By Annika Wickham
Juan Martinez was appointed interim head coach of the Oswego State cross country, indoor and outdoor track teams in September 2021 and brings over 20 years experience with the sport to the Romney Field House.
Martinez first started running in 1994 when he was in high school and said he did not really fall in love with the sport, but he was good at it, so he stuck with it.
“I grew up in a rough neighborhood,” Martinez said. “The sport took me from the street to the classroom, it kept me focused on my schoolwork. I saw the positives that it got another kid off the streets.”
After competing at the high school level for three years, Martinez began running at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, but was only there for one semester before he joined the Navy. While serving, Martinez said he took a six-year break from running, only starting again after his father was diagnosed with diabetes.
“I had put on some weight so I decided to get back into running in 2006 and I’ve been running ever since,” Martinez said.
Despite taking his own hiatus from the sport, Martinez said he still followed track and field and his love of running continued to grow.
“It led me to running 11 marathons, winning several races [and] being one of the best in the country for my age group,” Martinez said.
Martinez started his coaching career as head coach for a modified boys and girls outdoor track team and assistant coach for the varsity indoor track team at Jamesville-Dewitt School District in Jamesville, N.Y. At the time, he was also completing his college degree online and raising his family, but still found time to continue his passion.
Currently, Martinez is a teaching assistant at Jamesville-Dewitt High School and commutes to Oswego to coach after the school day. He said he hopes to be hired as head coach for the Lakers in the near future.
“My goal is to be here permanently,” Martinez said. “I believe I can turn the program around for the better. My vision is to have a that is inclusive and [that promotes] equality. Just to have everyone from different backgrounds be a part of the team.”
Martinez also said though he has enjoyed coaching all age groups, collegiate athletes, especially at Oswego State, have a devotion to the sport that others do not.
“The student athletes in Oswego are very passionate, they love the sport,” Martinez said. “This is [Div. III], they are running for the fun of it not because they have a scholarship. That’s what I love about it.”
He continued, saying that another reason he loves coaching at the collegiate level because it is more flexible than younger teams and the Oswego State track and field team is very diverse, which is a major positive in his eyes.
Mental health is also a large part of Martinez’s coaching style because he knows the impact it has on his athletes.
“You aren’t going to get anything good out of it if you are drained mentally,” Martinez said. “I’m very big on making sure everybody is healthy, physically and mentally.”
After being in the Navy, in his opinion, Martinez said he does not believe the ‘drill sergeant’ style of coaching is effective, and he opts to try and be more of a father figure to his team.
“I always tell the team, ‘don’t try to impress me,’” Martinez said. “If you feel pain or are tired … I will change the training around. I’m not one of those coaches that’s push, push, push.”
As the men’s and women’s track season continues, Martinez said his goals are “to continue to have fun first” and to help his athletes qualify for both the SUNYAC Championships and the Atlantic Region Championships.
The Oswego State track and field teams travel to Nazareth College on Feb. 18 for their final contest before SUNYAC championships begin Feb. 25.
Photos provided by Oswego Lakers
