Coach makes great teacher

     The next time an athletic looking man with the shaved head and goatee corrects your technique in the Depot, be sure to say thanks.  You’ve probably gotten a free lesson in exercise science from "Doc."  Relax; it’s a helpful tidbit from someone who once corrected Olympic athletes on a daily basis.
     Just call him Doc.  Whether in a classroom, the Depot, Centennial Center, athletic fields, or the human performance lab, Dr. Mike Martino visits many GCSU locations any given day.  “Dr.” might be his professional title, but to friends and acquaintances, he prefers being called “Doc.”
 Brooks Vinson, a junior exercise science major, is a student of Dr. Martino.
     “He has so much knowledge about health and exercise,” Vinson said.  “His confidence rubs off on you.”
    With so many people counting on him everyday, Martino might be confused with a hero instead of a professor.  Martino has been an NCAA athlete, Division I coach, Olympic coach, established researcher, college professor and martial artist.  Cool? That’s hardy how he sees it.
    “I’m human, just like everybody else,” Martino says.  “There’s no difference.”
    Martino arrived in Milledgeville during Fall 1997 after spending the previous two years teaching at the University of Southern Mississippi.  But GCSU was not the only one vying for Martino’s abilities.   
    “When I first came here, I had an opportunity to work at Oconee Medical and start a community wellness center that would benefit all of Baldwin County,” Martino said. 
    That opportunity never pulled through.  Martino now teaches several classes and is the GCSU exercise Science coordinator and director of the GCSU Human Performance Laboratory.
    “He’s the best teacher I’ve ever had,” Vinson said.  “He’s good at explaining everything, and if you’ve got a question, he’ll stick with you till you get.  He does his best so that all of us succeed.”
    Vinson knows Martino cares for his students just as much outside of class. 
    “He’s my friend and we’ve talked about things other than just school.  He’s always there for us,” Vinson added.
        Aaron Gibbs is a senior starter on the GCSU basketball team.  During pre-season conditioning, Martino trained the team twice a week.
    “I consider Doc a friend,” Gibbs said.  “I can tell he really cares about and makes it to most of our games.  Once, he told me how upset he was after missing one of my best games.”
    Martino volunteers as the strength and conditioning coach for most GCSU athletic programs.  Any GCSU athlete agrees that Martino is the guy to find when getting ready for the season.  He pushes Gibbs and his teammates with the same passion and enthusiasm he shows in the classroom.
 This habit runs in the family; the first person to push Martino was his mother.  Her encouragement influenced him to give the best he had, and then some. Her hard work was a catalyst for young Martino, shaping the work ethic he displays today.
    “She was the one who encouraged me as a young swimmer and in all athletics.  Because of that, I learned the value of sport and was taught about ethics, morals, dedication and discipline,” Martino added.
     She is not the only one who has influenced Martino.  He confidently speaks of another relationship that influences him everyday.
    “We need a relationship with God,” Martino said.  “But as humans, we need other humans to support us.  It’s amazing to think about what Jesus had to go through, if he was an ordinary human he would have given up like the rest of us.”
    Faith, family, and athletics run deep in the Martino family.  Martino proudly beams about his wife and two young sons.  An Olympic gold-medal swimmer, Angel Martino was coached by her husband in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic games.
    “When you get to represent your country in front of 15,000 people who are cheering and screaming, you just can’t fully explain it.  It’s overwhelming,” Martino said.
Martino’s passion for competition and physical challenge hasn’t diminished.  An avid martial artist, Martino is a force to be reckoned with in the art of Brazilian Ju-Jitsu.
    “I began studying martial arts in the seventh grade, and then studied all through high school and college,” Martino said.
    While completing his undergrad at Furman University, one of Martino’s instructors renewed his interest in martial arts.  During college Martino began studying Brazilian Ju-Jitsu. When Martino’s eldest son turned six, he too was encouraged to try his father’s lifelong passion
      Martino recently earned his blue belt, a high level, considering he began practicing Ju-Jitsu only three years ago.  He plans to compete in the Pan American games in the near future, despite having torn several knee ligaments seven months ago while competing.  Martino has never been one to back down from adversity.
     Not long ago, Martino was vacationing with his family at Disney World.  While enjoying the day, he saw a familiar face in the crowd.
     “Sure enough, I went up to him.  I extended my hand towards him and the first thing he did was grab my hand and pull me into this big embrace,” Martino recalled.
     The man was an ex-football player from Southern Miss, a man that Martino had coached over 10-years ago.  He had never forgotten the impression Martino had made upon him during those college years. 
      “It’s not just for the love of coaching,” Martino said.  “It’s because I’m trying to get my students experience where they get involved and work with real people in the field.  That’s what makes this exercise science program different that any of the others in the state, and probably the Southeast."

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 27 2007. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry