Dylan Martin '19 Recruiting Profile

Dylan Martin

Personal Statement

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Sports has been in my family since I can remember. I know my family is one of the most competitive family you could ever meet. My mom is the main one who makes everything a contest or a bet. Most importantly to her, she likes to win. It did not matter my three brothers and myself are competing in the contest either. She always tells us no one else would be easy so why should she.  I realize she helped create my drive and my determination I bring with me into every sport we have ever played. Playing in many types of sports, I am always in it 100% to improve skills and become a better player.

Growing up, baseball was the first sport I ever played. At five years old, I joined a local recreational league and played for the Atlanta Braves.. By the end of the season I was called “Baby Frank Thomas”. With my size and built, I could hit a homerun really easy. I got sixteen games balls my first season because of home runs and playing really good games.. Over the next four years I enjoyed playing baseball. I made ALL-Stars, did some travel ball, and joined a couple special summer leagues. However, my 5th season, things changed for me. I love to play ball, but the recreational leagues were not as fun anymore. I felt like the challenge was gone and it was sort of same ole same ole game we would play. Since a lot of the coaches knew me, he would tell his pitchers to walk me. Being ten years old, I wanted to hit the ball, I wanted to run my bases and may be a homerun too. I understand their reasoning of course and why they would do it.  However, I thought about it and decided to try something completely different. Football was my choice of sports I wanted to try. After my dad stopped crying, he finally agreed to let me tryout. I made the GA Bulldogs my first year. After a couple of practices in the heat, I thought I had lost my mind. I was missing baseball really bad. Anyway, I continued to try hard and work hard until I got use to all the extra equipment and taking some hits. Of course, I had a great coach to teach me. He would stop drills and show me a better way at doing things. I soon learned the plays and started to really enjoy the game. By the end of my first season I was leader in sacks and forced fumbles. I made the mini-travel team my first season. I stayed with Coach Thomas for the next three seasons, up until I started playing at my middle school at Young Americans.

Starting middle school, I got invited to a birthday party. After all the regular stuff, we went  outside to play “basketball”. I had watched my brothers play, but I really never gave it much thought about actually playing. I jumped on a team and we played for hours. After the party, I get home and tell my parents I am tired of football, I want to play basketball. With my size, I felt like a monster out there on the court with my friends. I felt really confident about joining this new upward team. I thought I was going to be the best player on the team. However, that is not what happened. I was one of the worst. I could not dribble the ball without hitting my size thirteen shoe. I had no ball handling skill, nor could I shoot the ball very far. I felt really weird being out on the court and not knowing how to really play the game. Realizing this, It made me very excited that I found a sport I had to work at again in order to play. Basketball was a challenge for me to learn and actually be good at it. Little kids could zoom past me and score over and over. I can’t lie, I would get mad and try to use some football defense and I discovered I could not do that without fouling out. I knew I had a lot of work to do because size was not everything. Not to mention the more I grew the worst I got sometimes. Trying to grow into my body from the ages of ten to seventeen, was a tough job. I worked on and off the court learning and acquiring ball skills. After my first season, I was picked up by a traveling team. It was not for my ball skills, but my size.  I joined anyway knowing I would not get a lot of playing time, but a lot of practice with a really good team. I also joined any camp I could find and still do so today.

I began my freshman year with a knee injury. I tore my meniscus playing AAU Summer ball. I had a very fast recovery due to the type of surgery we choose. I was walking without crutches the day after my surgery. I also completed all my physical therapy required from the doctor. I did play my freshman year as a starter and had a very good year. I continued to play summer ball on a travel team so I could improve on every level possible. Once my sophomore year began, we were playing tourneys up until the actual season started. After the season started, I was moved up to varsity. I shared a starting position with one other varsity player. It was a great year because I got to play at a higher level and learned a lot playing with the older guys. After my tenth grade season ended, I knew my defense had advance to another level. During summer ball, I used what I learned and literally stopped all the lanes when I was on the court. My confidence grew and allowed me to come back my junior year dominate in defence and under the goal. That area is “My World” I look forward to my senior year playing basketball and competing this last year with my teammates, new and old.

The past six years, I have to say playing basketball has been adventurous, educational and fun. Growing up playing basketball, I always knew I would be picked by coaches because of my size, before knowing anything about my skill level. I was always told to post up under the goal or on the side.  It is fun being taller, I would get fed the ball to make good layups (left and right side) and my favorite hook shot. I was never total to run the ball or bring the ball in. Later this was something I wanted to do really bad, but coaches would tell me to wait, wait it will come.  As of today, I feel I am actually just getting to know all the ins/outs of basketball. Such as, having the smarts to understand the court, having the skills to execute with speed and strength, and having a flow with your teammates. I know my defense is good enough to compete on a college level. I am currently handling the ball more and sharing my time as center and a forward player. Great coaching is extremely valuable to me. I look forward to having a college coach who wants to teach me these final steps into being one of the best players for him/her. I think learning is an adventure, what young man does not love an adventure? If interested, I would like to send you a schedule to our next games in hopes to see you there!