Goodrow boasts good genes for sport
BRAMPTON, Ont. – John Goodrow figures he has passed on some of his athletic genes to son Barclay.
The elder Goodrow played football for three years for the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, while centre Barclay was the Brampton Battalion’s first-round choice in the Ontario Hockey League’s Priority Selection on May 2.
“It’s fun to watch him play and watch how a lot of the mental and physical things he does are similar to what I did,” the father said Saturday as the Battalion opened its two-day orientation camp with fitness testing and two 45-minute four-on-four games. “He does them better and at a younger age. But I think he’s picked up something.
“A lot of it is commitment both physically and mentally. He’s very good at focusing on what he has to do, and he’s prepared for practices and games. He’s a good teammate as well.”
Goodrow said he saw his son’s interest in sport at an early age.
“I think it started when he was four. He played soccer until last summer and he was very good at it, but his passion is hockey. He’s always had fun at it, and I think that shows in his play. But he knows that to play well you have to work hard.
“He knows that to succeed at a higher level he has to get bigger, faster and stronger. The level of competition is that much better, because everyone is good in the OHL.”
The elder Goodrow played hockey until he was eight and then concentrated on football, basketball, baseball and track and field.
“He was a multisport athlete, and I’ve tried to do that too,” said Barclay, a six-foot-three, 210-pounder from Aurora, Ont., whose older sister, Martha, plays rugby at the University of Western Ontario in London. “I played soccer, hockey and rugby. We’re a pretty athletic family.”
John, a six-foot-one, 195-pound running back, played for Toronto from 1976-78. His name appears in the school’s all-time top 10 list for career rushing yards and carries as well as most carries and touchdowns in one season.
“It was great to play at a time when the program was very strong. There was the commitment from the university and the coaches, and we had strong teams. It was an environment that bred success, and I was fortunate to be a part of that.”
A second-team Ontario University Athletics all-star in 1978, he was a seventh-round pick of the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League’s 1979 college draft.
“I didn’t report because I got a job as an accountant at Kodak that paid me $16,000 a year and I would have probably made the CFL minimum of $12,500. I was realistic enough to think I wouldn’t make it. I was coming in against much stronger players.”
The orientation camp gave the younger Goodrow his first look at life in the OHL. He had 67 goals and 47 assists for 114 points in 71 games in 2008-09 for the York Simcoe Express minor midgets.
“Being out there with the guys was great. I’d never seen the Battalion dressing room, and it was a pretty special thing. I thought I did well in the running, but I need to work on my core strength and move my feet quicker when I’m skating. There’s a big speed adjustment, and it’ll take some getting used to.”
Goodrow said he was impressed by the play of two veterans, centre Matt Duchene and defenceman Matt Clark. Both will be chosen in the National Hockey League’s 2009 Entry Draft, with Duchene expected to be among the top picks.
“Duchene has great speed and hands. He has everything. Clark was a tough guy to figure out how to get around. You see those guys, and they know what it takes to succeed here. You just want to follow them. Skill and talent will only take you so far. You have to work hard to get to the next level.”
Goodrow failed to record a goal in two games for Team White, which prevailed 7-2 against Team Green in the opener and posted an 11-7 decision in the second game. The orientation camp ends Sunday with two more games starting at 9 a.m.
