Daniel Meers | October 7th, 2011| The Gold Coast Bulletin
CHRIS Goulding used to work in retail. He used to be a telemarketer and he wasn't a regular in high school rep teams.
A few years ago he wasn't even deemed good enough to train with the Blaze squad.
Hardly the introduction you would expect for the Gold Coast's strongest marketing weapon, a player whose highlights reel is plastered across the official NBL television commercial at the insistence of league heavyweights.
It's true though.
There's a perception it has fallen into Goulding's lap. Reality is he has defied the odds through hard work and a unwavering dedication to make it in the sport he loves.
Tonight, in the NBL season opener, the 22-year-old will walk on to the Gold Coast Convention Centre as a legitimate key player where a good performance isn't a pleasant surprise, it's expected.
Goulding last night opened up on the unfashionable path that has made him among the league's hottest properties.
It doesn't include a career in the AIS or a string of scholarships.
"I was a late developer in basketball. I missed out on the rep teams in the early years of high school," he said.
"At the time they were the teams you really wanted to make. I had to do a lot of work away from games and training."
When Goulding graduated from high school, he decided to have a genuine crack at basketball.
"It wasn't until then that I decided to have a real crack and got my butt into gear."
Some probably raised their eyebrows. He wasn't a star, in fact even those close to him thought it was a pipedream.
But Goulding had belief. He took unfashionable jobs that allowed him to work convenient hours.
"I worked in a shoe store while I was trying to get into the ABA, spent some time in a finance company and did some telemarketing," he said. "They weren't time-consuming jobs but they gave me money in my pocket.
"My parents were really supportive. I never had to put my hand in my pocket while I was living there and I can't thank them enough for that."
But Goulding had belief.
It continues today. He is always the first at training.
Coach Joey Wright believes Goulding is up to being a member of the starting five, but believes he will take charge as an impact player off the bench.
His lethal shooting game will be something the club looks towards throughout the year.
Last Modified on 07/10/2011 17:26
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