Tucked under the bleachers in gym A hides Martin’s newest shining star. Enthusiastic, creative, and most notably a female. This semester marked the hiring of a new Athletic coordinator at all Arlington ISD schools, specifically to oversee female athletics. Martin was the first in the district to fill this position when they promoted varsity basketball coach Colby Davis. Athletes and coaches said they are excited to see what she will do with the new position and where she plans to take the Lady Warrior athletic program.

   Davis has many thoughts on her new position but was able to sum them up in just a few words. 

   “I’m just honored,” she said. “Honored and humbled to be in this position. To me, it is an opportunity to serve almost 4,000 students, coaches, and kids. I’m here to help.”

   Davis had nothing but good things to say about her new home base.

   “Martin is a phenomenal place and I hope to do my part to add to that,” Davis said.

As far as gender affecting her treatment in her position, Davis shared her experience and gave some credit to the coaching staffs in Martin and Arlington ISD. 

 “I think I have been on an equal playing field and that is due to the great men that I have been surrounded with,” Davis said. “I have been fortunate enough to have been treated the same going up the ranks. I have been empowered.”

   Even though she said coordinating hasn’t always been her goal, Davis has taken her given path and run with it.

   “I have always been told growing up that I had leadership qualities, and things kinda just fell into place,” Davis said. “My beginning goal was to go and become an athletic trainer.”

   There is nothing that could stump this coach with her philosophy and her drive for growth.

   “I’m all about the journey,” Davis said. “Every place I have been has been special and I have learned a little bit from each place, and that has guided me to here today. Work ethic, and approaching everything with a servant’s heart is what I’ve tried to do. Approaching things with that mentality has gotten me to this position.”

   Davis said she has a clear plan for what she wants to bring to Martin athletics.

   “Energy, enthusiasm, and a passion for helping people whether that be kids, coaches, or whoever,” Davis said. “You don’t lose anything by being helpful.”

   Davis said she does not plan to take her new position for granted.

   “Sometimes people in leadership positions want to gain all the power, but what I have found is that my greatest reward is when I can give it to other people and help them achieve their goals in life,” Davis said. “Work hard, let your work ethic and drive speak for itself,” Davis said. “It’s all about surrounding yourself with the right people.”

   Varsity football coach Bob Wager has nothing but good to say about his new colleague.

   “She is a rockstar,” Wager said. “She’s a ball of energy. She has the best interest of kids at heart, and she works for kids. That is one of the things I love about her.” 

   Wager describes the philosophy Davis approaches her job with.

   “Yes, Mrs. Roddy is our boss and we have an athletic director, but Colby Davis without question works for kids, and I think that is her greatest strength,” Wager said. “She and I are working for the greater good of the school. She is my equal, my partner, she is my peer.”

   Wager said he feels strongly about the integration of females into the athletic coordinator position.

   “I think it’s something that should have happened a long long time ago,” Wager said. “She brings strengths to my weaknesses and brings strengths to my strengths as well. We quite frankly went out and got the very best, and that is who Colby Davis is.”

   Wager acknowledged that the district athletic program as a whole was lacking female representation.

   “You looked at the athletic leadership over the district and it was one female and eight males,” he said. “This female athletic coordinator position was a game-changer because this happened on all six campuses. We were the first but it happened on all six campuses so that was very impactful.” 

   In contrast, Wager had nothing but good to say about the leadership at Martin.

   “I don’t think we lack representation, I think we’ve got some elite-level coaches on our staff,” Wager said. “I think we are extremely well represented.” 

   Wager explained how important a role Davis plays, and exactly how the two are approaching the job in the future.

   “Neither of us views this as the fact that we just cut our workload in half, we view it as we are just going to do it doubly well,” Wager said. “She gives me a person who I can bounce stuff off of, and she is a great resource for me. She is gonna make us better.” 

   Varsity basketball player senior Kacie Trussell also approves of her coach becoming coordinator. 

   “I think she is fit perfectly for her position,” Trussell said. “Especially since she is super experienced and she is ranked pretty high as a coach and coordinator.”

   Trussell said she believes her coach will bring something new to the Martin athletic program. 

   “I think she will bring a woman’s perspective to the program as a coordinator,” Trussell said. “I think the program will start to become shaped into focusing on all of the sports instead of being focused mainly on football.” 

   Trussell shared what she feels needed to happen pertaining to the female representation in Martin’s athletic program.

   “I don’t think it lacked female representation,” Trussell said. “I feel as if it was time for a change, and the organization would be good with a new perspective.” 

   Principal Marlene Roddy had only good things to say about the new coordinator

   “I am very glad that we have a female director to represent our women’s sports at Martin,” she said. “Having two coordinators was something we needed. We are especially happy that we have a director to represent our female athletes and their coaches.”

   Roddy said that Martin and the district are always looking for ways to improve academically and athletically.

   “Martin is a school that continuously looks at ways we can better serve our students,” Roddy said. “I believe that making sure that a voice is heard from multiple perspectives is beneficial to all.”

Coordinator Colby Davis has many thoughts on her new position but was able to sum them up in just a few words. 

   “Just honored,” Coach Colby Davis said. “Honored and humbled to be in this position”.

   Davis has no trouble seeing the potential in her new leadership role and plans to act on it.

   “To me, it is an opportunity to serve almost 4,000 students, coaches, and kids,” Davis said. “I’m here to help”

   Davis had nothing but good things to say about her new home base.

   “Martin is a phenomenal place and I hope to do my part to add to that,” Davis said.

   When asked if her gender has ever affected her treatment in her position Davis shared her experience and gave some credit to our martin staff. 

   “I think I have been on an equal playing field and that is due to the great men that I have been surrounded with.” Davis said.“ I have been fortunate enough to have been treated the same going up the ranks; I have been empowered.”

   Even though coordinating hasn’t always been her goal, coach Davis has taken her given path and run with it.

   “I have always been told growing up that I had leadership qualities, and things kinda just fell into place,” Davis said. “My beginning goal was to go and become an athletic trainer”

   There is nothing that could stump this coach with her philosophy and her drive for growth.

   “I’m all about the journey,” Davis said. “Every place I have been has been special and I have learned a little bit from each place, and that has guided me to here today.”

   This powerhouse of a female wouldn’t let her gender hold her back, and hasn’t let anything hinder her ability to get to where she is today.

   “Work ethic, and approaching everything with a servant’s heart is what I’ve tried to do,” Davis said. “Approaching things with that mentality has gotten me to this position”.

   Davis has a clear plan for what she wants to bring to martin athletics and martin high school as a whole.

   “Energy, enthusiasm, and a passion for helping people whether that be kids, coaches, or whoever,” Davis said. “You don’t lose anything by being helpful.”

   Davis does not plan to take her new position for granted.

  “Sometimes people in leadership positions want to gain all the power, but what I have found is that my greatest reward is when I can give it to other people and help them achieve their goals in life,” Davis said.

   Davis shared some words of wisdom for any of the lady warriors listening.

   “Work hard, let your work ethic and drive speak for itself,” Davis said. “It’s all about surrounding yourself with the right people.”

   Davis left with one final remark.

   “Go, warriors!” Davis said.

Photo by Shelby Zimmerman