“I think I know where I want to go,” he says.
I don’t react immediately, instead letting him lead this conversation. “Okay.”
“Michigan,” he adds, like saying it out loud makes it more real.
I nod slowly. “Not Wisconsin at Madison?”
Rodrigo makes a face, shaking his head at the mention of the other university that showed a lot of interest in him during exhibition week. Their scouts have asked about him on multiple occasions, and even went as far as trying to get me to schedule time with Cecilia to discuss his options.
Nina straightens like she’s been personally summoned. “Wow. Disrespectful.”
Rodrigo glances between us. “What?”
“Wisconsin has one of the best curling programs in the country,” she points out. “Just something to think about.”
“Nina.”
“I’m literally not thinking about that,” he says carefully.
“Anyway,” I continue, cutting her a look. “Michigan has a really strong program and great coaching. You’d get what you need there.”
He exhales, something in his posture loosening just slightly. “But, um…”
“Rodrigo.”
“Well,” he says. “Um… If I go there, then Ceci won’t have a skater, and then… What is she going to do? I’m worried about her.”
I keep my eyes on him for a second and wait for him to continue with his train of thought. I know exactly where this is going, but I allow him the space to lead the conversation abouthisfuture.
“I just—” He stops, searching for the right words. “I wanted to make sure it made sense for everyone.”
“You don’t need to make decisions for everyone. You need to focus on what’s best for your career, Rodrigo.”
“I know,” he says quickly. “I’m not. I just… wanted to check with you.”
“Check what?”
He hesitates again, then shakes his head like he’s already decided he’s said enough.
“Look,” I say, and Nina clears her throat at the same time. I don’t turn to look at her, but I feel it—my sister trying to stop me before I say something I can’t take back. I ignore it, obviously, because Rodrigo came to me for guidance. “I can’t tell you exactly what to do, because I’ve never been in your position. My path was… very clear from the beginning. I had the resources, the infrastructure, and teams of people making sure I could focus on skating and nothing else. I didn’t have to think about funding or placement or whether there was space for me somewhere. You do.”
He’s watching me carefully now, holding on to every word I say and memorizing it exactly as I say it.
“And the reality is,” I continue, a little more evenly, “there are only so many ways to grow in this sport, especially when you don’t have consistent support behind you. Talent isn’t enough. It never has been.”
Nina shifts slightly against the sideboard but stays quiet.
“What we’re doing here—what Nina and I are trying to build—it’s meant to help with that. To give skaters like you a starting point that isn’t entirely dependent on luck or the right person noticing at the right time. It’s not the finish line. It’s… a step. A way to get you where you need to go next.”
Rodrigo nods slowly. I know he understands this part—because otherwise he and Cecilia wouldn’t be here.
“But it’s not everything,” I add. “And it’s not something I can sustain indefinitely for every athlete who comes through here. That’s not how this works.”
His jaw tightens just slightly.
“So if you have an opportunity to go somewhere like Michigan,”—my voice gentler now—“with a strong program, with support, with structure already in place, you take it. You don’t stay here or in Argentina because you’re worried about what happens to someone else.”
There’s a pause.
