Will to Succeed Drives Goggins
4/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
April 16, 2008
By Adam Walker, USC Upstate Media Relations Assistant
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - For the consummate performer, the world is a stage and a platform to show your talents. USC Upstate men's track and field freshman athlete Perrish Goggins tackles life the same way with that opportunity in mind.
Usually seen with a smile on his face, a song in his soul and a hop in his step, Goggins walks with a seemingly boundless supply of energy which he uses to make not only himself, but others feel good.
"It's about self-fulfillment," Goggins said. "If you make yourself feel good, you can make others feel good and it's a continuous chain. I try to make sure everyone's happy and I'm happy."
So far, it has been nothing but happy returns for Goggins during both the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons as he has become one of the top performers for the first-year USC Upstate men's and women's track and field teams.
"(Perrish) has been a huge asset for the program," USC Upstate track and field head coach Jimmy Stephens said. "He can do any event on the track and field and he's a good kid. He's very diverse and likes to try a lot of different things."
Diversity and his ability to perform well in different events benefited Goggins at the Atlantic Sun Conference Indoor Championships February 29-March 1 when he competed in the men's heptathlon, which consists of seven different events: 60 meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 60 meter hurdles, pole vault and 1000 meters.
During the first day of the heptathlon, Goggins made a statement that he was one of the best athlete in the conference finishing second in the 60 meter dash, fourth in the shot put, and winning both the long jump and the high jump, putting him in the lead after the first day with 2930 points.
Goggins came up just short of winning heptathlon title after struggling in the pole vault, 60 meter hurdles and the 1000 meters, but finished second with 4417 points, breaking the meet record for points in the event.
"It was my first time in a lot of the events in the heptathlon and I had a pretty decent first day," Goggins said. "It was my first time doing the 60 meter hurdles and the 60 meter dash, but I used to be a sprinter in high school, so that was okay. It was my first time in the shot put and I practiced it that day a little bit after practicing on it just once before then. It was my first time competing in the pole vault, which I had practiced just a little bit.
"The high jump was one of my strong points as well as the long jump, which helped me with score points. The 1000 meters was killer because distance is not my thing and especially not at that pace."
Also at the A-Sun Indoor Championships, Goggins finished fifth in the men's triple jump and third in the men's high jump. For his efforts during the two-day event, he was named Men's Most Outstanding Freshman and immediately drew the praise of his coaches.
"I was really taken aback," USC Upstate assistant track and field coach Ed Schlichter said. "I had been watching him in the meets and I knew he was doing well, but to see him jump into the heptathlon and then add on the other three events he did, it showed he is a bottomless pit of energy. He had a performance that you could only dream of for a freshman athlete."
Since his performance at the A-Sun Indoor Championships, Goggins has continued to compete at a high level with seven top-five finishes in various events such as the men's long jump, high jump, triple jump and the 100 meter dash.
Most recently, Goggins enjoyed three top-three finishes at the Furman Invitational including winning the long jump, taking second-place in the high jump and finishing third in the 100 meter dash. His performance earned him the Atlantic Sun Conference Men's Track and Field Athlete of the Week, the first men's track and field performer to earn the weekly honor.
When asked what really drives Goggins, his coaches say that his performance can be attributed to several things.
"He's very confident and you have to have that," Stephens said. "He goes out there and tries to do his best every single time. He's not afraid to compete and he'll jump into any event. If he has a bad event, he doesn't let it bother him. He's mentally tough."
"He's a pretty loud kid and he's energized. He's got an energy that is unparalleled to anyone else and he's bouncing off the wall all the time," Schlichter said. "That's what makes him such a great athlete, he transcends his energy and applies it to his athleticism which helps him get over the bar, jump higher and jump farther."
Goggins grew up close to downtown Columbia, S.C. in the Saxon Holmes/Alan Benedict Court area near Benedict College. Goggins said it was a tough neighborhood where violence and drug dealing happened regularly. He also said that he was jumped and beaten up on several occasions by guys in his neighborhood.
As a way to escape the various elements in his neighborhood, Goggins thrust himself into athletics at C.A. Johnson Prep Academy, lettering in track and field, football, bowling and cheerleading. He played three different positions on the football team and was named Team MVP in both track and bowling.
What meant the most to Goggins were the words of encouragement he received from people in his neighborhood when word of his athletic accomplishments spread.
"I get a lot of congratulations when I do well and it means a lot to hear them. Back home, I got those kinds of responses a lot because I grew up in a small community and for them to see me coming out of all the violence and all the wrongdoings going on in my community," Goggins said.
"They saw me in the papers, doing well in athletics and staying away from those things. It made me feel great and honored to receive those congratulatory remarks from the good people in my community."
It was word of Goggins' performances that got back to Stephens, who convinced him to come to Spartanburg and be part of his first team at USC Upstate.
"He went a small school and didn't get a lot of exposure," Stephens said. "One of the coaches put me onto him and we are very happy to have him. Any school would be lucky to have him."
With success in his first season on the stage of track and field, Goggins will take on a new challenge this week that will also demand some of his other talents, namely singing, dancing and acting.
Goggins will be performing along with the Shoestring Players of USC Upstate in Urinetown, a satirical musical that will run from April 17-20 at the Humanities and Performing Arts Center Proscenium Theatre. In Urinetown, Goggins plays Hot Blades Harry, a character he describes as "a rebellious, crazed person who is a really angry guy."
"I always thought about acting, but I had never done any before," Goggins said. "This is my first musical and this is, hopefully, the start of my acting career."
Despite several differences between the two, Goggins says there are several aspects that both performing on the track and field and being on stage share.
"Basically, you go out there and do the job. No matter what, you have to be optimistic at all times and you can't think negatively," Goggins said. "If you think negatively, odds are you won't do as well. That's why you have to stay positive at all times."
Stephens said that Goggins' personality and different talents make him well suited for being a performer on stage and also gives him his support.
"It's one thing to go out there and do it and another to be very good at it, Stephens said. "He's a very good actor from what I hear and you have to have that ability in order to be good at it."
"(Coach Stephens) said as long as it doesn't conflict with track, its okay. My coaches like it and they probably will come to see me and support me," Goggins said.
More than anything, Goggins wants to achieve success to show others from his community that you can be successful without resorting to the violence and drugs that have plagued it.
Goggins also wants to send a message of hard work and a positive attitude to the youth of his neighborhood, a message that was taught to him when he was their age.
"I plan on going back to speak to the kids just as many guys did with me when I was their age," Goggins said. "I received that uplifting message from the same people that came from the place I did and they made it out just as I have. I want to help change those kids' lives just as those people did for me.
"Every time I talk to those kids in my neighborhood, I enjoy it and I have fun playing with them. I try to keep them on the straight and narrow and hope that they will stay focused on the right path."
So what exactly drives Perrish Goggins to succeed? In his own words: a strong will.
"I see something I want to do, and then I plan to achieve in it by going for it, working hard and, eventually, do well in it," Goggins said.
If you want to see Goggins perform in Urinetown, click here for more information about the musical and ticket information.
