by Kattya Guardado

Elmer Martinez was the goalkeeper for Greensboro College. He graduated in 2021 from Greensboro College with a degree in Criminal Justice, Psychology and Sociology. Elmer is from Woodbridge, Virginia and is currently pursuing a masters in counseling at West Virginia University.

Elmer started playing goalkeeper from a young age with his main motivation being his father. He would see his father play as a goalkeeper and this motivated him. Another motivation of Elmer is Cristiano Ronaldo, Portuguese soccer player, because of his grit, determination and work ethic. Elmer started playing goalkeeper for Greensboro College in 2018 when he was recruited to play for the team by the coach at the time. His favorite memory while playing for Greensboro College was winning the conference in 2021 and the regular season in 2018. Another soccer moment that is memorable to Elmer was when GC beat NC Wesleyan, placing them in a position to advance to the conference championship final.

One piece of advice Elmer would give to an upcoming goalie would be, “Repetition is the key to building confidence” as well as “proper nutrition and hydration is crucial for recovering your body.”

Elmer states that the hardest part about being a goalkeeper is that “sometimes it can be very unforgiving and can be very isolating. It can be a unique position that sets higher expectations than others on the field. Goalkeepers must perform under more pressure than any other player. Since there can only be one goalie on the field, there is a higher competition for goalkeepers.”

Elmer states that he liked how close everyone was at Greensboro College, “It felt like a family being around each other, especially at a small school.” One thing he misses about GC though now that he is at West Virginia University is the short walks to class and easy commutes to class and buildings, Like any other big university, here at WVU it is a struggle commuting to class with paid parking lots and gridlock traffic.”

Elmer had determination during his four years at Greensboro College completing his Criminal Justice, Psychology and Sociology degree while still being able to play the sport he loved. Now, he is pursuing a master’s degree to further his education and we are all wishing Elmer the best.