Basketball
Favorite athlete: Saquon Barkley
Favorite team: Eagles
Favorite memory competing in sports: Winning the Patriot League Championship last year (2025)
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: When my teammate was subbing out of the game, the ref had his hand out for a call and without thinking, she accidentally high fived him.
Music on playlist: Taylor Swift
Future plans: Attend a 4-year university and pursue nursing
Words to live by: “Mistakes are what allow us to learn and grow.”
One goal before turning 30: Experience traveling outside the country
One thing people don’t know about me: I am a waitress at my part time job
By Mary Jane Souder
Gillian Martin is passionate about basketball
But when it came time to consider her future, the Council Rock South senior decided it would be in her best interest to not continue playing at the collegiate level next year. It was a decision that left Rock South coach Steve Polinsky with some concerns about Martin’s commitment to the team. After all, she was going to be one of three senior captains.
Turns out he needn’t have worried.
“She’s been so loyal” Polinsky said. “I couldn’t have asked for any more than what she’s done. She’s gone over and above everything we needed. Besides my seniors, we’re so young. We did a lot of offseason workouts, and she was leading people. It was like having an assistant coach in many ways.
“Sometimes kids who aren’t going to play in college don’t play their senior year. That happens, but she’s more dedicated than I’d ever think even if she played in college.”
For Martin, the fact that she’s not playing at the collegiate level has made her value every moment on the court.
“I know it’s my last year, so I want to go more all out,” she said. “I love basketball. Even though I knew I didn’t want to play in college, I still have the passion to play for the team and to get the experience and just play the game I love.”
Martin has stepped up as a vocal leader of a young squad.
“She just does all the right things,” Polinsky said. “Everybody looks up to her. She plays really hard, and she’s like a lunch pail type of player and the glue of the team.
“The way she practices – her leadership is impeccable.”
*****
Martin was introduced to basketball at a very young age.
“Growing up, basketball was always a big deal in my family,” she said. “Ever since I was little, my older brother always had a basketball in his hand and was super into it.
My dad was my brother’s coach throughout the beginning of his basketball career. I would always tag along to their practices and games and watch from the sidelines, totally intrigued by it.”
And so began her love affair with the sport.
“Due to spending most of my time around basketball, it wasn’t long before I picked up a ball and started practicing,” Martin said. “My dad spent a lot of time helping me become the player I am with his teaching.
“Having my dad as a coach and my older brother as a player, really inspired my love for the game, and I’ve been playing ever since.”
Martin did try other sports – softball lasted perhaps two years and gymnastics six, but basketball was always number one. She played AAU basketball for three years for the PA Royals.
When she reached high school, Martin moved through the ranks, playing JV as a freshman, swing as a sophomore and varsity the last two years.
“She was in our varsity rotation last year, so she came off the bench and did a really nice job,” Polinsky said. “She can shoot the ball. She does all the right things, she plays hard. She plays great defense, she’s hard-nosed, she’s on the floor.”
Martin does not take her role as a captain lightly.
“I think the biggest aspect of the game is having fun and having each other’s backs,” she said. “And I just remember freshman and sophomore year, the upperclassmen – whenever I’d get down on myself, they’d always be there for me.
“I always wanted to be that same role model for the younger girls and help them along the way and help them grow and understand that they will have hard times, but they’ll be able to grow from it.
“I do like how I’m able to help guide them through certain things, and I hope they see that and use it to their advantage. I know I’ve been in that situation, and I know what they feel like at times.”
Life off the court
Martin’s spare time is not limited to basketball. She participates in Unified Track and Field, which brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to compete as teammates.
“It’s a competitive environment with buddies,” Martin said. “It’s mainly about making relationships with them.”
In the classroom, Martin is straight A student with a 4.4 GPA. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the Rho Kappa Social Studies National Honor Society, and the National English Honor Society.
As a member of NHS, Martin is involved in tutoring.
“We have four hours of one-on-one tutoring and also some group tutoring,” Martin said. “For the one-on-ones, we meet in the library, and I’ll help the student with whatever they need help with.
“For the group ones, we have the free tutoring session at South where we go to the library, and we’ll help anyone who shows up. It’s nice to give students that opportunity.”
Martin is undecided on a college but is planning to major in nursing.
“I was definitely undecided for a while,” she said of choosing a major. “I had no clue what I wanted to do, but I knew I didn’t want to be at a desk all day sitting at a computer.
“I knew nursing was hard, but I like a challenge in school, and I like science-based majors. Also, just the passion of helping people and being able to get them better was a major aspect of deciding on it.”
Ask Martin what she has enjoyed most about her years on the basketball team – and she’s not finished yet, she has an immediate response.
“I would say the high point was just making so many different relationships with the people on the team and how close we’ve gotten and how I see them as a family,” she said. “We’re with each other almost every day for many hours a day, and we’ve just gotten so close.”
Polinsky acknowledged that Martin and her two fellow captains have set the tone for this year’s squad.
“My biggest worry after having five or six seniors graduate was – who’s going to step up,” the Rock South coach said. “She has stepped up – the other two captains have as well.
“Gillian’s basically our vocal leader, and since we have such a large group of freshmen and sophomores, it’s so important culturally to have somebody that knows what we’ve done in the past. She’s just a great kid.”
