The announcement this week that Chelsea High girls track coach Mark Martineau has been named the Girls Indoor Coach of the Year by the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association represents quite an achievement both for Mark and Chelsea High.
Anyone who gets to know Mark becomes aware instantly of his contagious enthusiasm for the girls’ track program at Chelsea High. Although indoor track is a relatively new sport at CHS (Mark began it just a few years ago), the Lady Red Devils have achieved prominence both at the league and state levels, where the Chelsea girls have excelled both individually and as a group.
Mark is the kind of coach we wish we all had when we were in high school. He not only is knowledgeable about his sport, but he is a true mentor to the young people who are entrusted to his care for a few hours every day during the season.
As CHS Athletic Director Amanda Alpert noted, “Mark has done an amazing job with our student-athletes, holding them to high standards academically and on the track.”
Mark’s dedication to the ideal of a student-athlete truly exemplifies the ancient Roman maxim, “Mens sana, in corpore sano.” (For those who did not take Latin in high school, you can Google it for the translation — it will come up right away!)
Mark’s commitment to his team also recognizes the truth of the words spoken by General Douglas MacArthur, when he was the commandant at West Point, that applies to all aspects of life:
“On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that on other days, on other fields will bear the fruits of victory.”
We know we join with everybody in our community in congratulating Mark on this prestigious award and in thanking him for his dedication to our student-athletes at Chelsea High School.