University of Delaware Athletics
Photo by: Ryan Griffith
Mark Bieda: Sports Have Always Been a Part of His Life
4/29/2022 2:40:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Growing up in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Mark Bieda was surrounded by sports. From basketball to football to lacrosse, Mark was able to compete in many sports growing up, and it only increased his passion for competition.
When you ask a kid, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Many answers tend to be a firefighter or a doctor. They are both great professions. But that wasn't Mark's response. He knew from a young age that he wanted to do something in sports. The first step in his plan was playing lacrosse collegiately.
So, how did Mark end up at the University of Delaware?
"The decision was kind of made naturally," recalls Mark. "It was my only real Division 1 offer going into my senior year. I had played in a couple of tournaments here and immediately fell in love with the school. Seeing the energy as I walked across the campus and watched the success of the programs, I wanted to be a part of that. I knew once I got here it was everything I thought it was going to be."
A part of the attraction to Delaware and the fit it brought to Mark's life was that it's within driving distance from home which allows his family to come and watch him play lacrosse.
"Delaware is two hours away from home for me, so it's about the perfect distance," Mark said. "It's not too close to home, but at the same time I'm able to get home at the drop of a hat if I need to."
It's been said that playing sports has many traits that can be relatable away from the game. Mark, a graduate student on the men's lacrosse team, he's very well versed in the positive benefits that competing at a high level has had on his life.
"I think everything pertains to learning in sports goes hand in hand with everything in life," said Mark. "From battling adversity to dealing with different challenges to learning to work well with people. It is all stuff that is present and that you will likely encounter in the real world as you get older. I have learned all of these traits growing up playing football, basketball, and lacrosse from my pee wee coaches to my college coaches. All of those are lessons I have taken with me and will keep using as I go on with my life."Â Â Â
A Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll recipient, Mark has proven that he's been able to balance his studies and his commitment to lacrosse. He's already earned his bachelor's degree and is on his way to completing his master's.
"I chose economics as my undergrad major to have a background in business so I could try and decide if I wanted to pursue that angle," Mark said. "When it came time to pursue a master's degree, IÂ Â knew I wanted to be in a leadership or coaching role after college, so I felt it would benefit me the most to learn about the educational process and the things that go along with it. So educational technology was the route I wanted to learn more about."
So, what's next for the co-captain?
"With both of my degrees, I am not sure if I'll be using them right away. I want to go into college coaching," Mark expressed. "My dad (John) coached me growing up and I was inspired by him. He was such a great leader and mentor to me. My brother, Scott, is also in college coaching and he's been an unbelievable inspiration as well. I love coaching. I love the ins and outs of the game, so I'm excited to try and see it through and see what it pertains to."
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Mark currently gives back to the youth and has been since he's been in college.
"I coach the club team I played for growing up in the summer. I've done that since I graduated high school and have been a head coach the last two years for 7th and 8th-grade teams," shared Bieda.
Bieda and his teammates are also very active in the local Newark community and have assisted with lacrosse clinics at neighboring schools.
"When it comes to the clinics, it has been super impactful to help teach them the game of lacrosse. It was awesome to have that experience."
Hearing the excitement in Mark's voice as he talked about teaching lacrosse in the Newark community, was the same excitement in which he spoke about his dad's impact on him and his friends growing up.Â
"My dad coached me in football and basketball. The way he inspired people and the way he had an impact on people, was awesome to see," said Mark. "My best friends growing up would tell me funny stories and share how much he meant to them. I thought it was so amazing to see the impact you could have on someone's life like that as a coaching role in sports. I think that would be an unbelievable thing for me to give back to other people and have that same impact."
Â
When you ask a kid, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Many answers tend to be a firefighter or a doctor. They are both great professions. But that wasn't Mark's response. He knew from a young age that he wanted to do something in sports. The first step in his plan was playing lacrosse collegiately.
So, how did Mark end up at the University of Delaware?
"The decision was kind of made naturally," recalls Mark. "It was my only real Division 1 offer going into my senior year. I had played in a couple of tournaments here and immediately fell in love with the school. Seeing the energy as I walked across the campus and watched the success of the programs, I wanted to be a part of that. I knew once I got here it was everything I thought it was going to be."
A part of the attraction to Delaware and the fit it brought to Mark's life was that it's within driving distance from home which allows his family to come and watch him play lacrosse.
"Delaware is two hours away from home for me, so it's about the perfect distance," Mark said. "It's not too close to home, but at the same time I'm able to get home at the drop of a hat if I need to."
It's been said that playing sports has many traits that can be relatable away from the game. Mark, a graduate student on the men's lacrosse team, he's very well versed in the positive benefits that competing at a high level has had on his life.
"I think everything pertains to learning in sports goes hand in hand with everything in life," said Mark. "From battling adversity to dealing with different challenges to learning to work well with people. It is all stuff that is present and that you will likely encounter in the real world as you get older. I have learned all of these traits growing up playing football, basketball, and lacrosse from my pee wee coaches to my college coaches. All of those are lessons I have taken with me and will keep using as I go on with my life."Â Â Â
A Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll recipient, Mark has proven that he's been able to balance his studies and his commitment to lacrosse. He's already earned his bachelor's degree and is on his way to completing his master's.
"I chose economics as my undergrad major to have a background in business so I could try and decide if I wanted to pursue that angle," Mark said. "When it came time to pursue a master's degree, IÂ Â knew I wanted to be in a leadership or coaching role after college, so I felt it would benefit me the most to learn about the educational process and the things that go along with it. So educational technology was the route I wanted to learn more about."
So, what's next for the co-captain?
"With both of my degrees, I am not sure if I'll be using them right away. I want to go into college coaching," Mark expressed. "My dad (John) coached me growing up and I was inspired by him. He was such a great leader and mentor to me. My brother, Scott, is also in college coaching and he's been an unbelievable inspiration as well. I love coaching. I love the ins and outs of the game, so I'm excited to try and see it through and see what it pertains to."
Â
Mark currently gives back to the youth and has been since he's been in college.
"I coach the club team I played for growing up in the summer. I've done that since I graduated high school and have been a head coach the last two years for 7th and 8th-grade teams," shared Bieda.
Bieda and his teammates are also very active in the local Newark community and have assisted with lacrosse clinics at neighboring schools.
"When it comes to the clinics, it has been super impactful to help teach them the game of lacrosse. It was awesome to have that experience."
Hearing the excitement in Mark's voice as he talked about teaching lacrosse in the Newark community, was the same excitement in which he spoke about his dad's impact on him and his friends growing up.Â
"My dad coached me in football and basketball. The way he inspired people and the way he had an impact on people, was awesome to see," said Mark. "My best friends growing up would tell me funny stories and share how much he meant to them. I thought it was so amazing to see the impact you could have on someone's life like that as a coaching role in sports. I think that would be an unbelievable thing for me to give back to other people and have that same impact."
Â
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