November 2019
Donna Fishter is a Team Architect and Leadership Specialist. After her playing career, she began coaching and moved up the ranks, eventually landing at UCF, assisting the program in their growth to be recognized nationally as a Top 25 team. She has since become her own boss and works with programs of all divisions across the country. When I first met Donna, she was speaking at the USC Convention and the room was packed from front to back with people waiting to hear her seminar. I always look back on that day with amazement at the mass of people who were seeking Donna’s expertise. While the seminar was extremely thought provoking and unique compared to most others I had attended, it was the one on one time with Donna that truly made me admire her. Donna’s genuine nature and honest feedback always felt compassionate, stemming from a place of love. She recognized that I wasn’t just a coach, but a student of the game, an athlete, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a singer, etc., and she noted how important all of those were to my role as “coach.” Any time that we have interacted, I have left feeling cared for and encouraged.
Above all else, her authenticity is unwavering; she knows who she is and she lives a life that aligns with her morals and values with the utmost confidence. Her zest for life is contagious and she emanates a grateful heart. She doesn’t accept the easy answers or excuses and she respects those she works with enough to call them to the carpet. I love that she is eager to go outside of her comfort zone because she knows growth will follow. Obviously, her passion for what she does speaks for itself, but I admire more how fervently she believes in the process to reach greatness. Most of all, I am impressed with her service to others; she works day in and day out to show others that they have the tools to discover their own potential and purpose. She is first and foremost a gracious friend, and I will always be grateful for our friendship.
Having known Donna, as well as a handful of other mentors in my life that I consider to be great leaders, I believe that leadership means serving others with an honest heart and being willing to do and say the right thing, even when it’s the 1 against the 99 or no one is watching. Leading isn’t about control, it’s about finding a way to get those around you to believe in and buy into the culture you want to foster. I believe that the greatest leaders are also willing to listen and take time to actually hear what team members have to say, even if they disagree. Leadership also means sacrificing for the betterment of the group and being willing to prioritize the group’s needs before yours. Being a leader requires humility, to ask for help when it is needed, and admitting when you are in the wrong. I believe that I have made extra efforts in my short coaching career to actively seek mentoring and assistance, especially when I have made mistakes. As a young coach, I have worked hard to “practice what I preach” and am continuously looking for avenues to push outside my comfort zone if it will benefit my athletes in some way, shape or form. I believe that relationships are created on the field, but are further fostered elsewhere, which is why I make genuine efforts to converse with athletes outside of soccer. I want to use the platform I’ve been blessed with to give athletes the tools and confidence to pave their own way and become their own leaders.
– Find out more about Amanda Hamilton here
