For The Tribune
Jodi Goecker said she has thoroughly enjoyed her athletics career at Trinity Lutheran High School.
She has received the Cougar Award in basketball and cross-country, a regional qualifier and most valuable runner in cross-country, and a sectional champion in softball.
“I’ll have lots of memories,” Goecker said. “Winning sectionals, qualifying for regional, beating Providence in basketball…We beat them for the first time in any sport this year. My career has been wonderful.”
Goecker began playing basketball in fifth grade at Immanuel Lutheran School. She played softball in the Seymour youth leagues and on travel teams.
She is in her third season as a starter in basketball, and has played mostly point guard.
The senior likes attacking the rim, but also moving the ball around.
“If someone else is closer, or open, I’ll pass up the shot for them because they have a better look,” Goecker said.
Her high-point game this season has been 10 against Orleans, and her career-high is 18 against Hauser her sophomore season.
At the point, Goecker helps run the Cougars’ offense.
“We look at the defense first and see what play we want to run,” Goecker said. “This year we’re trying to play from the inside-out. Our posts are my first option. The coaches do a great job of getting the right plays so we can use our advantage. Most teams don’t want to play us man because of our height advantage, so we work a lot on our zone plays and what to do when teams play different zones.”
She said she enjoyed the home games at the Bolligner Athletic Complex, and the relationships built through sports.
“I’ve enjoyed the friends that I’ve made, meeting a lot of girls that I probably wouldn’t have talked to and made friends with them, and just the memories,” Goecker said. “I’ve grown. I used to be a timid and shy person, but as the four years went on I’ve learned to be a leader and I’ve stepped into that role. It’s nice to be a captain.”
Goecker is looking forward to the sectional at West Washington next week.
“It’s going to take teamwork,” Goecker said. “Everyone has to stay positive, knowing when we step on the court that we’re going to win.”
She is looking forward to softball season and said she hopes to play center field this spring.
Goecker played third base her freshman year and caught the past two seasons.
“In travel I’ve played outfield,” Goecker said. “My favorite position is center. You can see the whole field. Catcher was nice, too, but I definitely like the outfield.”
Goecker said there’s a lot of strategy with each at-bat in softball.
“Softball is a mind game,” she said. “You’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity. If you get someone on base with no outs she has to score. You can’t leave her out there.
“Softball is a little more strategic than baseball because you can slap and you can drag, and you can really take advantage of the short base paths. Stealing is a huge thing. It all comes into play. You’ve got to know when to do it. I just enjoy the strategy of softball.”
She has always batted near the top of the order for the Cougars, and has batted left-handed since she was 11.
“You definitely have more of an option when you’re at lead off because you’re just trying to get on base,” Goecker siad. “I like the short game.”
Her father (Chad) is head softball coach at Trinity.
“It definitely had its ups-and-downs,” Goecker said. “He does a great job. He has a lot of stress with everything. In the end it’s nice because you can go home and talk to him about everything. He’s willing to put in the time with me after practice to work on some things.
“He definitely puts everything he has into the program.”
She said she enjoys playing at home.
“I like the home-field advantage, and definitely the crowd when we played Borden (2016 regional): That was crazy,” Goecker said. “I had never seen anything like it.
Goecker ran cross-country her freshman year, then took two years off and said she is glad she ran her senior year.
“I thought I might as well run,” Goecker said. “It’s my senior year. I liked it more. My freshman year I didn’t like it that much, but then I started liking it. “Watching A.J. (Goecker, cousin) run was always fun. Sometimes I would go and watch him and miss it. He and his family tried to get me to go back out.
“At sectional we got the times together and we figured I’d make it into the regional pretty easy, but making it to semi-state would be a lot more difficult. We went to the course and we figured out what time I needed to be at at the mile.”
Goecker said that solid practices led to big results in any sport she plays.
“Practice in any sport is huge,” she said. “You have to practice like it’s a game every single time. I know I’ve taken a practice or two off and then you play a game and it’s just not there. If you take one practice off it will show in a game.”
She has enjoyed her four years at Trinity both on and off the field.
“I love Trinity,” Goecker said. “Everyone knows each other. You have a great relationship with all your peers and your teachers. It’s like a family here.”
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Name: Jodi Goecker
School: Trinity Lutheran
Parents: Chad and Tammy Goecker
Sibling: Tyler
Sports: basketball 4 years, softball 4 years, cross-country 2 years
Athletic highlight: CC-2017 regional qualifier, most valuable runner, Cougar Award; basketball-2 Cougar Awards; softball- 2016 sectional champions.
Organizations: National Honor Society, Culture Club, student ambassador, events team.
Plans after high school: attend Ball State University, study actuarial science.
Favorite food: cinnamon rolls
Favorite TV show: “Friends”
Favorite musician: Kenny Chesney
Favorite movie: The Blindside
Favorite athlete: Peyton Manning
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