GlenOak boys basketball coach Rick Hairston encourages injured Green star Antonio Martin

Season-ending injuries can take a toll on young athletes physically and mentally.

GlenOak boys basketball coach Rick Hairston knows this all to well. He tore his ACL when he was a high school player at Cleveland Central Catholic.

When Antonio Martin suffered the same injury a second time, Hairston wanted to offer the Green point guard words of encouragement. The two spoke last week when GlenOak played at Green.

"I asked him, 'Are you going to continue to be a player?' He said yes, and I said, 'Look, son, you're getting ready to go through a lot of hard work and a lot of pain, but use me as an example. I did the same thing when I was a junior in high school and ended up being a two-sport All-American at Mount Union.'

"It's possible, but it's work. I just wanted him to know how hard it's going to be."

Martin told Hairston he was going to do everything possible to keep playing. Hairston reiterated a message of reality, hard work and hope.

"I played my senior year and stunk it up," Hairston said. "I wasn't very good at football or track. Then I got to Mount Union and started to get healthy. I started going to work.

"I just wanted the kid to know it's still possible for him to be great. He's an awesome talent. He really is."

Hairston called Green coach Mark Kinsley early one morning after he heard about Martin's injury. He wanted to get Martin's number and call him. The two eventually spoke in person.

"It just shows the class act Rick Hairston is," Kinsley said. "... A lot of times with kids, this is the end. They can't see down the road that they'll get through this. What a class act by Rick to reach out and offer that guidance."

Hairston thought Martin was in good spirits when they spoke.

"He seems like he's in a good place," Hairston said. "He's getting surgery this coming Friday, then the hard work is going to begin.

"That kid is an awesome talent. He needs to see people who went through what he's going through and still were able to be what they wanted to be."

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: GlenOak High School coach Rick Hairston encourages injured Green star