Rookie of the year hopes to raise her skill to the max factor

Rayna Taylor
Sports Reporter

Humber Hawks basketball forward and soccer star Holly Goddard proves women in sports can be as fashion conscious  as they are athletic.

This month, the 23-year-old, five-foot-nine spirited athlete received the Ontaio Athletics College Association basketball rookie of the year award for the western region and led the indoor soccer team to an OCAA bronze medal. All while finishing up her first year of the fashion arts program at Humber.

While her love for sports and celebrated skill shines on the court and pitch, Goddard’s multi-faceted personality makes way for a long list of diverse passions.

“I love cosmetics,” she said.

“I would love to work someday with makeup and hair. Doing hair has always been a great love of mine. I’m actually heading into a one year hairdressing apprenticeship after the end of this term.” 

Before coming to North Campus, Goddard was in a one-year performing arts program at Sheridan College and then the two-year Acting for Film and Television program at Lakeshore Campus.

While at Lakeshore, Goddard played with the varsity women’s soccer team.

Goddard flourished into a competitive basketball player this season, but explains that her true love is soccer.

“My dad and my uncle are big soccer players and they got me started when I was about six,” she said.

“Being raised by a soccer family, it’s hard to be any other way. There are senior leagues for competitive soccer, but not so much for basketball. I’ll play soccer forever.”

Born and raised in Acton, Ont., Goddard grew up enjoying the country, being adventurous with her sisters, playing in the back country, and making friends with the chickens that lived in her yard.

“Every morning mom would say ‘Hol, go get some eggs for breakfast’,” she said.

“It was like an Easter egg hunt every day. The chickens didn’t just lay eggs in the coop, they were all over the yard.”

Holly started playing basketball when she was in Grade 6 at Mackenzie Smith Bennett Middle School in Acton.
“I just always went out for every sports team,” she said.

“I was one of the two sixth graders that made the team. Being one of the juniors that made it, it really motivated me. I just continued from there.”

Goddard made a name for herself her debut season with Hawks  basketball.

She had 105 rebounds, 33 steals and 145 points for the season, averaging 10.4 points a game and is one of the top leaders in the OCAA for points in women’s basketball.

Goddard can still play with Humber for another four years, with the new five year eligibility rule.
What program will she do next?

“I’ll admit, I’ll keep going back to college as long as I can, to play sports at the varsity level,” Goddard said.

“Sports have always been a part of my life. Playing at the college level as opposed to high school, there’s no comparison.”