Pioneer Athlete Spotlight on Nolan Martin of Clayton Valley Charter High
Name: Nolan Martin
School: Clayton Valley Charter High School
Grade: Senior
Sport: Soccer
CONCORD, CA (Dec. 7, 2022) — The sky really is the limit for senior soccer player Martin who began playing soccer at six years old. As a child, his parents had him playing a variety of sports besides soccer, including swimming, baseball and basketball. Martin learned from participating in these activities an important lesson: how to lose. Without the failures that he has experienced, Martin would not have been able to develop the determination and drive that are crucial to his success.
Reflecting on being an athlete and representing Clayton Valley Charter soccer, Martin enjoys the team’s winning record and appreciates that the CVCHS soccer program is one that sets the highest standards for itself and other teams. The Ugly Eagles made it to the semi-finals of the North Coast Section playoffs last winter and are looking to go even further this season. His skill and perseverance elicited his promotion from the freshman team to varsity as a sophomore. This senior season he’s a team captain after receiving all-Diablo Athletic League mention last year.
When he isn’t on the soccer field, Martin is an active participant in the school’s Senior Men as well as the CVCHS Lego Club, and volunteers at the St. Bonaventure Food Pantry. He maintains a cumulative 4.32 GPA in the CVCHS Engineering and Design Academy. In his free time, Martin has also developed a love of surfing.
He is looking forward to the next chapter of his life next fall at a four-year university, hopefully near the beach to continue his passion for surfing and to major in environmental engineering. He credits his successes to his sister Maisie, his parents and CVCHS soccer coach Guillermo Jara, who have shaped him into the athlete and overall person that he is today. Martin notes that they taught him the habits he practices every day and helped him stay true to himself through all of the challenges he has faced.
CVCHS student journalist Katherine Pugh wrote this Spotlight.
The Pioneer congratulates Nolan and thanks Athlete Spotlight sponsors Dr. Laura Lacey & Dr. Christopher Ruzicka who have been serving the Clayton and Concord area for over three decades at Family Vision Care Optometry.
Do you know a young athlete who should be recognized? Perhaps he or she has shown exceptional sportsmanship, remarkable improvement or great heart for the sport.
Send your nomination for the Pioneer Athlete Spotlight today to sports@pioneerpublishers.com.
Katherine Pugh
Katherine Pugh is a junior at Clayton Valley Charter High School. She enjoys running on the CVCHS cross country team in the fall in addition to the track and field team in the spring. Pugh also swims recreationally for Oakhurst Country Club in the summer. She is a part of the CVCHS Engineering & Design academy and finished her sophomore year with a 4.33 GPA. She’s also excited to be a representative for CVCHS’s ASB leadership group during her junior year. In addition, Pugh works as a hostess at Ed’s Mudville Grill in Clayton. She is very excited to be writing the Student Athlete Spotlight for the Concord Clayton Pioneer.