NIU assistant volunteer volleyball coach, Mark Swaya, has a unique coaching role outside of his new position with the Huskies.

Swaya is the head coach of the U.S. Mens’ Deaf National Volleyball Team. It is a role Swaya prides himself in, and for good reason.

The Mens’ Deaf Team is one of the top teams that will compete in the World Games to be held in 1993 in Bulgaria. The World Games are similar to the Olympics, Swaya said, in that countries compete from all over the world every four years.

Swaya, who is not deaf himself, learned of a national search for the Mens’ Deaf Team and applied.

I have some background in sign language since I’ve taken some courses in it and I have a pretty good background in volleyball,” Swaya said. “They had hoped to find a deaf candidate and several did apply, but none of them had the volleyball knowledge they were looking for.”

Swaya’s resume is impressive. After gaining an interest in the game through pick-up matches and recreational competition, Swaya earned a spot on a United States Volleyball Association club team.

From there, Swaya coached both the USVBA junior mens’ and womens’ teams and for the last several years coached the boys’ team at Barrington High School. Swaya is also a USVBA regulation referee, a national scorer, and is qualified as an international scorer.

So when does Swaya find time to coach the Mens’ Deaf Team?

“We practice two to four weeks every summer—morning, noon, and night at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C.,” Swaya said. “It’s kind of a pre-season practice but the rest of the year I kind of coach long-distance.”

Swaya’s team even traveled to Russia prior to the school year to compete against other deaf teams from Leningrad and Moscow.

“I’m happy to say we beat them all very soundly,” Swaya said. “Russia has been very highly regarded in volleyball both hearing and deaf teams and this was the first time in the history of the Men’s Deaf Team that we have beaten Russia.”

Swaya arrived at the NIU campus to follow up on his associates degree with a major in physical education.

“I knew I’d be moving here for the next two to three years,” Swayla said. “And since I knew about the Northern team and the quality program Pete (Waite) and Lori (Dailey) had going here, I figured I couldn’t be this close to such a good organization and not get involved.”