Fischer commits to Motlow State
RUSSELLVILLE — Tharptown senior pitcher Alyssa Fischer said Motlow State felt right the moment she stepped onto campus.
She said the visit reminded her of home with its small setting and familiar sense of community, and she knew she wanted to spend her college years there.
“When I first visited the campus, I loved it,” Fischer said. “It was just like our town. It was little, it was family orientated, everybody knew everybody, and it just felt like home.”
Fischer said she formed a quick connection with the Motlow coaching staff.
“First off, the coaches,” she said. “We built a really strong bond.”
Fischer has played softball for about 14 years. She grew up with the sport, watched her family play, and never lost her excitement for competition.
“It’s fun,” she said. “I make new friends and meet new people and it’s very competitive. That gives me a way to get my competitive side out there.”
She pitches for Tharptown and also plays first and third base, but the mound remains her favorite place to be.
“I can control the game,” she said. “The game’s in my hands and I love being able to control the spirit of the game.”
Fischer said high school softball shaped her confidence and her voice as both a player and teammate.
“Life is not going to be easy, but you have to figure out your problems and it really helps,” she said of playing the sport.
She described herself as more outspoken and self-assured now than when she started.
“I’m very more confident,” she said. “I would say I have a little bit of cockiness in me.”
One moment stands out from her high school career. Last season, Tharptown advanced out of the area tournament for the first time in about 10 years.
“We came back and won, so that was the highlight of my year,” Fischer said.
Tharptown head coach Jonathan Jones said Fischer’s signing reflects years of steady commitment. He has coached her for three seasons and said she brings leadership and reliability to the team.
“She has worked hard and deserves this opportunity,” Jones said. “I have enjoyed watching her grow into a great team leader. She has always been a great player and now she appears to have developed a greater ability to lead.”
Jones said Fischer contributes as a pitcher, hitter and defensive player and has a strong understanding of the game.
Assistant coach Dave Fischer, Alyssa’s father, said the signing marks a milestone built over many years. He remembers her picking up softball at age 6 and deciding at 10 that she wanted to learn how to pitch.
“That was one of her obsessions,” he said. “She wanted to continue doing that and get better at it.”
He said coaching her has given him both challenges and moments he will always value.
“It’s a great experience,” he said. “It’s hard at times, but it’s a great experience to be able to coach her and see her have success and to see her have failures too, but to overcome them and battle through.”
He said softball helped her gain confidence. “She’s learned how to become a leader,” he said.
The family visited Motlow several times before she made her decision. Dave said the campus and the coaches impressed them from the start.
“Her first visit, she fell in love with it,” he said. “It’s a smaller school in a country environment. We both fell in love with the campus.”
Alyssa said she looks forward to meeting new competition and experiencing college softball firsthand.
She plans to pursue a degree in education, become a coach, and return to Tharptown one day to teach high school mathematics.
