Not even five feet tall and barely in high school Sebastian Martinez, 13, is blazing a trail for Cayman youth as he takes up an 18-month contract with Swindon Town Football Club in the United Kingdom.
Wasting no time making his mark, little Martinez, playing for the Under-13 development team, has already scored his first goal for the club in a game against Bournemouth.
“Sebastian is living his dream. It is an opportunity of a lifetime and I think it is brilliant that he has the chance to do this,” said dad Barry Martinez.
With outstanding technique, speed and a remarkable tactical and positional awareness, the boy wonder has stood out from early on as he played for local Academy Sports Club’s youth side. Before his departure, he was also named this year’s Most Valuable Player in the U13 league as well as the League Cup.
Acknowledging his son’s exceptional talent, Barry said the road to Swindon was paved with the help of many ardent supporters: “Sebastian’s coaches at Academy Sports Club, Winston Chung and Virgil Seymour, were always looking and pushing for opportunities for him.
“He also had tremendous support from the Office of the Premier, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Sports and Footballs’ Technical Director, Carl Brown, who introduced him to former Swindon player and talent scout Fitzroy Simpson, who visited the Cayman Islands a couple of months ago.”
What started as a two-week trial in July, turned into six weeks with Sebastian playing matches against Liverpool, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, and Cardiff amongst others. Impressing his adopted club, he was subsequently offered the contract with the League Two club which is rare for a kid so young going to England.
Preparing for his first really cold winter, Martinez stays in touch with friends and family via phone calls and BlackBerry Messenging. Surprisingly, his life is not all about football. With parents who continually reinforce the importance of a good education as well as the need for humility, Sebastian is a shy, soft-spoken straight A student who also happens to play the cello.
But, even as his heart swells with pride, the story is not all about Sebastian, said dad. “I hope this opens doors for the many other talented players we have in the Cayman Islands. We seriously need to pay attention to developing our young athletes. The fact that Sebastian is playing for a major club overseas show others what is possible.”
Minister of Sports Mark Scotland, who took the lead in making Sebastian’s trip possible said his ministry will continue to work with the Cayman Islands Football Association to create opportunities for local players.
“Sports development is high on our agenda. Not only does this give talented youngsters opportunities to broaden their horizons, but it also gives our young people positive ideals to aspire to,” Scotland said. “I would like to commend Sebastian’s parents for their tireless efforts in creating this opportunity for him. With the connection now made, the Ministry and CIFA are looking forward to a long-standing relationship with Swindon.”
That is something Sebastian is sure to smile about as he packs his bags in February to travel to the Cayman Islands with his new team.
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