NJCAA | Athletes of Distinction

Lea Plarski Award

Adirondack's Jocelyn Fischer Receives Prestigious 2010 NJCAA Lea Plarski Award

By Gage Axford, NJCAA Student Assistant

The National Junior College Athletic Association is proud to announce Jocelyn Fischer of Adirondack Community College (N.Y.) as the winner of the 2009-2010 NJCAA Lea Plarski Award. The Plarski Award is handed out annually by the NJCAA to the student-athlete who exemplifies sportsmanship, leadership, and community service and academic excellence, coupled with athletic ability and achievement.

With her enthusiastic vigor, Fischer led Adirondack as captain of the women's tennis squad, while also contributing in several important roles in her community.

Fischer, inspired by her deep passion for helping others, is currently pursuing a degree in nursing, and thus far has exceeded regular responsibilities of most in the profession.

While maintaining a 3.21 GPA, Fischer has found time to volunteer as a Critical-Care EMT with the Hague, N.Y., Volunteer Fire Department and Warrensburg, N.Y., EMS, while also taking firefighting training courses on the side. On top of that, Fischer took it upon herself to create her own training videos to help instruct fellow EMS staff members and students. In addition to her videos, she teaches EMT continuing education courses, is the webmaster of the HVFD website and regularly visits local schools to lecture about the dangers of drinking and driving.

Outside of her commitments in the medical service community, Fischer has volunteered for the past seven years at the Silver Bay YMCA Conference Center and family camp giving tennis lessons, teaching weight training, first-aid courses, lifeguarding, and photography classes, while also helping with marketing and day-to-day operations.

Her character and leadership on the tennis court is just as impressive. Fischer is described as an energetic, enthusiastic, and amicable individual who has an immense amount of dedication along with an incredible work ethic. It was these characteristics that guided Fischer to earn both All-Mountain Valley Conference and All-Region 3 honors in back-to-back seasons at Adirondack. She was the No. 1 singles and No. 2 doubles finalist the past two seasons in Region 3. Her ability and leadership helped guide Adirondack to its first undefeated regular season in school history in 2008-09.

Despite her busy schedule, the two-time Adirondack Female Athlete of the Year has also found time to showcase her great athleticism by running in two triathlons and by obtaining a Black Belt in Taekwondo. She also traveled to South Africa to study nursing through the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

Fischer, a NJCAA Distinguished Academic All-American in 2008-09, looks to continue to pursue her nursing degree.

The 2010 NJCAA Lea Plarski Award will be presented to Fischer at the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) 12th Annual AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards banquet, at a date and time that will be released in the upcoming weeks.

The CTSA is the largest coalition of professional and amateur athletics organizations in the United Stats focused on character in sports.

Tabbed the 'Most Inspiring Night in Sports', The National Sportsmanship Awards banquet honors the nation's top athletes and administrators who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship, citizenship, ethical conduct and community service. Award recipients represent the CTSA's member organizations, including the NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, National Federation of State High School Associations, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League.

Athletes that have been recognized at previous CTSA banquets include St. Louis Cardinal slugger and former NJCAA All-American Albert Pujols, New York Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett, former Houston Astro Craig Biggio, Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwyn, Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Crawford, NFL quarterback Marc Bulger, NBA veteran Grant Hill and many more.

For more information on the National Sportsmanship Awards visit www.nationalsportsmanshipawards.com.

Fischer (far right) is a volunteer firefighter, a Critical-Care EMT in addition to being an All-Region tennis player and NJCAA Distinguished Academic All-American.

NJCAA LEA PLARSKI AWARD WINNERS
Year	Winner	Sport(s)	College; City, State
1995-1996	John Combs	Basketball	Lees College; Jackson, Ky.
1995-1996	Amy Parker	Basketball/Slow Pitch Softball	Jones County Junior College ; Ellisville, Miss.
1996-1997	George Russell Sanders	Football	Jones County Junior College ; Ellisville, Miss.
1996-1997	Amy Lucas	Tennis	Middle Georgia College; Cochran, Ga.
1997-1998	Douglas Bates	Baseball	Pensacola Junior College; Pensacola, Fla.
1997-1998	Terra Sarnacki-Royer	Cross Country/Track/Swimming	SUNY-Cobleskill; Cobleskill, N.Y.
1998-1999	Sarah Wood	Soccer	St. Louis CCe-Meramec; St. Louis, Mo.
1999-2000	Larry Scheller	Soccer	Belleville Area Community College; Belleville, Ill.
2000-2001	Mindy Madewell	Basketball	Connors State College; Warner, Okla.
2001-2002	Jermaine Harris	Football	Georgia Military College; Milledgeville, Ga.
2002-2003	Melanie Mendrop	Soccer	Hinds Community College ; Raymond, Miss.
2003-2004	Theresa Berry	Volleyball	Bevill State CC-Fayette; Fayette Ala.
2004-2005	Kayla Shaul	Golf	Daytona Beach CC; Daytona Beach, Fla.
2005-2006	Patrick Lepper	Basketball	John Wood Community College; Quincy, Ill.
2006-2007	Angela Verbeelen	Softball	Florida Community College; Jacksonville, Fla.
2007-2008	Christopher Glaze	Baseball	Jones County Junior College ; Ellisville, Miss.
2008-2009	Geofrey Kalanzi	Soccer	Dakota County Tech College; Rosemount, Minn.
2009-2010	Jocelyn Fischer	Tennis	Adirondack Comm. College; Queensbury, N.Y.