Soccer
Favorite athlete: Cristiano Ronaldo.
Favorite team: Manchester United.
Favorite memory competing in sports: When we won the district final my junior year of high school.
Funniest moment while competing in sports: On my senior night, I assisted a kid who barely plays and does not play striker, and he ended up scoring - it was pretty funny.
Music on my playlist: Drake
Future plans: Attend Lafayette and hopefully portray a career in soccer or something else
Words to live by: “When you’re not practicing, someone else is getting better.”
One goal before turning 30: To succeed through college.
One thing nobody knows about me: I write with my left hand but everything else I do with my right hand.
By Mary Jane Souder
Riley Martin is a special talent on the soccer pitch.
The Springfield Township senior – who has committed to play Division 1 soccer at Lafayette College – has been an impact player for the Spartans since he stepped onto the field as a freshman. His numbers during last year’s run to the program’s first ever District 1 3A title and the state final were dazzling as he led the Spartans in both goals and assists.
While that alone sets Martin apart, it’s not the first thing his coach talks about when his senior captain’s name comes up in conversation.
“He’s a dream to coach,” Springfield Township coach Dan Meder said. “For all the stats he has and all that he’s accomplished, he’s not like any other kid I’ve had who was like that.
“Normally, that kid can be a pain in the butt, and Riley is not. He’s selfless. Last and this season so far, he has led us in goals and assists. He’s not selfish, and he celebrates the goals other guys score just as much as he celebrates his goals.”
And that’s not just coach speak.
“Look, I had a lot of goals last year, and I’m going to tell you right now I do not have anywhere close to as many goals as I did last year, and it happens,” said Martin. “I don’t care what the stats are - I don’t care about all that. All I want to do is win. If we win as a team, I’m a happy man because that’s the goal.”
Martin has been an integral part of Springfield Township’s rise to prominence in not only the league but also the district and state soccer world. This is a program that was 1-6-1 – 1-6-2 overall - in the COVID-shortened season when Martin was a freshman and finished last of five teams in the SOL Freedom (Cheltenham did not compete that fall).
“It was rough,” Martin said. “It was very rough. It was only playing nine games when we could have played 19. I thought it was going to be a very long four years.”
The Spartans’ turnaround was remarkably quick, and the following year, they won 14 games, finished second behind Lower Moreland in the division standings and earned a postseason berth.
“We won our first game of the district playoffs, and I said to myself, ‘Okay, we have a shot,’” Martin said. “We went into the second game – it was at Radnor, and we ended up losing 2-0.
“My teammates and I were all sitting there, and we were all in shock to be there. Even though we lost, we fought, and we played well.”
Then came the dream season last fall when the Spartans – with a strong senior class and some promising young players - put their names in the program record books, winning the program’s first division title, going on to capture the District 1 3A crown and advancing to the state title game where they fell to Hershey 1-0 in double overtime.
“Kids came in that love soccer, and they know how to play it – they’re very good,” Martin said. “And we just went through all the way, and I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest. I was expecting we would definitely make playoffs, but I would never expect to be in the state final. That was definitely not on the list. It was very exciting.”
It’s a new year, and the Spartans won’t surprise anyone. Their final chapter remains to be written, but whatever the outcome, this is a special team.
“This group of guys has been terrific,” Meder said. “The guys around Riley, the other seniors – Nick Marino, Jack McKittrick – they’re all really, really good kids. The team feeds off of that, the underclassmen feed off of that.”
Back to the beginning
Martin has been playing soccer for as long as he can remember.
“My dad got me into soccer at the age of three,” he said. “I just started learning it and then moved on to intramurals, which is a township thing, when I was five or so, and I just really loved it and I just kept going.”
He also played baseball until he was 14, but soccer was always his passion. He credits his love for the game to his father.
“My dad was born in Ireland – he lived 16 years of his life there, and he was a big soccer guy and played until he was 19, but that was my inspiration,” Martin said. “My dad really got me into it, and I loved it.
“When I saw my dad play, I was like, ‘This is cool,’ and when I started playing, it was – All right, this is the stuff for me.”
Martin went through the usual ranks, joining the highly competitive club circuit and ultimately ending up with HEX FC also known as PA Dominion.
Meder knew about Martin well before he arrived in ninth grade.
“Actually, his grandfather is my next-door neighbor, so I’ve known of him for a long time,” the Spartans’ coach said.
Martin made an immediate impression when he arrived at preseason camp.
“We had junior and senior forwards, and every drill we did – Riley would score,” Meder said. “Every scrimmage, Riley would score, and the juniors and seniors weren’t doing that. I had to explain to the team – ‘If you think this kid’s not playing, you’re crazy.’
“The older kids totally respected him. They respected what he was doing. The team came together around him.”
Martin had four goals in that abbreviated nine-game season.
“Being that freshman on the varsity team, I would say it helped me grow” he said. “But it was definitely nerveracking only being able to play nine games and not having the whole experience as a freshman.”
One year later, the Spartans put themselves on the map where they remain today.
Martin – who began his soccer career at center back – has been the Spartans’ striker since he was a freshman.
“Scoring goals is really hard to do, and I think it’s partly his determination,” Meder said. “Obviously, he has the physical ability, and he has the talent, but he’s also determined. He’s got a real will.
“Some players just have what it takes. When the moment counts, they just seem to have what it takes. They shine under pressure, and he’s been under a lot of pressure, and he handles it really well.”
As for his role as tri-captain, Martin is not afraid to make his presence felt.
“I definitely talk – one thing I do love on the field is talking to my teammates,” he said. “There are times when I need to speak up and I don’t, but I know that in order for my teammates to grow, they need to figure it out on their own.”
So far, it’s been quite a journey.
“It’s been a roller coaster of emotions, for sure,” Martin said. “I definitely never thought from my freshman year to now I would ever be here and doing what we’ve been doing.
“I never thought last year we were going to the state final, but we did. It’s great. I’m proud of everybody and how everybody handles it and how everyone is feeling this year.”
But it’s not only about the wins and losses for Martin, who values the relationships he’s built along the way.
“You play on the field as you do off the field, and if you don’t have good relationships with your teammates, it’s messed up,” he said. “The chemistry is needed. That’s how I put it. If you’re not friends with your teammates, you’re doing something wrong.”
Looking ahead
Soccer will be a major part of Martin’s college experience at Lafayette. There were other schools under consideration until he visited the Easton campus.
“It just felt like home,” he said. “It was so comforting. I’m not a big school guy. Springfield is only a 600-kid school. I like knowing everyone and being able to be friendly.”
Martin has not chosen a major but has two years to decide before declaring, and while he is looking forward to the academic opportunities Lafayette will provide, he acknowledges that he has his sights set on playing soccer beyond college.
“I don’t know where it will take me – one step at a time, and I’m taking the next step,” he said. “I know I’ll be playing soccer for a while as I get older. Even if I don’t make it that far, I’ll be doing rec league and all that.”
In his spare time, Martin has coached youngsters in the local Springfield Soccer Club and has been active in the organization’s Socctoberfest. There’s no such thing as too much soccer for the senior captain.
“I like watching any type of soccer, no matter what it is,” he said. “If it’s just me going out to another high school game or if it’s me going out to my sister’s game – I love it.”
Lafayette – according to his coach - is inheriting an outstanding student-athlete.
“Riley’s a great teammate and a great captain,” Meder said. “He doesn’t mind not being the hero. He doesn’t need to be the hero for us to succeed, and he’s okay with that.
“You enjoy being around him – he’s a quality kid.”
