in August 2024, she and her family experienced what felt like a nightmare.
Ricky was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in San Francisco. He made a full recovery and 50 days later, he made his NFL debut.
“It gives me goosebumps to talk about because it could’ve went the other direction and it didn’t,” Erin said. “[Ricky] had a dream since he was six years old and he’s living it out right now because of the sacrifices he made to be disciplined. This is a story about persistence and him overcoming difficult times.”
Pearsall is looking forward to his future as a 49er, but he hasn’t forgotten where he came from. He plans on hosting more youth football camps in Tempe as well as Gainesville. While he finished his college career as a Gator, he looks back on his time at ASU fondly.
Pearsall is another hometown hero young athletes in Arizona can look up to and after making his dream a reality, he offered a simple message to the kids at his football camp: just keep believing.
“Have faith and continue to believe in themselves and work extremely hard because you’re never going to get anywhere in life unless you’re super dedicated, you manifest about it and you work really hard towards it.”
Follow the conversation with Lina Washington on X and Instagram: @LWashingtonTV. If you have a sports story idea, email Lina at LWashington@12News.com.
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ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A Rochester woman is celebrating a major milestone, and one that most never get to experience. On Friday, Maxine Schultz turned 110, and a party was held in her honor Saturday afternoon. Dozens of family members and friends lined up to greet Maxine Schultz as she celebrated her big day and […]
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A Rochester woman is celebrating a major milestone, and one that most never get to experience. On Friday, Maxine Schultz turned 110, and a party was held in her honor Saturday afternoon.
Dozens of family members and friends lined up to greet Maxine Schultz as she celebrated her big day and achievement.
Schultz moved to Elgin, Minnesota from South Dakota in the 1940s, before coming to Rochester after her husband got a job with Marigold Dairy.
Throughout her life, Schultz worked at the downtown location of JCPenney Co., at her family’s hardware store, and as a cafeteria worker for Rochester Public Schools.
Schultz said her biggest piece of advice is to always keep yourself busy.
“It’s tremendous that this many people would show up,” she said. “Keep busy. Don’t sit around and do nothing and feel sorry for yourself. That was the one thing, I could always find something to do.”
Family and friends said she is sharp as a tack. Schultz also shared her refrigerator was always filled with ice cream when her husband worked for Marigold Dairy.
Those who stopped by on Saturday afternoon got cake and ice cream. In the past Schultz has taken a ride on a hot air balloon to celebrate previous birthdays.
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CHARLEVOIX, Mich. (WILX) – Michigan State golfer and former Williamston standout Caleb Bond battled to win the 114th Michigan Amateur Championship at Belvedere Golf Club on Saturday evening. The semifinals were pushed back a few hours due to weather, but it was Bond taking down Laingsburg’s Zach Koerner in 16 holes and Cheboygan’s PJ Maybank […]
CHARLEVOIX, Mich. (WILX) – Michigan State golfer and former Williamston standout Caleb Bond battled to win the 114th Michigan Amateur Championship at Belvedere Golf Club on Saturday evening.
The semifinals were pushed back a few hours due to weather, but it was Bond taking down Laingsburg’s Zach Koerner in 16 holes and Cheboygan’s PJ Maybank beating Clinton Township’s Adam Burghardt to advance to the finals.
Bond held an early lead through eight holes, but Maybank would take the lead on the back nine until Bond tied it up on 12. It went all the way to the 18th for Bond to take down Maybank and win the Michigan Amateur Championship.
Bond gets an exemption into the U.S. Amateur in August.
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The former New York Giants guard returns to his alma mater to help the football program where his career began. MONTROSE, Pa. — About 80 kids showed up at Montrose Area High School to learn the ins and outs of football from the former Meteor, Chris Snee. Now an NFL scout, Snee spent his 10 […]
The former New York Giants guard returns to his alma mater to help the football program where his career began.
MONTROSE, Pa. — About 80 kids showed up at Montrose Area High School to learn the ins and outs of football from the former Meteor, Chris Snee. Now an NFL scout, Snee spent his 10 year career with the New York Giants and is one of the most decorated players in Giants history, winning 2 Super bowls with the team and a 4 time Pro Bowler.
Snee says he wanted to give back to his alma mater to help build the football program at Montrose starting them young.
“You know, the priority with this was I wanted all the varsity kids to get to know the youth players and then the youth players to get to know the varsity kids, um, because I told them how I looked up the guys before me and we want to reestablish that relationship and just again, you know, have them be role models for the younger kids and I think that you’re seeing that today. Yeah, but it’s just been a lot of fun, a lot of smiles. It’s competitive, but it’s loose and fun, and I think it’s a great day for Montrose,” Snee said.
“He’s supportive of what we’re trying to do up here and have Chris you know come all the way from Boston means a whole lot and it’s just the first of many. We’re all learning and we’re going to get better as we do this thing, but so excited just to see the direction that this program is headed,” said Montrose head football coach George Petrak.
Chris Snee and the New York Giants organization also donated $15,000 to the Junior Meteors football program and the booster club.
Snee will also be participating in a charity golf tournament on Sunday at Tall Pines Players Club in Montrose.
(via @ncaachamps/TT)
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