Brendan Largay, Head of School
Post Date: January 24, 2020

Just outside the Downing Gym, a display case features the annual eighth grade recipients of Belmont Day’s Coaches’ Award—a recognition that is rooted in our six core values. The award honors athletes who bring our mission and their character to life as school leaders on the playing fields.

In 2016, Mia Biotti was a Coaches’ Award recipient. A Belmont Day lifer, having attended from pre-k through eighth grade, Mia exemplified the values of excellence, honesty, respect, responsibility, caring, and joy, not just through athletics, but in all that she did as a student here. It is no surprise then, to hear of her myriad successes as one of the nation’s very best women’s hockey players. It was with great pride that I read an article that recognizes Mia as a leader of the under-18 USA national team that recently took gold in the world hockey championships. The article reveals evidence of those core values, instilled throughout Mia’s childhood, manifest in her achievements as one of the nation’s best young athletes.

We reached out to Mia to ask a few questions of our own. Recognizing how very busy she has been and continues to be balancing school, hockey, and everything else that life brings, we were grateful for her responses. Mia closes by acknowledging the importance of role models, both those we look up to and those who might look up to us. As a Coaches’ Award winner, Mia has always had a profound understanding that she was playing for something bigger than herself. That remains true today, even as she represents our country on the largest of stages, and it is nice to see the threads of her time here meaningfully influencing her path since.

On behalf of all of us at BDS, we congratulate Mia on her incredible successes and will be cheering on Team USA in the days and years to come. Congratulations, Mia!

How has the experience in Team USA been for you? Has the travel been fun, eye-opening?

The experience on Team USA was an unreal experience and such an honor to be selected to play with this team. Traveling with the team was so much fun, and the sights we saw in both Bratislava and Vienna were amazing.

You’re at BB&N now and committed to Harvard. How do you create a balance between the rigorous academics and high-level athletics in your life?

I am verbally committed to Harvard for the year after next year, as I am currently a junior. Balancing academics and high-level athletics is not an easy task. It forces me to be productive and keep myself committed to my end goal and not small distractions.

What advice would you give young athletes? 

I would advise young athletes that hard work can make anything possible, and that hard work overtakes pure talent in the long run.

What sport(s) did you enjoy most at BDS? You won the 2016 Coaches Award. What valuable coaching or lesson(s) did you receive/learn while competing at BDS?

At BDS, I honestly enjoyed all three sports I played: field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. While I am no longer playing any of these sports, trying new sports at Belmont Day taught me how to become a better all-around athlete and create friendships in all three sports.

Who inspires you?

My biggest inspirations are the women who played for USA hockey that paved the way for the growth of women’s hockey as a sport. I hope to follow their lead in helping to leave a legacy that younger women can look up to.