Martin Keith Hastie poses with his parents, Kevin and Beth Hastie, at Abington Heights boys basketball senior night.
Submitted photo
Martin Hastie gets his shot on court
Martin Keith Hastie participates in a boys varisty basketball game.
Submitted photo
Martin Keith Hastie takes a shot during an Abington Heights boys basketball game.
Submitted photo
Martin Keith Hastie poses with his parents, Beth and Kevin Hastie, at Abington Heights football senior day.
Submitted photo
Martin Keith Hastie always dreamed that an opportunity like this would come. The 18-year-old is a senior at Abington Heights High School and has been the manager for both the Abington Heights football and boys basketball teams.
It was senior night on Feb. 10, 2023, when the Abington Heights boys basketball team was playing the boys team from Wallenpaupack. All the seniors were announced, including Martin Hastie.
Martin who has autism wore a uniform with the number 31 on it. He was introduced along with the other senior players. He got to play a few minutes in the beginning of the game and got in again in the fourth quarter scoring a layup. He was given the game ball after the game.
“I was very excited when they announced my name. The student section was crazy. It was a dream come true,” said Martin Hastie.
“Abington Heights assistant boys basketball coach Jeff McLane asked us during the summer if Martin could play in the game,” said Kevin Hastie, Martin’s father. “We kept it a surprise and told him a few nights before the game.”
Martin started out as a manager for the football team. He was being tutored by Greg Justave who teaches in the Abington Heights Middle School. He asked Martin if he would be interested in helping the football team. Justave then reached out to Joe Repshis the head football coach for Abington Heights to see if Martin could help with the football team. From there, Jeff McLane reached out to Martin’s family to see if Martin would be interested in being the manager of the boys basketball team.
“Having had the opportunity to be actively involved with Martin for several years, I’ve witnessed growth in him in many areas. Over the 30 years, I’ve been in education and coaching, I cannot recall observing the level and amount of growth and development that I watched unfold in him from his involvement in our football program. Words cannot capture how proud all of us are in him and the satisfaction we take from seeing the person he is today.” said Justave.
“When I first met Martin in the summer of 2017, he was like Coach Justave’s shadow. He wouldn’t go anywhere with Coach Justave. By the time the football season ended, he was dancing in the locker room with the team and giving pep talks to the players. It has been awesome to watch Martin become the person he is today,” Repshis said.
“Being the team manager for the football and basketball teams for the past six years has allowed Martin to be part of two sports he absolutely loves. Right from the start, the players took him under their wing and accepted him. He has connected with so many of them, and they have always treated him just like any other member of the team even though he is not a player. He has built relationships with some that will last a lifetime. I just hope they know the positive impact they had on his life,” said Beth Hastie, Martin’s mother.
“When Martin was a toddler, he would not even go into a gym. The Abington Heights School District has been very good to him from kindergarten on. We are so blessed that he was allowed the opportunity to be part of senior night, I thought it would never happen,” said Kevin Hastie.
“Martin has been a special part of this program for the past seven years. From assisting on the bench during the JV and varsity games to supporting all players over the years, he will be missed but like all players will always be welcomed back,” said McLane.
Martin works at Weis Markets in Clarks Summit.
His other interests are playing video games and he loves to fish.
He has a sister, Katherine, who is 15 and is a freshman at Abington Heights High School. She plays on the girls volleyball team.
He is the grandson of Dorothy and the late Martin Hastie and Dorothy and Keith Jones.
“At the age of 4, Martin had a very limited vocabulary and had a very difficult time with communication. It was a lot of hard work, good days and bad days and a great support system that got him to where he is today. Abington Heights and the football and basketball teams in particular have been a big part of his success. We could not be more proud of far he has come and very excited for his future,” said Beth Hastie.
He will attend Johnson College in the fall to study Computer Information Technology.
“I want to thank the coaches and teachers for giving me this opportunity,” said Martin Hastie.
