Jessica Jordan Is The Full Package For Fanshawe
Most coaches know the type of player they want on their team – athletic, skilled, hard working, responsible, good teammate. And when it comes to college and university athletics, there’s the added responsibility of being a good student, and the expectation to be involved in the community.
Fanshawe College’s women’s basketball team believes they have the full package in Chatham’s Jessica Jordan.
“She is the definition of a true student-athlete, always striving to be her best on and off the court. She also fully embraces the team-first attitude our program relies on for success.”
Those are the words used by Nicole Carriere, Fanshawe’s assistant basketball coach, and the school’s Sports Information Officer.
Carriere should know what it means to be a successful student athlete after playing for Fanshawe’s varsity soccer and basketball teams, and being named a four-time OCAA All-Academic and CCAA National Scholar.
Carriere believes in Jordan. She believes Jordan personifies what it means to be a well balanced athlete and person.
“Jessica is one of those athletes that does’t do anything flashy on the court, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve more attention,” said Carriere.
Attention is not what Jordan seeks according to Carriere, it’s the betterment of those around her, which the Fanshawe coach says people can learn by observing Jordan.
“People can learn that if you want something to get done, it takes hard work and perseverance. From a basketball perspective, Jessica never missed an optional workout, she is the first to get in extra reps and encourage a teammate to join her,” she said.
“In school, Jessica gets a 4.0 GPA in a degree program, which not only shows how bright she is, but her time management skills.”
“Over the summer, Jessica has become a leader in the community as well, organizing the Black Lives Matter Chatham walk. She has been a critical part of our Fanshawe Black Lives Matter group who have been working to see change in our College in supporting underrepresented groups. Jessica has taken the lead in working to develop a Black Student Association on campus to promote future positive change.”
That’s high praise not only for the athlete Jessica Jordan is, not only for the student she is, but for the person.
“As coaches, we aim for our athletes to use sport as a vehicle to not only become better players, but people as well. And Jess has already achieved this in only her third year.”
On the court, Jordan’s impact has grown each year, helping Fanshawe win OCAA titles as a bench player, followed by a starter, who played the bulk of the minutes as a guard.
Carriere sees the importance of this season over season development, and is confident that when athletics can return, Jordan will continue to contribute to Fanshawe, both on campus and on the court.
“I think that just shows her determination and how important she is to our program. We will continue to expect more from her as the next season rolls around, both as a player and a leader.”