2024-25 Kevin Higgins Scholarship Recipient: Harvey Goodwin
Harvey Goodwin discovered rugby in fourth grade with the Arlington Stallions, following in the footsteps of his father and brother. He played nine years with the Stallions before joining New Trier Rugby in his senior year, where they won the Illinois State Championship.
Despite battling sclerosing polycystic adenosis, a condition requiring multiple surgeries throughout his academic career, Goodwin maintained a 3.76 GPA while excelling in athletics. His dedication to rugby was evident from an early age.
"I first met Harvey when he was a 6th grader during our preseason winter gym sessions... he had a well-developed pass, he knew where to go and was quick to the breakdown, and was always pushing hard through the conditioning, finishing in-line with other high school aged players," said Andrew Collins, Head Coach of the Stallions Rugby Club.
While others socialized before practice, Goodwin could be found perfecting his handling, lineout throws, and tackle and scrum techniques. His dedication led to impressive achievements: captaining the Stallions for two years, selection to the Illinois All-State U17 and U19 squads as starting eight man, and earning a spot on the Midwest Thunderbirds/Chicago Hounds U18 Academy.
"Harvey was the unquestioned leader of our club for the past two seasons, both on and off the field," noted Collins. "Harvey brought out multiple friends and fellow athletes and continued to stay on his teammates to do the same."
Beyond rugby, Goodwin played football all four years, captaining the team his senior year and earning Academic All-Conference honors. He also threw for the track team, briefly played lacrosse, and contributed to his school's Robot Rumble competition.
"Over the course of my life rugby has always been my escape through all the surgeries," said Goodwin. "Rugby has gifted me with the fight to keep going even when shit gets so hard that you want to quit."
Goodwin received the Paul Bergman Scholarship award for demonstrating the club's four core values: show up, do the work, care about quality, and be a great teammate. He was also named most valuable forward on the state championship team.
Goodwin will attend the University of Kentucky, pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering while playing for their Rugby Football Club, which won the D1-AA National Championship last year.
"In the next year or two I want to become a USA u20 athlete," said Goodwin. "After college, I want to try and play abroad with playing in the MLR."
