For freshman point guard Katherine Goodwin, basketball and family go hand-in-hand. The Columbia College student learned about athletics as a child by watching and playing with her siblings.
“I played every sport with them, and I just saw how much they loved it [basketball],” Goodwin said. “So, I started playing seriously.”
Her first experience with competitive basketball came as a 7-year-old, when she joined an Amateur Athletic Union squad. Goodwin later brought her talent and passion to the Governor’s Academy (Mass.), where she collected numerous individual honors throughout her high school career.
Goodwin was recognized each season as an all-New England Preps player and Boston Globe all-star. In addition, she was named the Independent School League’s Most Valuable Player as a senior.
When asked about her high school basketball experiences, however, Goodwin made no mention of her awards. Instead, she focused on her team’s accomplishments over the years. Those successes included reaching the playoffs in Goodwin’s sophomore, junior, and senior seasons.
“The last year, we went to the championship, which we lost, but it was just a lot of fun,” she said. “Most of my team weren’t basketball players, but they were all athletes, and they just worked as hard as they could.”
A New Hampshire native, Goodwin looked to continue playing basketball at a college in the northeast. She considered attending Harvard, Holy Cross, the University of New Hampshire, and Seton Hall before deciding to leave her rural hometown for the largest city in the U.S.
“I wanted a change for four years,” she said. “I had a few other schools in New York, like St. Francis and Wagner, that were very interested in me, but once I came and visited Columbia, I just knew that’s where I wanted to go.”
Although she is not a starter, Goodwin has made an immediate impact on the Lions as junior Sara Yee’s primary back-up. She averages 15.1 minutes of action and has made six three-pointers. In addition, she has compiled eight assists this season.
“You go in, and you hope, and you expect yourself to be able to do something like that, but even when you start playing, you see how good all your teammates are, and you have your doubts,” she said. “So, I’m happy with the fact that I’m playing as much as I am.”
Columbia head coach Paul Nixon has not been surprised by Goodwin’s early successes. Her determination and ability to compete at a high level drew his attention during the recruiting process.
“There were definitely a number of combining qualities that attracted us to Katherine,” he said. “She was a player who really stood out to us as someone who plays without fear, regardless of the opponent.”
While Goodwin admitted to experiencing “freshman jitters” at the start of the year, she has quickly proven herself as a poised but aggressive player. She relishes the opportunity to play basketball with student-athletes who share her unwavering passion for the game.
“It’s great to have people that, this is what they want, and they know what I’m thinking,” she said. “They just know what they’re doing, and when you make a pass, you know they’re going to be there.”
Of course, basketball is not Goodwin’s only love.
“Just spending time with my family,” she said. “That’s the number-one thing I do outside of basketball.”