By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bridget Saunders
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - On a warm afternoon at Barfield Crescent Park, TN., a group of young men can be seen huddled together, proudly displaying the U.S. Navy emblem on the front of their blue and gold baseball jerseys. The team listens intently as their head coach, Master-At-Arms 2nd Class Michael Martin, provides words of encouragement before their game. The pep talk ends with loud cheers as the Little League team, aptly named the Navy Destroyers, prepare to take the field.
“I chose the name Destroyers because it’s got Navy with a little punch added to it,” said Martin.
As part of Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Nashville under Talent Acquisition Onboarding Center (TAOC) Music City, Martin works in the Sourcing and Sales team where he is able to make initial contact with each recruiting applicant.
While he works to guide future Sailors from his office in Murfreesboro, Martin continues this mentorship on the baseball field.
“I’m blessed that I get to change people’s lives and help them begin their journey,” he said.
Martin has been coaching community baseball and softball for seven years and said that often, the primary objective of any team is to win. Martin himself was offered a chance to put together a team of baseball players that would crush any opponent. Instead, he took a different approach, one that may not result in a trophy.
“The reason why I ended up coaching the Destroyers is a lot of kids weren’t selected for certain teams and I didn’t like what I was seeing, so I told them to give me the kids that have not been able to participate,” said Martin.
With this goal in mind, Martin brought together a diverse group of sixteen young adults from several counties throughout Tennessee. Many came from different family backgrounds and others had been denied positions on their high school sports teams.
“I’m big into lifting people up, and at the end of the day we’ve been able to bring everybody together and have developed a good fellowship,” said Martin.
The young adults aren’t just building strength and skills on the baseball diamond, but cultivating mental, emotional and moral traits.
“I try to teach them to have integrity, to do the right thing even when no one’s watching, and don’t let anybody tell you what you can and can’t do in life,” said Martin.
These principles, along with the Navy Core Values of Honor, Courage and Commitment have guided Martin throughout his life.
"I always compare the baseball field to a battlefield,” said Martin. “Regardless of our backgrounds or issues, we join together and we lift one another up. Sometimes in life you’re not always going to have someone lift you up, but that’s what we do out here.”
Martin is viewed as a role model by many of the young adults he coaches, some of which plan on following the same path of military service.
“I cover so many counties in recruiting and have been able to touch so many lives,” said Martin. “I’m super proud of what I represent and what I do.”
Martin also takes pride in watching the achievements of those he has coached. He celebrates even the small victories of each young adult including making school teams, receiving good grades on report cards and doing well at home.
“At the end of the day success is not measured up in a season or a trophy,” said Martin. “I want them to be champions in life.”
NTAG Nashville is one of eight NTAGs nationwide. More than 100,000 square miles are assigned to NTAG Nashville including counties in Tennessee, Arkansas, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, northern Mississippi, southern Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia. The command consists of two Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOC) Music City and Blues City, and 36 Navy Talent Acquisition Sites.
NRC consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 18 Navy Recruiting Districts and eight Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,330 recruiting stations around the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to ensure ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Commander, NRC, visit http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).