By Ken Hansard
Liberal High School senior point guard and student / athlete Jordan Goodell spoke to VYPE SPORTS in a recent interview.
VYPE SPORTS: What are your personal goals for the year?
Goodell: We are hoping to challenge for a WEMO Conference Championship and win another District Title.
VYPE SPORTS: What is your favorite athletic memory?
Goodell: I will never forget our postseason run last year. We won the District Championship for the first time since 2000-01. Then we upset Macks Creek and beat Appleton City for the girls’ first trip to the Basketball Final Four in school history.
VYPE SPORTS: What teammate has left the biggest impression on you and why?
Goodell: Taylor Swarnes has definitely impacted my basketball game. She is always positive and always ready for a challenge. We have played together since we were in third grade, so it is going to be weird not being on the court together next year.
VYPE SPORTS: What is your favorite part of being on this team?
Goodell: All the love that everyone has for each other is amazing. Also, the support from our community and fans is great. We had a sendoff for the Final Four last year, and it was fun because we drove on Main Street and had so many community members outside cheering. You could really tell that they enjoyed getting to see us represent our school at such a high level.
VYPE SPORTS: What clubs, community groups, or campus groups are you involved with and why?
Goodell: I have been a four-year member of the FCA Leadership team. I also compete in cross country, softball, track and I played volleyball for two years. I am heavily involved with these because I am a Christian athlete who wants to help other students grow through Christ and become better competitors and athletes.
VYPE SPORTS: What accolades (in any sport or activity) are you most proud of?
Goodell: Getting to compete with my best friends and the success that we have shared and enjoyed together. We placed second at state in cross country, fourth at state in basketball, and we won a district championship title in softball.
VYPE SPORTS: What has your sport taught you that you use in your daily life?
Goodell: Basketball has taught me many things, but one of the main lessons is dealing with adversity. When we lose a game, especially a big one, I tend to be frustrated for a little while. Although it sucks losing, you have to move on and prepare for the next game. I have applied this to my everyday life. This also applies to making a mistake in a game. If you dwell on that error, you’re probably going to end up messing up again. If you mess up, there’s nothing you can do to change it; you can only learn from it. So why not just make the most of it and move on and make the next play.
VYPE SPORTS: What is the best advice that anyone has given you?
Goodell: My dad always emphasizes the saying “Next play.” Although it is very simple, it’s also pretty useful. Sometimes as athletes we get stuck on a mistake we just made, and it starts to affect the way we play. Instead of dwelling on what just happened, we should just shake it off and learn from it, since there isn’t anything we can do about it now.
VYPE SPORTS: Who inspires you and why?
Goodell: My mom has always been my biggest inspiration. She always knows what to say and when to say it. She has been coaching me since I was in Kindergarten Rec League, and she taught me everything I know. This is her 21st season as the head coach at Liberal. She might not even know it yet, but she is approaching her 300th career win as a coach. She also teaches sportsmanship, which I feel like a lot of other coaches in the area respect.
VYPE SPORTS: Here is your chance to give a shout out or say thank you to anyone you wish.
Goodell: I want to thank my family for everything. Not only my mom and dad, but also my brother, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. I could probably count on one hand the number of games my grandma has missed. She loves basketball, but most importantly, she loves getting to watch my cousin and me compete together on the court, with her daughter (my mom) coaching us.
