Coach Ted Martellini Reaches a Milestone

3/2/2010
A widely respected and gifted teacher of mathematics, Ted Martellini recently reached a milestone in his coaching career by earning his 200th basketball win. Mr. Martellini was typically modest when asked for comment. "Basketball has given me a wonderful opportunity to work with kids in a different venue than the classroom," he reflects. "I treasure those moments probably more than the wins."

Head of School Rick Melvoin has a deep appreciation for all Mr. Martellini brings to the table, calling him a great school man. "His math students love him, for he always finds the right balance of academic drive, good humor, and insight into how to motivate boys," Dr. Melvoin notes. "His colleagues enjoy and admire and respect him for his devotion, as well as his sense of humor and spirit. He is a thoughtful, conscientious math department chair, continuing the exceptional work that Michael Sherman led for so many years."

Al Murphy '98 has had the pleasure of both playing for and coaching with Ted. "I felt honored to have a chance to play for him, and now to come back and have him as a friend and mentor, it is a blessing," says Mr. Murphy. "He is a great X's and O's coach, but more importantly he gets more out of a team than anyone I've coached with. To quote a coach in our league, 'I need at least twice as much talent to beat a Ted-coached team.'"

Dr. Melvoin builds on this point. "He is an outstanding basketball coach," he notes. "Belmont Hill has never been blessed with an overabundance of hoop talent, but Ted is remarkable in his ability to get the most out of his players, and put together a way of playing that maximizes what his players can offer. He has ridden this to the New England finals, to the playoffs many times, to victories over teams with superior talent."

For the past four years, Mr. Martellini has enjoyed coaching a player of special importance to him: his son, Marco. "Having your dad as a coach is something that can definitely be tough at times, but he has made it a great four years on the team," Marco states. "His light-hearted nature makes playing for him fun. I was really glad we could get his 200th win while I was on the team. He has been very supportive both on and off the court for me and all the rest of the team."

And, as Dr. Melvoin notes, Mr. Martellini always remembers the greater goals of why we engage in athletics. "His teams are hardworking, well prepared, classy in victory and defeat. Intense? Absolutely--but in the right way."