The Commanders' Week 8 Tackle Coach of the Week is Wakefield's Clarence Martin. Coach Martin is a cornerstone of South Arlington, leading with compassion and school spirit. After joining Wakefield High School as a school counselor, he transitioned into the role of Assistant Director of Student Activities, where he oversees all aspects of student life while also leading the football program's three teams. A dedicated educator and parent of two Wakefield students, he recently helped the school earn its Purple Star designation for supporting military-connected families. Coach Martin's commitment to student growth and well-being continues to make a lasting impact across the Wakefield community.
Commanders.com sat down for an exclusive with Coach Martin following his Coach of the Week win.
Congratulations on being named Week 8 Tackle Coach of the Week! How does it feel?
"It feels awesome to be recognized by the Washington Commanders, my peers and the community. It's a huge accomplishment, and it shows that myself, our coaching staff, the administration and everybody here in the Wakefield community is taking the right steps to bring our program back to the top where it belongs."
What's one of the biggest life lessons football has taught you, and how do you look to pass that on to your student-athletes?
"Never give up on yourself. Never quit. Fight to the end. We go through so much as adults, and it's easy to just say, 'I'm done' and stop and quite. I'm hoping through our football program that we can at the bare minimum teach our kids how to be resilient, fight through issues and have an understanding that there's always a way of out something if you lean on the resources and relationships you've built throughout the years. If you get knocked down, you get back up. If kids can have an understanding of that, I think we've done our part."
Do you have a motto or mantra that anchors you in your work?
"Something I say here is, 'Win today, Wake.' I got that from a couple of schools, but most importantly, I got it from Oregon. What we preach is it doesn't matter what happened yesterday, it doesn't matter what happens tomorrow, let's live in the moment. Let's be great now. Let's win this day. Take it one day at a time and win each day. That goes for winning in the classroom and in the community, winning at everything you do, not just on the football field."
Why is it so important to you to give back to military-connected families?
"My father was a Vietnam vet. I have an older brother who was in the Marines. I want them the best for them and want to make sure they are able to be successful in schools because they do a lot of transitioning, moving schools, moving states, things of that nature. When an opportunity presented itself for us to give back in that way, I jumped right on it because of my personal connection and took care of whatever needed to be taken care of. I feel happy now that we are a Purple Heart school, and we can support our military-connected kids."
