Del Valle soccer player battling cancer inspires team

Janet Rodriguez is a senior at Del Valle High School.

She was looking forward to her last season on the soccer team, but it was cut short before it ever began after she was diagnosed with cancer.

It all started when Rodriguez noticed swelling in her right knee.

It turned out to be a cancerous tumor.

Doctors told Rodriguez and her family that the only option was to amputate her leg.

Rodriguez took the news in stride and instead comforted her mother who was in tears.

“My mom was crying,” Rodriguez said. “And I told her that we had to keep going and that we can’t give up.”

While Rodriguez was fighting off of the field, her teammates pushed forward with a purpose to play for Janet.

They dedicated the season to her.

A season that turned out to be very successful.

Del Valle won another district title and qualified for the playoffs.

Rodriguez didn’t get to go to many soccer games this season, but she was there to support her team for their first round match-up against Jefferson.

Del Valle would end up losing to Jefferson 4-3.

Just like here team was there for her during her fight with cancer, this time Janet was there for them to lift their spirits.

“I’m proud of them because they gave it their all,” Rodriguez said.

“It happens. I mean it happened to me, but that doesn’t mean we keep our head down. We lose some battles, but we learn from them.”

Rodriguez knows all too well that in life nothing goes according to plan and that it isn’t measured by how many goals you score.

Rather, it’s the journey and the impact you have on others, that in the end, makes us all winners.

“It’s meant a lot to me (support of the team). I take it to heart. I mean, they’re my family,” Rodriguez said.