Biography
By Jim Hague
Marcin Midura’s introduction to the sport of volleyball came when he was a youngster growing up in his native Poland.
“I started playing volleyball when I was very young,” Midura said. “Volleyball is very big in Poland. There’s soccer and then there’s volleyball. It’s the biggest sport after soccer.”
Midura grew up in a small village called Stryzow in central Poland.
“Even though I came from a small town, I was able to travel to bigger cities because I played volleyball,” Midura said. “I even played some international volleyball. That made it interesting.”
When Marcin was 16 years old, his father, brother and two sisters decided to move to the United States.
“My mother died when I was 5,” Midura said. “Growing up with my father and brother and sisters was a little hard. My brother and sister came to the United States 12 years ago, so when my father retired in Poland, we decided to come here.”
The family settled in Linden, N.J. At the time, Midura knew very little English as he first enrolled in Linden High School.
“It was very hard for me at first,” Midura said. “But I had a lot of friends who helped me. When I went to class that first year, I had no idea what was going on.”
But Midura did have one thing going for him. He could play volleyball. He quickly joined a few club teams in the area, one of which was the Six Pack Volleyball club, spearheaded by New Jersey volleyball guru Fred Siegel.
But then Midura knew he had to transfer out of Linden, which didn’t have a varsity volleyball team.
“I thought I might be able to play high school volleyball, so I thought I should give it a shot,” said Midura, who transferred to St. Joseph’s in Metuchen and joined the volleyball team there.
In high school, Midura flourished, earning The Star-Ledger Boys’ Volleyball Player of the Year, leading St. Joseph’s to the NJSIAA state championship, posting a record of 43-1.
Midura drew attention from a few different schools, but he was instantly drawn to Rutgers-Newark.
“The location was perfect,” Midura said. “It was close to New York and I wanted to be a finance major, so that made it attractive. I never thought that I could play college volleyball in the United States when I was in Poland. I didn’t think it would be possible.”
Rutgers-Newark head men’s volleyball coach Karl France knew that Midura was a player of impact.
“I knew that he would be a special player,” France said. “I knew that he hadn’t been in the United States for long, but I knew he could help us.”
If there was one thing that France noticed almost immediately, it was Midura’s personality.
“I didn’t know how shy he was,” France said. “That’s what I saw when we were recruiting him. But once we got to know him, he was just a regular kid who wanted to go to school and play volleyball.”
“At the beginning, I was kind of shy and really quiet,” Midura said. “I had some trouble fitting in. It was a big transition for me, coming to Division I volleyball from high school. I thought I knew how to play. But the transition was a big step. It took me a while to get used to it.”
Midura managed to see some playing time as a freshman, averaging 2.8 kills and 3.1 points in 13 matches. He did manage to get 13 points and 12 kills in his first collegiate match against Loyola of Chicago.
“He didn’t play much, but he showed that he could play both outside hitter and right hitter positions,” France said. “I think it just took him a while to get comfortable with his surroundings. He just had to know he could play at this level. When he got the chance, he stepped in and played pretty well.”
“I actually played opposite hitter in high school and I played outside hitter in club, so I knew I could play both spots,” Midura said. “I figured I could use that to my advantage. I just needed to build my confidence, to realize that I could compete with the other guys.”
As the 2010 season was approaching, France knew that he needed more out of the 6-foot-4 sophomore.
“He’s a well respected talent,” France said. “He has the potential to be a very good player for us. He’s the best player we have from New Jersey and the kind of guy you build your program around. You can tell that this kid is going to be a winner. He worked hard in the offseason to get bigger and stronger. He’s also more confident. He’s strong, agile and has great athletic skills. Marcin is going to be a three-year starter for us, the kind of guy who never comes off the floor.”
So when the Scarlet Raiders begin their 2010 season next weekend in the Golden Dome Classic against St. Francis, NJIT and Lewis College, Midura will be a major part of the lineup.
“I’ve worked hard to be a starter,” Midura said. “I did everything I could to be on the floor. I’m very happy Coach France sees me now as one of the best players. It makes me work harder to prove he’s not wrong. I’m really excited about it.”
Midura plans on pursing a master’s in business administration after his undergraduate days are done at R-N.
“But I may stick around here for a few more years,” Midura said. “I don’t know yet.”
Midura may one day want to return to his native land to work full time.
“It would be my first choice,” Midura said. “My sister is back in Poland now and she’s a success. I think about Poland a lot. Maybe I’ll go back.”
For now, Midura is happy about making the decision to attend R-N and play volleyball.
“It’s definitely one of the best choices I’ve ever made,” Midura said. “I like the school. I like the people. I like the coaches. My teammates are great. I love to be around them. What else could I ask for?”
Maybe a few wins this season for the Scarlet Raiders. Then, Marcin Midura’s life would be perfect.
