During a pre-season practice, I had the opportunity to talk with new varsity football head coach Kevin Martins. We talked about his goals and hopes for the future of the program and our community.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

William McDermott: Coach Martins, you’ve coached at other schools in the area, and this is your first season at White Plains. What’s special about White Plains?

Coach Kevin Martins: This is my hometown now. I moved up here about 10 years ago when my wife and I got married. We have a couple of kids who go to school here in White Plains. For me, this job was special because it was an opportunity to have an impact on the town and community that I live and raise my kids in. So, this was always just a very special place.

Additionally, I remember the first time I came up here to coach against White Plains in 2003, when we used to play games over at the Highlands. I just remember being kind of awestruck at the environment, the pageantry, cheerleaders, color guard, dance, and obviously the football players. It was a special place then to me, so I’m still kind of in disbelief that I get to be the head coach here.

WM: I think it’s great that you get to be a part of that with all of us. What are your goals for the team in your first year?

KM: I think for me it’s always been to set a standard, an expectation. What are the behaviors that we want to see every single day out of our guys, not just on the field, but in the community and in the classroom? I say the standard is the standard a lot, and I mean that.

In terms of the football, I kind of take a 1% better a day approach on that. I told the guys that yesterday. Let’s try to get 1% better every day. I thought yesterday the kids practiced well and probably did get 1% better.

And you try to build on that. So, from a football standpoint, as long as I see improvement in this first season, I’m going to be satisfied.

WM: I think it’s great how you focus on development. How would you describe your coaching style?

KM: I guess I’m very much a big-time teacher. In recent years, I’ve learned the true value of taking what I do inside of the school building and bringing it out to the field and teaching.

I love getting into those tiny little details of technique, scheme, approach, and how to do things. I’ve learned that those tiny little things make all the difference in games and in seasons. And then on top of that, I’m very big on building relationships.

I have the same approach of looking at those tiny little details of a relationship and getting to know a kid. It goes a long way. If I can build strong relationships and teach tiny little details, I feel like that always has helped me as a coach to build a really good football program.

WM: I heard you say the other day at practice that you’re a coach now and you’d give anything to be back in your players’ shoes. How does your experience as a player help you as a coach?

KM: I think everyone who’s ever played football would give anything to be able to put equipment back on and do it one more time.

I think though, 20 years removed now, I know how much it hurt. I would not do that today. But in terms of my experience helping me out, for example, we’re moving a lot of guys into new positions.

We’re a new coaching staff, and we see guys in a different light than maybe they were seen before. Some guys are, understandably, struggling with that because change is hard. I shared with one of the guys that in one game I played five different positions just by need or happenstance.

WM: That’s impressive.

KM: I don’t know if it’s impressive or if we just needed it. That experience is helping me with these guys right now if they’re struggling to adapt to a new position but also accept someone else’s vision of them. That’s not easy.

I’ve gone through it. You can move around. Even in college, I played three different positions in the first two weeks as a college athlete until I found a home. Once you go through it, you do have a better sense, and you can speak from a positional experience.

WM: What do you want the White Plains community to know about you?

KM: I guess I want them to know I’m doing this for the town. I’m doing this for our community. My dream is, on a Friday night, White Plains High School becomes a community gathering event.

I want every family to know it’s Friday. There’s a home game. Let’s meet at the high school. Let’s get food there. PTA will have the concessions. You can go and buy your dinner and snacks. I’m sure the kids will be running all over the different fields here. The parents can hang out, socialize, and catch up.

I just want it to become a community, a place where everybody feels like they can come together and truly enjoy themselves. And of course, I do want us to walk proud. I want us to walk with our heads up, our chests out, and feel true pride in being White Plains Tigers and part of that Tiger family.

WM: That’s how you grow a program. Thanks for meeting me today, Coach.

KM: Thank you very much. Really appreciate it.

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Come support the team this Friday, September 5, at 6 p.m. for their first home game of the season.

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