Inspired at a young age to take up rowing, Ava took her first strokes at the age of eleven rowing out of the Pocock Rowing Center, eventually racing as an eighth grader, and then rowing in the varsity program while attending Roosevelt High School. But even with that extensive experience, she questioned whether she could meet the expectations at Washington. “I always wanted to go here, I love Seattle and I love the sport… but I questioned whether I was fast enough to make it,” she said.Team is a word that Ava uses frequently, but with a sense of reverence and gratitude. “Washington is different because of the team,” she states. “It is a group of women that have a willingness to work when it is really hard. They do it with a lot of heart and grit, everyone cares so much and you can see it in the work. It is about finding the joy in all of it, and lifting people up around you, and it is constant, always present. Our coaches have a big influence, but a big emphasis in that is on us creating our own culture and our own team.”Since her freshman year Ava has consistently found herself in the stroke seat, moving into the Varsity 8 as stroke for the NCAA’s last year. “It’s natural if it’s done right,” she said, “to feel the boat, laying down a rhythm that everyone can push down hard, a happy medium, staying consistent and positive and keeping a cool head.”Majoring in Cellular Molecular Developmental Biology, Ava is considering a career in research or continuing a graduate education. But she still has her senior season ahead of her, one filled with change as the team embarks on their first season in the Big Ten. “We’ve got a lot of fast frosh coming in and I am really excited to see what opportunities the move to the Big Ten brings,” she said. “But as a senior, my role becomes different… I watched as a freshman how the upperclassmen interacted with the younger people. The mutual respect, the care and love that was given freely, and I remember thinking ‘I want to be that for someone else.’ I want to contribute to that. It doesn’t matter what boat you are in, everyone cares for each other, not just in rowing, but in life. I am so looking forward to seeing what all of us together can accomplish this year.”This story originally appeared in the Fall, 2024, edition of SWEEP Magazine. Click the link at the upper-right of this page to read the entire edition.
Entering a professional sports league as a brand new franchise is a significant challenge, regardless of the event or competition level. Inaugural-season teams often struggle due to obstacles that more established teams have already overcome, including assembling a roster of unfamiliar players, building team chemistry from scratch under a new coach and settling into an unfamiliar city.
When Athens was awarded a professional minor league hockey team, one of the first and most critical steps was hiring a head coach to lead the roster-building process. When Steve Martinson, one of the most accomplished minor league hockey coaches of all time showed interest in the position, a deal came together quickly.
Before his illustrious coaching career, Martinson played professional hockey himself. Born in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Martinson began his career at the collegiate level at St. Cloud State University.
Afterwards, Martinson played over a decade of professional hockey for numerous franchises. While most of his career was spent in the minors, he did appear in 49 games for the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and his hometown Minnesota North Stars.
After his playing career, he went straight into coaching. His first year came during the 1995-96 season, when he immediately led the San Diego Gulls to a title. Martinson would go onto coach a few different teams in several minor hockey leagues, winning a total of ten championships. Martinson most recently coached the Allen Americans, but after ten years with the team was not offered a new contract in 2022.
“The people that hired me, they knew me from Allen,” Martinson said. “They had kind of put a feeler out and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested? We’re not sure what league it’s going to be in [yet],’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m interested.’”
A few key factors enticed Martinson to take on a new position in Athens.
“The organization that I worked for before, by the time I left, was really bad. It was really frustrating to go out if I wasn’t going to coach again. When I had the chance to work for an organization that does everything right, then you’re like, ‘Okay, this is going to be completely different’. It’s great to have an arena downtown, and Athens being a college town and having some live music were things that were attractive to my wife and I,” he said.
Once Martinson was officially on board, it was time to start acquiring players. Most of the Rock Lobsters’ group were signed after spending last season with other teams, either in the FPHL — the league the Rock Lobsters ultimately joined — or the SPHL, a tier above.
Some were recruited in groups. For example, Garrett Milan, Malik Johnson and Orca Weisblatt all played for the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the SPHL, while Troy Murray, Riley Robertson and Justin Portillo came from the Knoxville Ice Bears, also in the SPHL.
“The key is just having good guys,” Martinson said. “No matter where they’re from. I always say good guys refer other good guys and bad guys refer other bad guys.”
Over the course of the season, many players played the best hockey of their careers, truly bying into Martinson’s system.
“It’s got to be a part of [coach Martinson’s] knowledge, putting the right guys out on the power play,” Rock Lobsters forward Kayson Gallant said earlier this season.
Gallant credited Martinson as a key factor in his development over the course of the season, particularly for his emphasis on defensive responsibility — a focus that Gallant said ultimately created more opportunities and helped him finish as the league’s leading goal scorer.
Martinson didn’t just guide his players to individual success though — he earned his own recognition too, being named FPHL Coach of the Year. Under Martinson, the Rock Lobsters exceeded all expectations, and the league took notice.
Despite winning far more games than imagined in the regular season, the Rock Lobsters’ season ultimately came to an end after a loss to the Columbus River Dragons in the first round of the playoffs. While questions remain about the future of several key players, the team appears well-positioned moving forward under the leadership of Martinson, whose track record suggests prolonged success in the league.
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