VYPE Klein December 2022

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Klein cain

\\ By Ma t t Ma l a t e s t a C A I N H A S A N E L I T E T A L E N T I N MA R T I N E Z THE CAN’T-MISS KID

NATHAN MARTINEZ WAS BORN TO PLAY THE BEAUTIFUL GAME. He’s prett y quiet and doesn’ t l ike the l imel ight , but what he can do wi th his feet wi l l put him on a big stage someday. He’s already wi tnessed the big stage f irsthand. His father, Al fredo Mar tinez , played professional ly in Mexico and coaches for the Houston Dynamo Youth Developmental Program. Nathan is a star in his own right in the developmental academy along wi th being the undisputed leader of Klein Cain’s budding soccer program. “I ’ ve been playing since I was four years old,” he said. “My fami ly has always been very athletic, so I had i t in me since I was born.” In two quick seasons , Mar tinez has been named the District Newcomer of the Year and co-Midf ielder of the Year for the Hurricanes , leading Cain to the postseason in 2022 . “I think my strength is having the awareness of where everyone is on the f ield,” he said. “I ’m checking my shoulders al l the time to know where the defenders are, too. I ’m a real ly good shooter also.” Those are the intangibles that make an el i te soccer player, and he’s learned from the best . “I watched my dad and his teammates train in the pro leagues before he retired,” he said. “I just learned off of them and how they saw the game. Having al l of the behind the-scenes access , helped

play at the professional level ,” he said. “I ’m looking for every oppor tuni t y I can and taking them. I feel I have a good shot at playing wi th Team USA after my per formance at the camps , so we wi l l see how that goes . I ’m also hearing

me bui ld a strong soccer IQ. I was learning from pros at an early age.” Whi le he is a star on prep f ields , the developmental offseason league is where he earns his stripes and scholarships . “My ul timate goal is to

from Campbel l Universi t y and Oklahoma to play in col lege.” But what ’s at the top of his l ist ? “Real ly, I ’m just trying to make my fami ly proud,” he said.

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