By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Last season, Port Isabel’s Alex Martinez showed some leadership qualities, but with a senior-heavy roster she didn’t have to be the central figure.
This year, Martinez is in the spotlight for the Lady Tarpons.
“This year she has realized (her teammates) all look up to her,” Port Isabel coach Blake Ramsey said. “Knowing that their eyes are here, it’s helping her.”
Martinez has taken that role to heart.
“It’s a little bit of pressure, but I kind of like it. I like to help people out more,” she said. “They come to me because they know I have the most experience on the team. It feels good to be the team captain.”
Ramsey has seen the transition in Martinez to more of a leadership role.
“She’s always been big for us over the last three years,” he said. “She’s taken it upon herself to motivate the other ones, work hard in practice, and lead by example.”
Those examples have been especially evident in practice. Martinez, last season’s All-Metro defensive player of the year, works extremely hard on her defensive skills. Her younger teammates have taken notice and have tried to emulate the effort put forth by Martinez, who averages 5.6 steals per game.
Its effect has spread throughout the team.
“The kids see that,” Ramsey said. “She’s one of the better players, but she still works had in practice.”
Martinez has become just as invaluable on the offensive end. She has averaged 14.8 points per game to lead the team in scoring, which is also four points better than last season (10.7). Martinez credits going to the basket more often for her scoring surge.
“Last year, the offense was Kelcie (Swink), defense was me,” Martinez said of Swink, the team’s top scorer last season and the offensive player of the year for District 32-4A. “This year, we don’t have a lot offensively, so I had to step up.”
Martinez is trying to get the underclassmen along offensively as well to become a better-balanced team.
The senior sees her role as a leader both on and off the court.
“I’m always there for everybody, they see me more as a sister than just a teammate,” Martinez said. “Anything to help them.”
Ramsey has noticed a few things that are different with Martinez this season. She’s mentally tougher and handling pressure with ease.
“If things don’t go well in a game, she sticks with it,” he said. “She doesn’t shut down, she gets motivated, works harder.”
And when it comes to pressure situations, Martinez is calm and poised. In a recent game, the senior took it upon herself to meet the challenge, whereas last season she would have deferred to a teammate.
“It can make or break a kid,” Ramsey said. “They can crumble under the pressure, or they can rise above it. I’ve noticed that she has stepped it up.
“If she can continue to do that, we’ll be all right this season.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.