Favorite Jay Martin Story
Obinna Moneme '96
Columbus, OH
Jay Martin impacted me when I was a young child around age 10. I attended the Summer Super soccer camp for the first time. The motto for the camp was to look and act like a soccer player at all times. This meant carrying your soccer ball like a soccer player, wearing appropriate clothing like a soccer player, etc.
I grew up in north central Ohio, which is baseball country, and all I had were baseball shirts when I attended camp. Despite the daily prompts to "look like a soccer player," I kept on showing up in baseball shirts, in particular, Cleveland Indians baseball shirts. On one of the last days of camp, Jay pulled me aside and pulled out a Boston Red Sox T-shirt. He gave it to me and said, "If you're gonna wear a baseball shirt, at least make it a good one!"
Since that day, I knew I wanted to play for him and to learn from him. There was no place else I wanted to go to play soccer. This is what I love about Jay. He will always meet you where you are. He will push you to be the best version of yourself. He will do it without judgment. We've all been blessed to work with and be influenced by this extraordinarily caring human being. I wish him all the best in his retirement.