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WATERBURY – As a senior captain of the 1994 Crosby High football team, Jason Martinez was revered as a leader and a protector of what made being part of a team special.
"There were always influences around us, but Jay was always that guy that made sure his teammates were making the right decisions at the right time," said Tony Ortiz, the iconic star running back and linebacker of that team. "He protected me on the offensive line, but he definitely had that mentality off the field, as well."
More than three decades later, Martinez has the opportunity to bring that same leadership to student-athletes across one of the state's largest school districts.
Thursday night, the Waterbury Board of Education and superintendent of schools Dr. Darren Schwartz announced that they had hired Martinez for the newly created director of athletics position. Martinez will oversee the four current athletic directors in the city: David Ieronimo (Crosby), Joseph Del Debbio (Kennedy), Ryan McDonald (Waterbury Career Academy) and Alan Piccolo (Wilby).
A longtime football coach, Martinez spent the last five years as an assistant principal at Wilby High. He missed athletics and saw the citywide athletic director's job as a chance to combine his passion for sports with his educational leadership.
"Being out of athletics for a few years, a piece of me was missing," Martinez said. "I am most comfortable on an athletic field or in a gym. I felt like I was put on this planet to be in those spaces and help people understand how important they are. So, this chance to get back to my roots with the power to connect an entire district is a lifelong dream."
Schwartz shares Martinez's belief in the value of sports.
"Sports were instrumental in my own development, leadership and social-emotional growth," Schwartz said. "… For me, athletics can be a draw that helps many students keep coming to school every day. It also gives them intangible skills that are important when they leave our system and enter the workforce or pursue higher education."
Schwartz said Waterbury wasn't maximizing the potential of its four public high schools because they operated separately and were disconnected from the city's middle schools and youth sports organizations. He believes uniting the programs through common goals, leadership and accountability could increase their impact on student-athletes.
He sees five ways a districtwide athletic director could help the schools expand opportunities:
- Create a consistent sportsmanship and behavior program.
- Work with the city's Parks and Recreation Department, the YMCA, Boys & Girls Club and PAL to provide athletic opportunities in middle school and build programs that feed into high schools.
- Use the district's purchasing power to buy uniforms and equipment collectively.
- Help teams improve their records and performance through a more organized approach.
- Connect athletics with academics and help student-athletes build skills for success after school.
Schwartz is confident he has found the right person in Martinez. Fifteen candidates applied, but Martinez, 49, stood out for his energy, passion, leadership and organizational abilities, as well as his ties to Waterbury.
Martinez graduated from Crosby in 1995 after a 9-1 senior football season and earned a degree in physical education and health from Central Connecticut. He began coaching football at Crosby while still in college.
"I recognized that the student-athletes needed me," Martinez said. "They needed a mentor and a role model. Most kids at 20 years old are hanging out and doing who knows what. I was trying to be a father figure to a bunch of 14-, 15-, 16-year olds while I was still a kid myself."
After 10 years as a Crosby assistant, Martinez spent five years as head coach. His tenure included an upset of No. 1 Ansonia in 2008 that snapped the Chargers' 35-game winning streak.
He then moved to Kingswood Oxford, where he could recruit players and build a program.
"They hadn't won a game for five years, so the program was in dire need," Martinez said. "I went in there with a vision, recruited athletes, put the time and work in, and within three years we won the first New England championship in school history."
In nine years at Kingswood Oxford, he reached three more title games and sent more than 100 players on to college, including some who went to Ohio State and Penn State. He also worked as a physical education teacher at West Side Middle School during his 24-year coaching career.
In August, he agreed to serve as interim principal at West Side. The athletic director's job appealed to him as an opportunity to bring fresh ideas and unite the city's athletic programs.
"I'm high-energy and ready to get this thing going," Martinez said. "I'm a community guy, a no-nonsense guy, but I lead with love. I'm a warm demander. … I'm going to nurture this and build it. There's going to be alignment, a high standard and follow-through. We're going to give our student-athletes something to be proud of."
Martinez has embraced the mantra, "One District, One Goal." He said bringing the city's programs together will start with an audit of the district's athletic programs. He envisions new programs, citywide strength and conditioning, in-season and offseason training, practice plans, game-day statistics, student-athletes of the week and end-of-season meetings.
"The most important thing is providing more opportunities for athletes. This is what this is all about, letting student-athletes know that the city and the district are invested in them and care about them."
This article originally published at Former Crosby coach Jason Martinez hired to lead athletics at Waterbury's 4 public high schools.
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/former-crosby-coach-jason-martinez-171325294.html
