Longtime Blue Valley Rec gymnastics coordinator Keno Rodriguez was recently recognized by the Kansas-Missouri Gymnastics Judges Association for his commitment and expertise to Kansas Gymnastics.
Rodriguez is a common fixture around area meets, having served as a judge for more than 20 years. His expertise in the field was utilized for the 2011 AAU Nationals in Orlando, where he served as a floor and vault judge.
“I enjoy helping the kids improve,” said Rodriguez. “They work so hard and deserve a chance to learn about technique.”
Rodriguez, a native of Chile, has been involved with gymnastics on a world-wide scale. He taught classes in his homeland before instructing at the U.S. Embassy in Germany. In 1992, he fould his way to the Blue Valley area, where he now calls home. In addition to starting the gymnastics program at Blue Valley Rec, Rodriguez earned Kansas State High School Association (KSHSA) Coach of the Year honors in 1998 and was named the Regional Gymnastics Coach of the Year in 1999 while coaching in the Blue Valley School District.
The past year has been a busy one for Rodriquez. He served as a judge for 10 meets in seven months.
October 2012 – AAU Invitational (Lee Summit, Mo.)
November 2012 – Judges Cup (Kansas City, Mo.)
– Judges Cup (St. Louis, Mo.)
December 2012 – AAU League Meet (Express, Mo.)
January 2013 – Meet Me in St. Louis Invitational (St. Louis, Mo.)
– Kansas City Invitational (Kansas City, Mo.)
February 2013 – AAU Invitational (Kansas City, Mo.)
March 2013 – Missouri Winter Games (Springfield, Mo.)
– AAU-USAG Kansas/Missouri State Meets
April 2013 – AAU League Championships (Riverside, Mo.)