Women's Soccer | 2/4/2016 3:39:00 PM

ITHACA, N.Y. — From her first day on campus as a member of the nationally-ranked Ithaca College women's soccer team, junior Holly Niemiec has embraced her role as a student leader, on the soccer field, in the classroom, and in the community.

Niemiec, a forward from Wilmington, Mass., has been a steadying force for the Bombers, appearing in and starting each of Ithaca's past 52 games while helping head coach Mindy Quigg's squad post a 47-12-3 record (.782 winning percentage). 

As she grew accustomed to life on a college campus, Niemiec challenged herself to take on more of a leadership role. She became involved with IC's Leadership Academy her freshman year, the same time she became involved with Ithaca's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.). 

She said the decision to take on a leadership role was an easy one that began paying off immediately, both on the soccer pitch and in the classroom. 

"A big part of my life here is my role as a student-athlete and as a Bomber, and it was great that my coach and my teammates felt strongly that I could be a leader on the team," said Niemiec, an integrated marketing communications major. 

"Everyone who is on the S.A.A.C. is a leader in their own regard: they were nominated by their teammates or chose to be there, and it's a great honor for me. This is a great voice for the student-athletes and a way for us to connect to the athletics department and the campus community." 

During her time on South Hill, Niemiec has accounted for 41 points on 11 goals with 19 assists while proving herself to be equally skilled at setting up her teammates as she is at scoring her own goals.

A two-time All-Empire 8 selection, Niemiec earned first-team honors in 2015 after finishing with 18 points (six goals, six assists) as Ithaca's second-leading scorer. The Bombers went 13-5-2 overall (6-0-2 in Empire 8 play) and advanced into the NCAA Division III tournament for the 13th straight year.

Niemiec now serves as vice president for the S.A.A.C and is actively involved in the Leadership Academy as she continues her transformation into an outspoken and well-respected figure on campus.

Starting in 2014, Ithaca's department of intercollegiate athletics implemented a comprehensive, multi-year Leadership Academy program with a mission to develop leadership traits in its student-athletes.

Led by Dr. Greg Shelley, the Leadership Academy instills traits and philosophies that will be applicable in student-athletes' sport participation at Ithaca College and will also serve them in professional and personal endeavors for the rest of their lives.

"The Leadership Academy creates a community because we're all in this together. We're all on the same page and we realize not only are we leaders on the field for our respective teams, we're also leaders on campus, too," said Niemiec, who earned a spot on the Empire 8 President's List in the fall after compiling a 3.772 grade-point average.

"I've become a better leader on campus. I'm able to recognize when I should say something versus when I should lead by example. It's great for all student-athletes to get together in one place and talk about the issues we face on campus. The group discussions we have are the most beneficial aspect."

Niemiec is one of 300 student-athletes representing all 27 varsity sports who participate in the program, which builds upon its curriculum across each year of the Academy.

Selected first-year student-athletes will take part in the Developing Leaders program. The sophomore student-athletes will progress into the Rising Leaders Program, and juniors will participate in the Team Leaders Program. The Leadership Academy positions Ithaca College as having the nation's premier Division III sports leadership development program.

"There's a lot of discussions on what makes a good leader, how to deal with the issues we might have on the team, and maybe how we would handle situations differently going forward," said Niemiec, who represented Ithaca at the annual Empire 8 S.A.A.C. summit in Rochester when she was a sophomore.

"You go from learning what is expected of you as a leader, to how to lead by example, and then you learn how to be a vocal leader. Hopefully by your senior year you become the ultimate leader on the team."

Once Niemiec graduates, she is confident that the valuable life lessons she learned on campus will stick with her and benefit her as she enters the workforce.

"My major — integrated marketing communications — entails group work and group projects, and leadership academy has helped me learn how to work better as a team," Niemiec said.

"Being able to come together as a team and work towards a common goal while respecting peoples' opinions and voices is an important skill. I've learned how to delegate, how to work with other people, and how to understand the role I play in a group setting. All of these skills will help me in the workforce."

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