Omar Rodriguez

Founder & President

Omar Rodriguez is the founder of JOGA Bonito FC and the co-founder and former director of Mamba FC. A passionate and visionary leader, Omar has been instrumental in developing youth soccer talent across Southern California and beyond.

Coach Omar has coached, collaborated, and worked with elite professional, international, collegiate, and high school players. As Co-Founder, Club Director, and Head Coach of Mamba FC — Kobe Bryant’s competitive youth soccer club — he helped shape a program that blended world-class training with leadership and character development. Though Mamba FC is no longer active, its impact lives on through the players and coaches it inspired — proudly carrying the mindset and work ethic of #MambaMade. That same standard of excellence, discipline, and relentless growth is now woven into the fabric of JOGA Bonito — where players are challenged to lead, compete, and train with purpose every day.

Omar’s experiences include private workshops with FC Barcelona’s professional men’s and women’s first teams and mentorship under Brazilian National Team legend Rildo da Costa Menezes — a former teammate of Pelé from 1963 to 1969.

At JOGA Bonito, Omar channels his deep experience into a local mission — building an environment where creativity, teamwork, and joy are at the center of every session. His goal is to develop not just skilled players, but confident, thoughtful leaders ready to make a difference in the game and in life.