Seth Goodman Signs With Millikin University, Looks Ahead To Future With Big Blue
EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville High boys soccer standout forward Seth Goodman signed a letter of intent to play for Millikin University in Decatur recently in a ceremony at EHS and will be playing for the NCAA Division-III school this coming fall.
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Goodman is looking forward to playing for the Big Blue and playing for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin school. He had an interesting story of how he became interested in Millikin.
“During an ID camp for another school, Millikin showed up, and they invited me to come to their school and visit around,” Goodman said in an interview following the ceremony, “and when I went there, and I saw the familiarity, like the whole family-like atmosphere there, everyone loves each other, everyone cares about each other, and it’s just automatic that I really wanted to be a part of that.”
Goodman also considered Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Mo., Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington and Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kan., before deciding on Millikin. It was the last school Goodman visited, and he felt at home at Millikin.
“That was the last school I visited,” Goodman said, and the other three, I felt really good about, and I liked them a lot, but when I went to Millikin, it was different. I felt at home there, and it was like an instinct that drew me to them, and made my decision 100 percent clear.”
Tigers head coach Mark Heiderscheid remembered Goodman when he joined the team as a freshman, and how remarkably he developed during his four years with Edwardsville.
“Oh, there’s no doubt,” Heiderscheid said. “Like I was talking earlier, it’s like Seth’s one of those kids that’s, in the past, lived a success story, he’s a kid that would come over in his freshman year to Edwardsville to start his high school years as a freshman, so therefore, I hadn’t really known him. And as a kid, he immediately caught my attention, noticing he had blue shoes on,” Heiderschied said with a smile. “But he was a kid that that a lot of energy, he had a spark to him, and that was all good.
“But then, it did take a little while, because we’ve got a lot of good players,” Heiderscheid continued, “so as a sophomore, he’s biding his time, and he did a very good job for JV, but I really hadn’t had him targeted at all in his junior year to be a varsity player, until all of a sudden, he’s there for in the summer, in essence, progressing, and I had to use him in varsity, because he’s really one of those kids that made one of the biggest jumps that we’ve had, really, here in the program in terms of where he was one year, to where he became in the next. So, I think his tactical awareness of how where he was on the field, you know, some of his technique got, certainly, improved, but just his general field awareness really improved immensely. So that was enormous, really, from where what started off, when I saw him in May, what he was doing in June and July, was just enormous, really, within a couple of months span, it was just exciting to see.”
Goodman plans on double majoring in psychology and sociology and has plans to become either a clinical therapist or as a school counselor. His strong work ethic will be a big plus to the Blue.
“I have one of the hardest work ethics I’ve ever seen,” Goodman said, “my energy and my soccer IQ are going to be my biggest attributes, and it’s going to help me make a big difference there.”
The academic side of Millikin will also be a big plus for Goodman.
“There are so many different programs that I can join in,” Goodman said, “and I can learn different things, and it’s just a great atmosphere, and it’s something that I’ve never experienced before.”
One of Goodman’s favorite memories is against Belleville West in 2017, where he cleared a Maroon shot off the line in the final moments of the game that clinched the Southwestern Conference championship for the Tigers. But beyond that, the family atmosphere of the Tiger soccer team is something Goodman will also take away as well.
“Everyone that was on the team, whether they were a senior or freshman, they all liked each other, we were all family,” Goodman said, “and we were always having fun. Every day was a blessing, and I wouldn’t take back a second of it.”
Heiderschied also has very fond memories of Goodman and his work ethic as well.
“You know, you always have so many good kids here at Edwardsville,” Heiderscheid said, “for whatever the sports are, but this one is definitely a cut above the rest. When you look at just what a person he is, what a leader he is, and that, Sometimes, you hear that too often, but this guy epitomizes everything that you want from a kid that you’d like to have in an athletic program.”
And Heiderscheid will miss Goodman and his contributions to the Tiger program very much, but also knows the impact he made on the team.
“Once again, I get to go ahead and say goodbye to a kid that, in this case, is sorely going to be missed by me,” Heiderscheid said. “I always have kids that can replace them on the soccer field, but, you know what, these kids are always really a part of me, and this is certainly one that is real special to me, and really I’ll miss. The good thing is that we have reunions, and so, every time I see him, you know, it just really tugs at my heart, then, because the kids really become my family, and this one is certainly one of my favorite sons.”
As for Goodman’s future, he feels that it’s a bright one, indeed.
“I believe there are many positive things coming for the future,” Goodman said. “Hopefully, I’ll play a strong four years as a starter for Milliken, and then, I will be able to make up a good life for myself, afterwards.”
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