Myrtle Beach teen set on becoming beach volleyball world champion

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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – A Myrtle Beach teen is making strides on the sand.

Blake Goodwin is already a national champion but at the end of August, he has the chance to become a World Champion.

Goodwin didn’t start playing beach volleyball until he was nine years old. He grew up around the sport though as his dad, Joe, also known as “Coach Goody,” has been playing for years.

“Just kinda been peppering and stuff since I was four, and always watching my dad play and then I hopped on the court one time and they were like ‘woah, you can actually play,”’ said Blake.

The first time Blake got on the court, his dad couldn’t help but notice his son’s natural ability.

”You know I knew he was really good, we all knew he was really good. But a lot of it depends on how much is he going to grow, is he going to stick with it, and that was never the goal. It was really just [about] having fun, and he just fell in love with it. And we saw the potential as he started having a lot of success,” said Joe.

A year later, Blake started competing in the sport. Last month, he competed in the 2024 Beach U19 National Team trials in Los Angeles and won with his partner.

Blake said at first he had to come into the sport with strategy, but as he grew, so did the sport’s popularity in the Grand Strand. His dad even became the director of the Myrtle Beach Beach Volleyball Club.

Joe’s favorite player though, has always been Blake.

“So going out to LA, playing the best in the states, I gave him a 20 percent chance because there’s incredible players. Do I think he can win the world championship? Absolutely,” said Joe.

Blake has proven he can pepper, pass and serve, and while he may not be on the Olympic team this year, he’s still giving his all to his favorite sport, gearing up for the biggest match of his life.

“The goal is to win gold in the world championships for U19 in China, Shang Luo China,” said Blake.

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