When Spain takes the field against defending champion Argentina in Sunday's FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey, captain Rodri will carry the hopes of his country onto soccer's biggest stage. But 16 years ago, the future superstar Rodrigo Hernández Cascante was just another teenager spending part of his summer at a sleepaway camp in Deep River, Connecticut.
At Incarnation Camp, a counselor who knew Rodri before he became one of the world's biggest soccer stars is now sharing stories of the summer he spent learning English, playing pickup soccer and cheering Spain's historic 2010 World Cup championship.
"The energy's been great," said Jimmy Christensen, boys' unit director at Incarnation Camp's Pioneer Village. "We've got a lot of Latin American staff. We've got English staff. We've got staff from South Africa. So it's a fun thing to have happen while we're here at camp."
Before the trophies, just another camper
Christensen said Rodri, then a teenager, was consumed by Spain's 2010 World Cup run.
"The biggest memory was him always asking, 'What was the score last night? What was the score last night?'" Christensen recalled.
He said camp leaders followed the tournament on their laptops, but they improvised so Rodri and other campers could watch the finals
"We went out and bought this big-screen, $3,000 TV from Walmart, got a cable subscription, ran cable from the cabin all the way to the rec hall just for the final match," he said.
When Spain won its first World Cup title, Christensen remembers Rodri erupting with joy.
"He was going bonkers," Christensen said with a laugh. "Then we returned the TV and canceled the subscription the next day."
A soccer star in the making
Rodri often put his talent and drive on display at Incarnation Camp.
"We'd do classes of whatever the campers wanted," Christensen said. "It was soccer, soccer, football, football. We want soccer from Rodri all the time."
Still, he said, Rodri embraced the full camp experience.
"He played a lot of soccer while he was at camp, but he also got exposed to a bunch of other things too."
Rodri has since developed into one of the world's most accomplished players, winning multiple English Premier League titles with Manchester City, helping Spain win the 2024 European Championship and capturing the 2024 Ballon d'Or, awarded annually to the world's top men's player.
World Cup fever returns to camp
This summer, campers are once again gathering to watch soccer - although technology has improved since 2010.
"We got projectors now," Christensen said. "It's definitely more than ever before."
He believes Rodri's connection to the camp has made this year's tournament even more meaningful.
"Just knowing that camp alumni is in it, it's amazing,” he said.
As Spain tries to win its second World Cup championship Sunday, one Connecticut summer camp will be cheering especially hard for the former teenager who once slept in its tents.
