rodriguez fresno bee article

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SoCalHoops High School News

Clovis West's Charlie Rodriguez:
A Different Perspective--(Mar. 17, 2000)

With all of the controversy that has recently been swirling around the kids from the Dominican Republic, in particular, Jack Martinez of Artesia, we read with some interest the story of Charlie Rodriguez which was published in the Fresno Bee yesterday. It's a story of a player who is not merely living here in the United States as a visitor under a student visa, but a young man who came to the United States and who now has been virtually adopted by his legal guardians, the Knowlton family (remember Ash Knowlton, the point guard for Clovis West last year before Chris Hernandez blew up?. . . Ash plays at Portland State currently, a fact we'd lost track of in the last year. . . good to know). In any event, we thought this piece would be worth sharing and reading, especially in contrast to what we've been reading lately concerning the Artesia matters. . . Here it is:

Far from home, he's still among family
(Published March 16, 2000)
Fresno Bee

Get Ann Knowlton started on Charlie Rodriguez, and she could talk forever. She'll tell you about the Clovis West High sophomore's character and personality, his kindness and compassion, his intelligence and thoughtfulness. It's as if it doesn't occur to her to mention Rodriguez's basketball ability.

Rodriguez, a 6-foot 7-inch forward, has helped lead the Golden Eagles to a state record-tying 39 victories with just two losses and into the Division 1 state championship. Clovis West, No. 2 in the state and No. 9 in the nation, plays De La Salle (30-1), No. 3 in the state and No. 11 in the nation, at 8 p.m. Saturday at Sacramento's ARCO Arena for the title.

In last week's Southern Regional championship against Mater Dei (Santa Ana), Rodriguez showcased his talents against 6-11 Jamal Sampson. Rodriguez finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.

"He's definitely very important for us," Eagles coach Vance Walberg says. "I think we haven't even scratched the surface of his talent yet." Mrs. Knowlton knows all about that, as does her husband, Steve, and the couples' three sons, Alexander, Cary and Ashley.

Steve and Ann are Rodriguez's legal guardians, and their family has become his American family. They will all watch him play Saturday, including Ashley, who will fly in from Portland State where he plays basketball, and Alexander, who is coming from Austin, Texas.

"Charlie's so excited he can hardly stand it," Ann says. "Everybody's coming. Everybody's excited, and everybody loves Charlie."

Rodriguez is from the Dominican Republic. He came to America in hopes of earning a college scholarship and getting an education. There are no scholarships in the Dominican Republic, and his family would not be able to send him, Rodriguez says. The Knowltons, who have hosted foreign student/soccer players before, had two empty rooms, so when a group discussion turned to several foreign students who wanted to come to America for the educational opportunity, they volunteered to take one, Ann recalls.

They got Rodriguez, and he immediately became part of the family. He is even in the family portrait they took at Christmas. "It was the weirdest thing. It was like when Charlie walked in our door, it was like he'd always lived here," Ann says.

Rodriguez refers to Ann and Steve as Mama and Papa, and says the Knowlton boys are like brothers. "Oh my god, they feel like brothers," Rodriguez says. "They are a nice, nice family." The feeling is mutual. "He is the greatest kid. I am the luckiest person. I just love him to death," Ann says. "There's something about that kid that you just adore him. We all do. His brothers in America love him."

Rodriguez's appeal was obvious to Clovis West assistant/counselor Jose Hernandez on the youngster's first day of school as a freshman. As Hernandez walked the Spanish-speaking Rodriguez around campus, students greeted him warmly. Within a month, Rodriguez estimates, he could understand most of what was said to him. Now, he speaks fluent English, except when he gets nervous.

"I know why he learned English so fast -- because he likes to talk," Ann says with a chuckle. "It is absolutely amazing to me how fast he has learned English."

Then she proudly tells of the "A" Rodriguez earned in English 10, and of how he completed calculus before he even got to America.

"He's amazing to me," Ann says. "He is so much fun."

Rodriguez's teammates took to him almost as quickly as the Knowltons. "I was happy when Charlie came here," senior guard Eric Norcross says. "We needed a big guy because we were all pretty short. Just having Charlie's presence down there, his rebounding ability and scoring ability helped a lot. "He's a great kid."

Senior forward Anthony Aiello says, "I love the guy. He puts a smile on everyone's face. ... He's the main reason we're where we are."

"He's a helluva player," senior forward/guard Andrew Awad adds. "I'm going to come back next year from college just to see him play."

Opposing coaches aren't looking forward to facing Rodriguez, who averages about seven rebounds and 17 points a game on 66% shooting, again next season. "I'm kind of disappointed he's coming back two more years," Madera coach Kent Albertson says in jest. "He is the key, I think, for their team because they needed an inside presence, and he provided it for them."

Buchanan coach Tony Petersen says, "He's become a very dominant high school player as a young sophomore."

Rodriguez said he hopes to get even better -- much better. His grand plan is to earn a scholarship -- preferably to Stanford, Duke or Connecticut -- become a civil engineer and move his mother, two brothers and sister to America. "It's my dream," Rodriguez says. "I want to bring them all over here." For now, he talks to his first family frequently on the phone, writes them and visits for about three weeks in the summer. As much as the Knowltons adore Rodriguez, Ann knows he misses his family. She appreciates the sacrifice they made sending him here, and how hard it was for him to come.

"It's the hardest thing, I can't even imagine doing that," Ann says. "Nor can I imagine his mother loving him so much, knowing that he had so much ability and was so smart, that this was his only chance, to let him go."

Knowlton says she is hoping to bring Rodriguez's mother to Fresno for a visit next season so she can see her oldest son play, and see where he lives and goes to school.