 |  |
Report: Kirkwood footballer makes his Mark in the U.S.
Article courtesy of Michael Pringle, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
COATBRIDGE, Scotland - A footballer from Coatbridge who left Scotland for a scholarship in the United States is now assistant coach of his university team.
Twenty-four-year-old Mark Beattie, from Kirkwood, Coatbridge left for the States four years ago and graduated in December with a degree in Business Administration from Shorter University.
He is now going on to study for his Masters Degree and funding it by coaching the soccer team.
Mark captained the team for two years as they were crowned Southern States Athletics Conference Champions 2008/09.
The soccer starlet picked up the player of the year award in 2007 and 2009 and was selected for the Conference team.
He was then asked to play semi-professionally for Chattanooga FC during the summer of last year.
Parents William (53) and Margaret (50) are rightly proud of their son’s achievements.
Dad, William, who played amateur football until he was 40, said: “We were very pleased when he chose football as a career, it was something he always wanted to do so we encouraged him.
“He had a natural ability and began showing promise at an early age and he gained an appetite to be a winner.
“He was average academically at school but attended Coatbridge College and the Nautical College in Glasgow studying sports subjects before he went over to do the international scholarship.
“His academic career really took off when he went over to the United States and he became much more focused.”
Mark is a former pupil of St Monica’s Primary and Columba High.
As well as playing for his primary school team he played for a number of boys’ clubs as a youngster including Tranmere Rovers BC, Dunbeth BC, St Augustine’s BC, Celtic BC under-14s and All Saints BC under-15s.
He also played for Thorniewood under-21s and picked up a stack of trophies along the way as a young player.
Mum Margaret, who worked at Boots distribution centre until it relocated, believes the opportunity was too good to pass up.
She said: “I’m very proud of Mark although I do miss him, I’ve encouraged him to achieve his goals and his potential.
“He has far greater opportunities in the USA than at home.
“We’ve supported him 100 per cent and we’ve been out to visit him and he comes home once a year.”
