From being a large sports memorabilia collector to traveling to Disneyland with his family, new SCHS physical education teacher Pedro Martinez’s passion for sports and adventure has led him to become the teacher and coach he is today. 

Martinez has a collection of bobbleheads of professional baseball players, which he has been collecting since he was a kid. To expand on his sports memorabilia, he enjoys going to signing shows. 

“I get autographs, frame up pictures, signed baseballs, and I have a twenty baseball case in my house with signed baseballs,” Martinez said. 

Additionally, Martinez enjoys traveling with his family. He has visited a variety of places, such as beaches, San Diego and Disneyland. 

“Some people like to go to cold places. Not me. You ain’t going to see me go to Antarctica and hang out with penguins,” Martinez said. 

Apart from adding to his sports memorabilia and traveling, Martinez is interested in many sports, baseball being the main. Throughout his high school career at Wilcox High School, Martinez played on the baseball team. During his senior year, however, he sustained an arm injury that led him to stop playing, but it did not stop his passion for baseball. 

“I was at Mission College and decided that if I wanted to stay involved in the game, P.E. teaching and being a coach was the best way to get back to the game I love,” Martinez said. “That’s why I chose to be a P.E. teacher.” 

While he attended Mission College, he was able to find a route toward teaching. At the same time, Martinez was taking select classes at San Jose State University as well. In 2013, he graduated from SJSU with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and then completed his teaching credential. 

“I started teaching, and that was my quote on quote gap year till I got my masters this past year,” Martinez said. “I started in the summer of 2021 and I just finished in the summer of 2022.”

Martinez has taught at different schools, such as Saint Lawerence, where he worked as an elementary school P.E. teacher for two years, and at Don Callejon for six years. Additionally, Martinez has coached for JV and Varsity baseball at SCHS. 

“I’ve been an assistant coach in Varsity, and I started as a JV head coach.” Martinez said. 

Along with teaching at SCHS, Martinez is also a head coach at Living Legends Baseball program, which is based in Santa Clara. 

With his experience in coaching baseball and his exposure to physical health, Martinez believes that he has had an easy transition into the new school year and his new job. 

“I’m happy to be here,” Martinez said. “It is perfect now because I’m the head coach and a P.E. teacher, so I love it and can’t wait.”