Thousands of miles away from her home in Spain, 15-year-old Pilar Martinez-Falero was determined to make the most of her experience in America.
In the fall of 2013, she enrolled at Clear Fork High School.
“I was nervous at first because I didn’t know anyone and didn’t really have friends, but then I decided to try to go make friends,” she said.
One of the routes she took to help build friendly relationships among her peers was the decision to play basketball.
“I had never played before,” she said, “I still don’t know much about the sport.”
Despite her amateur abilities, Martinez-Falero quickly made friends.
“Everyone has been so helpful and taught me a lot about the sport,” she stated.
Belonging to the junior varsity team, she said she had seen court time only a couple of times this season. However, some recent floor time created a memorable experience for Martinez-Falero.
It was during a home game against Lexington High School that it happened. The Colts were leading Lady Lex when Colt Coach Penny Farst told Martinez-Falero she would be subbing in.
“My coach told me the game plan before I went out on the court and so I tried to follow what she said,” Martinez-Falero stated.
And then it happened. During the final minutes of the game, Martinez-Falero shot the ball, hitting the backboard and falling perfectly into the net.
“Everyone was cheering, ‘Pilar! Pilar!’ When I heard that, it was super exciting,” expressed Martinez-Falero.
The game ended in a home team victory of 37-8.
“I’ve still got a lot to learn about the sport, though,” she stated.
Although not quite a basketball superstar, Martinez-Falero participates in a variety of sports in her home country—she races horses and views the Running of the Bulls each year.
Pamplona, Spain (her hometown) hosts a seven-day festival each year for the Running of the Bulls, which is a practice that involves running in front of a small group of bulls that have been let loose on a sectioned-off course of a town’s streets.
“It’s crazy,” Martinez-Falero remarked. “People from all different countries come to watch.”
While she misses her family back home, she expressed how appreciative she is to be at Clear Fork where “everyone has been super friendly,” she said.
Advanced Physical Education teacher Jeremy Riddle commented, “I’ve always enjoyed having foreign exchange students in my classes and hearing their experiences from back home, including Pilar’s. She, herself, has had a lot of first-time experiences here, including playing baseball and basketball…It’s fun to see all of her success.”
