Changing schools can be difficult for anyone.

For David Martinez, it changed his perception of life after he moved from an urban area on the East Coast to a small town in the Midwest

"It was like moving Florida to Alaska and realizing that everything is different now," Martinez said.

Martinez moved from the mean streets of Brooklyn, N.Y., to small-town St. Joseph, Mich., after his parents changed jobs three years ago. He was one of only two minorities on the St. Joseph football team last fall and the only black player on the team.

Sports, which often promotes racial integration better than other social institutions, doesn't necessarily have the desired effect on society's attitudes.

"It was hard moving to a mostly white town even when playing sports," Martinez said. "For instance, many people thought that I should play basketball just because I was black."

But football is Martinez' game. The St. Joseph athlete has been playing football since he was 8 and says it is his favorite sport.

"I've always had a love for the game," he said.

Being the only black player on the St. Joe football team has been interesting. Next to St. Joseph is Bentor Harbor, whose high school sports team are predominantly black. Some of the Benton Harbor players are resentful of minorities on the St. Joseph teams and mock them.

"To tell the truth, sometimes I wish I had gone to Benton Harbor because it wouldn't have been such a big change," Martinez said. "It sucked being the only black on my team, and it was also kind of funny because Benton Harbor only had one white player on its team. It was like we had made a mistake or something."

Although Martinez and other minorities have suffered some setbacks in adjusting to playing at a majority-white high school, it has been a positive experience overall.

"It's helped me realize that we're all different, and although race plays a part in our lives, people have learned a lot.

"Race doesn't matter in character."

That's one thing that will never change.