I would say yes, it can be used as a beginning Pattern plane. The pics I saw seem to show a semi-symetrical wing. The Sportsman pattern has very little in the way of inverted flight, just the double immelman without rolls and a brief inverted period in the two point roll.
Sportsman is mostly about getting the feel of pattern flying and finding out if you like flying in front of judges.
Give it a try, you can always find a new airplane if you decide to move to Intermediate.