Perseverance Leads Clete Goddard Through Harm’s Way

Clete Goddard doesn't exactly have what one would deem the "best luck in the world." However, as a goalkeeper who is not afraid to take chances, some obstacles in life would be expected.

The first test began when Goddard was ten years old - a little boy living in Texas on the verge of a big move to Tampa. After playing a rather rough game of soccer in a friend's backyard, Goddard felt a little stranger than usual. He began to panic when he realized that his pulse was abnormally fast.

Without knowing what was wrong, Goddard turned to the person that most would turn to in situations like this - Mom. His mother took him to the hospital and after some examinations, doctors would later tell Goddard about his first true challenge.

Goddard was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart condition in which there is an extra electrical pathway in the heart. The condition can lead to episodes of rapid heart rate - much like the one Goddard had experienced.

The worst complication of this syndrome can be lethal as people diagnosed with it have been known to have sudden heart failure. As an athlete in contact sports, his risk was increased.

Goddard had two options, which were heart surgery or to be placed on medication for life. As an aspiring athlete, he opted to have the surgery and try to eliminate any risks of the syndrome.

Goddard explained that during the catheter-based procedure, the doctors had to put his heart into arrhythmia to find the pathway and would then burn it shut.
The pathway opened up after the doctor's first attempt at the seal. The same thing happened after the second.

The doctor stepped outside to speak to Goddard's parents - something that is not usually a good sign. The surgeon explained the situation and told his parents that the next attempt would be his last.

With worried thoughts and anxious feelings, the Goddards waited for the news. The third, and final, time proved to be a charm in Goddard's case after the pathway remained closed and the surgery was labeled a success.

Goddard was going to be fine for many years to come.

With the scare behind him, Goddard became committed to putting his once-wounded heart towards the thing that brought him to the hospital in the first place - soccer.

As a teenager, his shorter stature may have been questioned as a goalkeeper but his passion for the position certainly was not. Goddard put most of his time and effort into practicing and becoming a better player and person at his position.

In the net, Goddard learned about leadership, reliance, and respect within a team that would remain useful for the remainder of his life.

When Goddard hit college, his passion for playing soccer slowly began to shift. After five season of taking part in the University of Tampa men's soccer program, Goddard has been molded into a different person than he was at the beginning.

He is currently the only player to have previously seen, and have played with, each member of the 2011 UT roster. He has been a part of celebrations and disappointments, he has held trophies and watched others been given away. He has seen teammates, including himself, grow each practice and every game. This aspect of his career may have influenced his next challenge.

Goddard's experiences in college soccer have led him to the realization that he does not want to ever stray from it. While Goddard entered college as a spunky kid who just wanted to play soccer, he will leave it as a mature adult who just wants to coach.

While talent plays a role in it, it takes a different personality to be a coach. It takes just as much drive and desire as the players being coached, if not more. It takes someone who never gives up no matter the circumstances, something Goddard and his heart have been quite familiar with.

Two surgeries, one on each arm, have prevented Goddard from collecting much playing time during his last seasons at UT. Because of this, he has chosen to become the intern for men's soccer allowing him to learn more from his coaches from a different standpoint than he has in the past as a player.

Perhaps more interested in his individual performance earlier in his career, his mind now turns to teams as a whole. After gaining some experience in coaching and volunteering at a local club, Goddard has found his passion.

He'd like to remain in the college atmosphere because that is where he believes people truly find themselves and realize who they want to be, just as Goddard had. He hopes to not only improve his future players as athletes, but improve them as people, as well.

Goddard is focused on striving in his career choice that he's always had a love for and will not let the shots he faces in life get past him. This is the reason why Goddard has become a goalkeeper on the field and, more importantly, a goal keeper at heart.

Written by Maya Todd