May 16, 2017

Meet Mark Biery of LTS Chicago in North Side – Downtown

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Biery.

Mark, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started the summer of 2010 as I was finishing up my first year of Grad School at DePaul for Public Service & Nonprofit Management. I have played Soccer since I was very young and was playing in various Soccer Leagues across the city when I wasn’t working or studying.

My friend who played for the US Men’s National Team in the World Cup that summer told me about an organization in South Africa called, GrassRoots Soccer. The mission of GrassRoots Soccer fascinated me as this organization was able to teach & promote HIV prevention to the South African children through the use of Soccer. We threw barefoot Soccer Tournament to raise money and awareness for GrassRoots Soccer and the idea of a Charity-Driven Sports League in Chicago was born.

I started to think about how I could use my knowledge of local nonprofits and extensive experience with Sports Leagues to make an impact in Chicago. At the time, there wasn’t an opportunity for young professionals to support a charity on a consistent basis outside of bar parties or running the marathon. The tournament went so well we decided to build a program for adults to play sports, practice healthy competition, have fun and support Chicago charities all at the same time.

To this day, every LTS Team participates in a weekly Sports League where they have an opportunity to play the sports they love for the charities they support. They raise awareness for their organizations in hopes of winning the league AND earning a donation for the charity of their choice. In the beginning we only ran Soccer Leagues but the idea was so well-received over the past 6.5 years, that we now offer over 12 different sports (Softball, Kickball, Flag Football, Beach Volleyball, Sand Volleyball, Dodgeball, Bowling and more).

Since inception in 2010, we have donated more than 200K to charity and have had over 9,000 players participate in LTS Sports Leagues & Events. We look forward to the future as we continue to grow our community and connect young professionals with important causes in the city.

Has it been a smooth road?
No. As with any small business, the risk and dedication can be extremely overwhelming in the beginning. My passion for the mission is what drove me in the start, and the people I have met through our growth is the reason why we are the organization we are today.

There was a huge learning curve in beginning. Not only was it important to understand the landscape of social sports in the city but it was also imperative that I had a handle on the local charities. In order to expand on the idea of connecting charities to young professionals, I needed to understand what charities were in need of.

Once I knew there was interest from both charities and players, there was struggle to find time, field space, and the appropriate monetary resources needed to make it happen.

With all of that said, any challenges we faced were welcomed with open arms. There have been a lot of ups and downs over the years but they have turned out to be crucial to our growth. LTS has adapted to the needs and wants of our players, charity partners and Chicago community as a whole which has truly made us the company we are today. We value our player experience, we support our charities and are dedicated to making a difference in Chicago in any way we can.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the LTS Chicago story. Tell us more about the business.
LTS Chicago is the ONLY Charity-Driven Adult Recreational Sports League in the city. We provide a space for young professionals to compete in a weekly Sports League while raising awareness, and potentially funds, for the causes they care about. We are dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and connecting young professionals, companies, sponsors and friends with important organizations that are looking for support.

We specialize in running competitive, fun Sports Leagues in the city.

I am most proud of the community and experience that LTS has built over the past 6.5 years. If the countless friendships and at least nine marriages weren’t enough…the simple idea of so many young professionals enjoying countless laughs or reminiscing on their first homerun is what keeps us going. Although we are devoted to connecting our players to the local charities, we strive to provide a quality experience for every single person we work with.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think the Social Sports industry will continue to grow over the next 5-10 years. There will always be a need for extracurricular activities for friends and companies alike. There might be limited space in Chicago, but there is no doubt that the industry will continue to grow nationwide.

I believe, and hope, that there will be a major change in the industry towards the Charity-Driven business model. There are so many charitable organizations looking for support and the nationwide community of young professionals already playing social sports, who can be that support system.

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