Mía Liberato, one of the emerging figures of Dominican volleyball, came of age this Wednesday and just received the gift she wanted.
The setter of the youth national team has been favored with a virtual scholarship by the University of Business and International Studies (UBIS), based in Geneva, Switzerland, which will allow her to crystallize the dreams she has in the field of knowledge and sports .
In other words, the profile of the ideal athlete, always aspired by this country.
“I have always dreamed of being a professional and being part of “Las Reinas del Caribe”, he stated after the practice session that the youth shortlisted held yesterday in the old Volleyball pavilion of the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Center.
Mia, who is fluent in English and wants to study a Bachelor of Business Administration, had been courted by several academies in the United States, including Miami Dade, Tennessee, and two others in New York, but she did not accept them because, being face-to-face would separate him from the family and the National Project of Women’s Volleyball Teams.
She chose to inform Cristóbal Marte, director of the Project, about the scholarship offers received, but he chose to get her one at UBIS because it will give her the option of studying from here and continuing with her ascending career on the field.
“This was the most feasible option because I am very attached to my family and I was not willing to abandon my family or the National Project. Being virtual, I can study from home and be with my parents, my grandparents and siblings”, declared the daughter of Miosotis Gómez and Andrés Liberato, president of Club Calero.
“I will be eternally grateful to Cristóbal Marte for this scholarship. It represents a lot because I have worked very hard to be able to achieve the little or much that I have achieved so far and leaving the project has never been an option”, highlighted the six-foot-one-inch player.
Of course, Mía is waiting for July 17, when this new chapter of her life will begin. According to the curriculum, the Bachelor of Business Administration lasts four years, but she understands that due to the tight schedule of the youth and Under-20 teams, she would complete it in five years.
Wilson Sánchez, assistant to Marcos Kwiek, Technical Director of the Women’s Project, highlighted that Mía is very intelligent and disciplined, two essential tools to succeed in such a demanding position as setter and in an increasingly tactical sport.
“Mia has exhausted several processes. She has great experience in the minor categories, which projects her as one of the setters we have to be part of the senior team in the future ”.
He praised Liberato’s willingness to also keep the focus on studies because high performance is fleeting in the life of an athlete.
“Sports life tends to be short. It is not a secret to anyone that when an athlete is professional academically, it helps them better understand the game due to maturity and disciplines acquired. The path becomes easier for him, ”he said.
First steps
Mía, who completed high school at Colegio Santa Teresita, began practicing with the National Project in 2015.
Milestone
In 2018, at the age of 12, she became the youngest athlete to act in the Superior Volleyball League as a member of the Warriors.
Partner
At UBIS, studying International Relations, Niverka Marte, setter of “Las Reinas”, who has been a great help to Liberato in the registration process.