It's not every day a person gets to go in a Hall-of-Fame. For Texas Wesleyan Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach Angel Martinez, it took 30 years and even then, the experience was unexpected.

Last week, the Texas Tennis Coaches Association brought Martinez into the fraternity of the greatest contributors to the sport in the state and Martinez couldn't have been more humbled.

"It was pretty neat," Martinez said. "(Your career) goes by so quick ... you look back at it and you say good lord – it's been 30 years. You think of so many moments, there's just not enough time to cover it all."

Martinez was most influential in the transformation of the tennis program at Grapevine High School, where former TXWES Athletic Director and current Women's Basketball Head Coach Steve Trachier used to operate athletics. From 12 courts with bent nets, no grass, no trees, no windscreens and barely any players to a state championship program, Martinez built his legacy.

"Building it up from nothing, players from out of state interviewing me, wanting to move to come play for our team ... going from my only losing season to constantly being ranked to top 10 in the state, was pretty miraculous to me," Martinez said. "From that to 15 years later ... it is my biggest achievement."

Trachier let Martinez know that when Texas Wesleyan started a tennis program, he'd be the first to know. When the plans started to come to fruition, he let Martinez know: the last match you win before you come coach at Texas Wesleyan needs to be a state championship. And it was. Grapevine had reached the top and it was time to do the same for the Rams.

Building a college program has much different challenges from building up a high school one. Coaches must go to players, players don't just show up on the first day of school. Teams and matches can sometimes be scarce in regions of the country where NAIA programs can be tough to find. The weather can sometimes wipe out huge chunks of the season.

But Martinez sees a spark in the upcoming spring season, not because he can call himself a Hall-of-Famer now, but because of what he sees on the humble tennis courts of Texas Wesleyan.

"We are so much better, both sides have the best teams we've had at Texas Wesleyan," Martinez said. "I'm very encouraged."

Grapevine went from 12 players to 135 in six years but it wasn't Martinez' only accomplishment in 30 years dedicated to the sport. He's 31-15 at Texas Wesleyan, coached 344 all-district players, is a USPTA Professional Elite Teaching Pro, was the 2001 Nike National Texas Coach and was the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Coach of the Year in 2002-03, among other accolades. 

His ability to turn a rock into a diamond is still a work in progress for the Rams, but momentum is picking up steam. 

"At first, I didn't know what the level was (for recruiting), what to look for – it was just a shot in the dark," Martinez said of transitioning from the high school level to NAIA. "After five years, I have a very good idea of what we need and what we need to look for."

If anyone can handle the challenge, Martinez would be the one to call.

TXWES Tennis starts the spring season in February, stay tuned for the full schedule release.