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| All smiles coaching the Alumni game in May |
A six-year assistant under the other CCS men's and women's soccer coaching legend Cor van der Meer, Martinson created a dynasty with the women's program after taking the reins in 2000. His Sasquatch won a pair of NWAC titles (2006 & 2015), were finalists in 2012, and became a dominant force of late with five NWAC East titles in the last seven years as he boosted his overall record to a final count of 250-88-54. He was named the Eastern Region Coach of the Year nine times (2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2018) and was named the NWAC Coach of the Year in 2006, 2012 and 2015.
Taking over for Coach Martinson will be Brock Ogami. Brock has served as the assistant for the Sasquatch Women’s Soccer team for the past five years. During his time as an assistant Spokane has won 4 region titles and an NWAC title in 2015. Not to be left out, longtime goalkeeper coach Jeff Srock will be assisting along with new addition Dan Philp.
Here are some thoughts regarding Jim, his career and retirement from a wide array of individuals. I reached out to upon his his announcement back in November... along with some final thoughts from myself. They range from a couple of players - Tasha Luu (Eastern Washington) & Alysha Overland (Washington State) - that went on to four-year programs, a player that overcame adversity to start and finish her Bigfoot career, a parent, an old-school men's program player, and a longtime coaching peer from a very competitive rival program.
Editorial note: This piece has been in the queue to be finished for a while... I thank all of those who responded last fall for their comments and apologize in the delay for posting. Also, most of the individuals I messaged were recently connected to the program (during my coverage tenure), but I welcome many more thoughts/pictures in comments on Facebook, etc.
In Their Own Words...
Tasha Luu...
My story is a little different than the average. I didn’t have the opportunity to play club or even on a state contending team in high school (Colville). What makes my story so unique is the chance Jim Martinson took on me to play at the collegiate level. I think that’s what says the most about Jim. He was able to see a player’s potential better than anyone and knew exactly how to bring it out. This showed in his tremendous success as a coach, but I’ll leave the stats to speak for themselves.
The single best blessing in my life was to be able to play for such an amazing person. He was everything a young college student needed to be successful. Winning was obviously important to him, but what made Jim different from a lot of coaches was his true desire to make you a better person off the field. I feel like a lot of coaches say that but Jim truly cared. Some of the best advice he gave our team was to walk around with your palms down rather than up. When they are facing up it shows you want things and can’t get anything done yourself. Palms down shows you can do it on your own, can catch yourself when you fall, and are ready to help anyone else get up. He is the perfect example of this.
I, and many other athletes, were often found in his office talking out problems we were facing. Whether it be about soccer, school, friends, relationships, or family, his door was always open. Not once did he ever say he didn’t have time to listen. While some of his advice may have been sarcastic, he knew we just needed to laugh. I can’t recall a single day in my time at SCC that I didn’t want to go to training because I knew he had a great plan and he never had off days. He made us laugh and was a great example of hard work and talent. I know I’m not the only one who would try to beat him in a game of soccer tennis and have a losing record against him (I declare a rematch right now Jimbo).
I will always cherish my career as a Bigfoot; thankful I was coached by Jim. With all my heart, thank you
Lateashea Currie...
Jim and I go way back... to think of everything we have been through and everything he has helped me with puts tears in my eyes. Here’s a little what people don’t know: I went to CCS on a scholarship for track. Jim being the amazing recruiter and always finding soccer players anywhere and everywhere he goes; he found me. After a year of redshirting in track because I tore my hamstring I got on the soccer team having to jump through a lot of hoops and putting more grey hairs on this man, but Jim never gave up on me and fought for me.
After an amazing year playing soccer I found out I was pregnant. I built up all the courage to tell him. He was the first person I told - I laugh now because I wasn’t scared to tell my mom, or my sisters or ANYONE other then Jim. I guess I just didn’t want to disappoint him after everything he did to get me on the team. After having Jada and still having one more eligible year to play Jim asked “was I coming back?” We worked hard, and again he did not give up on me. I had a lot of credits to make up and Jim being MILES away helped me with what classes I needed to take here at Clark College in Vancouver. He told me what I needed to do, and he then jumped through many more hoops to get me back on the field. After 6 months after having Jada I packed up and moved back to Spokane - for soccer, and for Jim! It was very hard having a 6-month old; and having to travel to away games wasn’t easy, but he made everything possible. Jada got to ride on the bus with us when we had some away games, she would come and sit at practices with us, and she would sit on the sidelines at games with us. He would allow me to bring her to team meetings and I don’t think any other coach would have had that much passion and care for their team/ players. Spokane Community College is the best 2-year college, and Jim is the reason along with a lot of other coaches to why CCS is the best community college. I want to thank Jim for everything he has done for me. I want to thank him for being not only the best coach I have ever played for, but a father figure in my life. I want to thank him for never giving up on the sport he loves, but I also want to thank his family for sharing this amazing man for SO MANY YEARS with so many soccer players, If anyone deserves this retirement it’s his family, HIS WIFE, his girls! I couldn’t thank them enough! Love you coach. I am so excited for you!
Donavon Hodgson...
Not sure if it was Jim’s first year (1996), but he was young. His first daughter was born that year. Cor van der Meer got pneumonia and was in a car accident as well - rough year. Jim took over for a couple of weeks. I remember how intense and instruction based his practices were. He cared about each of us and made sure that we all knew our job. He only raised his voice when we weren’t playing to our potential, he always expected our best at practice and in games. He never let us slack at any moment. The 96 team was good. We lost one game that year and won the NWAC title. Chad Brown, Tim Sealy, Andy Bruno, Brett Fink, Aaron Grubb and Paul Johnson just to name a few were on that team, which was just inducted into the Spokane Community College Hall of Fame. 1997 was also a good team, we went back to the final four and took fourth. Jim again took over for a little as Cor got sick again. More about Cor van der Meer [+]
Our daughters Stephanie & Alysha had the privilege of being coached at SCC by Jim. Playing for him seemed effortless for the girls because he believed in them and gave them the tools to play their game. They were one big happy family and the chemistry as a whole was very special. He is by far one of the best coaches that has coached the game of soccer and he has taught the girls so much more then just the game! He was their mentor, advisor and their father figure, and we as parents appreciate everything he has done for our girls and this program and we will cherish these moments forever! Thanks so much for the wonderful memories!
SCC and Bigfoot Soccer are going to miss you Jim! We wish you the best in your future endeavors!
Stephanie Overland...
I don’t know if I ever enjoyed soccer more than I did playing for Jim. He was always someone I could count on. He gave me confidence in myself when I lacked it, he respected individuals coaching styles, and he never stopped believing in us. Jim pushed everyone to reach their goals and acted as a second dad when we were away from our own. Spokane was a place I felt at home. Even now, I know I have a place I can go and I’ll cherish the friendships I made and the memories forever. I’ll always miss that place and playing for Jim and wish him the best of luck with everything! I appreciate everything he did for me. Truly one of a kind coach. I’ll always wish it was a four-year, because I had the time of my life.
Alysha Overland...
I can’t even begin to imagine Spokane soccer without Jim coaching. He turned that program into what it is, and shaped the standard for Bigfoot soccer. He is the best coach I have had the honor of playing for and gave me more love for the sport more than I even thought possible in just a short period of time. Those memories will stick with me forever and I truly mean that.
I will always wish that I could go back and play at least another year for him, as every athlete that walks out of Spokane wishes. He always knew what was best for his players and gave each one a person to talk to in any situation. The time I had there was truly amazing, the best time of my life. He continued to support me on my journey even after my sudden departure from SCC [joined Washington State Soccer after freshman season]. That’s just part of what makes him a great coach. No matter the circumstance or tough time it was in my decision to leave after a year, Jim always had my back and was always willing to lend me a listening ear and advice. He was more than just a coach to all of us players. He was a father figure, a mentor and a friend.
I feel bad for the future Spokane players that won’t get to play under him. Jim made the Spokane environment so welcoming and exciting, the Bigfoot family is truly something special and he is one of the biggest reasons for that. I can’t begin to explain my sadness hearing that his coaching career has come to an end. He made me a better player and person from the beginning, and I know every single girl that has played for him would feel the same. Jim will truly be missed out on that field. Bigfoot Fam forever!
Kanyon Anderson (Peninsula College)...
Personally, I owe a lot to Jim. His success has been a great motivation to me and many coaches in the league over the last two-and-a-half decades. In 2010, his team came to Port Angeles for a first round playoff game. They gave us what is still our worst loss in program history, a 5-0 thrashing in the first round of the playoffs in our first year as a program. I remember thinking after that game, “that guy is doing a much better job than I am doing.” He will be greatly missed by the Spokane community, his players and the coaches who try emulate his success.
From Myself - Gerald Barnhart...
As this site found its legs in 2012 with a goal of covering the sport primarily in Spokane and beyond - where little to no media coverage existed for it - I found myself diving into the game at all the levels, including the NWAC. I didn't know much about the league or the programs as I had spent the better part of the previous 15 years in Tampa but I knew Jim peripherally from my early years covering and working for the Shadow USL team back in the 90s as he was an original member of the team back in 1995-96. He and Kenny Krestian (another Shadow guy) welcomed me graciously into their world and though I never had any real issues elsewhere, I quickly found Bigfoot soccer to be the most open and accessible of all the area teams.
My coverage of Sasquatch soccer became something more as I felt a kind of kinship with these underdog players still working hard to keep their playing careers going. I credit a lot of the early growth of the site to those teams and in particular that 2012 women's side as they made a run to the league final that season. It was a symbiotic relationship as I greatly appreciated their access and the players in turn were open and very thankful for my coverage. Jim deserves a ton of credit for how that came about as his own welcome demeanor and gratitude for my work somehow flowed through the entire team and made my presence within the group special, culminating in traveling with the squad to the Final Four in Tukwila. That team of goofballs (see picture below) still stands as one of my favorites as there was so much character in it as a group and as individuals.
There were so many stories from that squad that still carry through to today. From Tasha Luu going on to EWU, to Lateashea Currie (story above) to even one that re-emerged last year with Gaby Kennedy coming back to play her second season all these years later and not only killing it, but continuing on further with the Shadow women's team this past summer. Jim made all of that possible. And he was always open to anything I would throw his way, whether it was asking to do video interviews, allowing me to attend training sessions or lending a hand on behalf of CCS when I was running Shadow gameday operations at the stadium.
Jim's graciousness created a fondness for covering the Sasquatch soccer program that over time grew into wanting to put more emphasis on the NWAC East as a whole for all of the players throughout the division looking for those final moments of glory, especially at programs that don't have the pedigree of Spokane's. That's why this site has NWAC East Updates on game nights and includes its players in Best XI lists with Division I MAC-Hermann award contenders. Thanks Jim!
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