Paul VI's Goodwin made wrestling his success story
Adam Goodwin was a basketball player. That was his sport at St. Rose grammar school in Haddon Heights. That was going to be his sport at Paul VI High School. But about two weeks before basketball tryouts his freshman year, Goodwin made a life-changing decision.
Adam Goodwin was a basketball player.
That was his sport at St. Rose grammar school in Haddon Heights.
That was going to be his sport at Paul VI High School. But about two weeks before basketball tryouts his freshman year, Goodwin made a life-changing decision.
As a result, Goodwin will enter the Region 7 wrestling tournament this weekend as the No. 1 seed at 170 pounds.
Goodwin is 25-0 this season. He won the District 28 title last weekend at Collingswood in impressive fashion, with a pair of pins and a 5-1 decision over Shawnee's talented James Gross in the championship bout.
Goodwin is one of several dozen South Jersey wrestlers with realistic hopes of advancing to the state championships in Atlantic City and earning a spot on the podium as one of the top eight wrestlers in his weight class in New Jersey.
But he might be the only one who discovered the sport in November of his freshman year.
"Never," Goodwin said of his experience on the mat before declining to try out for basketball and opting for wrestling.
Goodwin said his father, Greg, had wrestled in high school in Pennsylvania, and a couple of his uncles had wrestled at Paul VI.
"My dad always used to try to get me to wrestle when I was little," Goodwin said. "I didn't want to have anything to do with it."
Goodwin said his father was "stunned" when his son took the mat.
"He couldn't believe it," Goodwin said. "He was so happy."
Paul VI coach Rich Venuto was pretty pleased with Goodwin's decision as well.
"He's a dream to coach," Venuto said. "This is a kid who never wrestled before his freshman year, and he came out and he's just gotten better and better.
"He's such a hard-nosed kid, such a hard worker. He does whatever you ask him to do."
Goodwin was no overnight sensation. He said he won about four bouts at the varsity level as a freshman, although he was more successful as a junior-varsity wrestler.
"It was all about learning the sport," Goodwin said. "I didn't know anything. I didn't even know the rules."
Goodwin said he improved a little as a sophomore, then made a big jump as a junior, taking second in the districts and winning a few matches at regionals.
But this season has been a revelation. Despite missing much of the first month with a rib injury, Goodwin has been dominant on the mat. He has won 14 bouts by fall. He has beaten quality wrestlers such as Gross, Rancocas Valley's Drew Bowker, and Cherokee's Shawn Webb.
Venuto said Goodwin combines strength and competitiveness with an easy-going approach that differs from some veterans of the sport.
"He doesn't read the boxscores," Venuto said. "He doesn't care who he's wrestling. He's relaxed, doesn't put pressure on himself about the sport.
"It's really rare for somebody to start this sport this late and be this good. It's something special."
Goodwin said he likes to "slow down" his matches, setting the pace.
"A lot of guys come at me hot," Goodwin said. "I want to control the tempo."
Goodwin hasn't decided if he will wrestle in college.
He would like nothing better than to finish strong, with a region title and a good showing in Atlantic City.
But he already knows he made the right decision as a freshman.
"It's one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life," Goodwin said. "As soon as I started wrestling, I loved it."
@PhilAnastasia
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