Legendary youth coach and official Harold "Lefty" Martin died Jan. 13 in Dayton, Ohio. He was 84. One of the most beloved figures in USATF youth athletics, Martin's career in the sport spanned more than six decades, and along the way he established an unmatched legacy of service and excellence.

Martin, born August 20, 1940, in Pittsburgh, was a prodigious athletic talent as a student at South Hills High School, gaining local fame in the sprints. His exploits on the track earned him a scholarship to Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he became the first sprinter at the school to crack 10 seconds in the 100-yard dash. He also ran on record-setting sprint medley and 440-yard relay squads.

A dual major in Health, Physical Education & Recreation and Music Education, Martin was the Student Intramural Director for three years at Central State, creating opportunities for students to compete in a variety of sports.

Following college, Martin worked at the Dayton Boys Club before starting a long career at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Dayton, where he served as Chief of Recreation Therapy for 28 years. After retiring from the VA, he took over as head track and field coach at the University of Dayton, where he served for seven years.

In 1978, Martin helped found the Northwest Track Club in Trotwood, Ohio, and the club became one of the nation's best, producing more than 60 national youth champions, six future Olympians, and a slew of future NCAA champions and all-Americans. More than 200 of the club's athletes received college scholarships over the years.

Martin was selected as a coach for several USATF youth teams in international championship events, most notably as head women's coach for the 1990 IAAF World Junior Championships in Bulgaria, and he served in numerous administrative roles at the local and national level for the governing body. As an official, Martin worked events across the spectrum of competitive levels, including as a referee at national Junior Olympic Championships. In 1983 he was the meet director for the Youth Athletics National Championships in Dayton.

In 2015, Martin was honored as a Dayton Skyscraper as a tribute to his work with area youth. In the June 19, 2015, Dayton Daily News, Willis "Bing" Davis, curator of Dayton’s EbonNia Gallery, lauded Martin for his service after selecting him as his "Skyscraper" subject.

Davis said, "We try to get broader role models for young people — and young men in general — to show them individuals who are excelling beyond some of the areas they focus on, like the NBA, the NFL and hip-hop.

“And Lefty is really the epitome of our efforts. Even though he was once the big man on campus, what he’s doing now is even greater than all his records in Pittsburgh and at Central State.

“That’s why I named the entry ‘Beyond the Finish Line.’ He is an athlete who has stayed active in the community.

“To work with all these young people around here and have them break national youth records and then better participate for their high schools and go on to college and some even go on to the Olympics — to me that’s what being a Skyscraper is all about.”

Martin is survived by his wife, Brenda, and four children -- LaVonna, the silver medalist in the 100-meter hurdles at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Duane, Lloyd, and LeBren. Services are pending.