Alex Marakas
I started playing baseball when I was a youngin’.
I continued to play baseball up until High School Varsity ball, and then I met a dilemma, one of the toughest life decisions I had to make up to that point.
I was a pitcher, and by my Senior year of High School, I had developed a tear of a ligament in my elbow.
So, the question was to continue playing baseball, but sit out my senior year while recovering from Tommy John Surgery, or switch to a new sport? I chose the latter. And while I missed the buddies who I had been playing baseball with for almost my entire life, it turned out to be a good decision.
I had a hidden jumping skill, and I started winning all the jumping competitions at the track meets. This eventually led me to winning the League Championship High Jump with a school record jump of 6’9.25”.
By that time, I was nearing the end of my senior year in high school and no college track and field scouts had even heard of me… sure there may have been some baseball scouts wondering where I had gone, but no track and field scouts. I knew I needed to keep jumping, so I sent a jumping video and the story of my new arrival into the sport of High Jumping to various college coaches.
I heard back from several coaches, but after hearing the UCLA Jumps coach leave me a voicemail saying:
“Hey Alex – I saw your jumping video and heard your story; UCLA would love to have you. Give me a call back to discuss more.”
I decided UCLA was the school for me.
I spent the next few years jumping at UCLA and what an experience that was–the luxury of the UCLA Athletics Program is exactly what you’d imagine. Giant on-campus locker room with couches and a TV (perfect for in between classes), physical therapists on demand, free muscle milk, smoothies, and snacks, and my favorite: the ice bath!
I was coached by an Olympic High Jumper, Jamie Nieto, and surrounded by incredible athletes from all parts of the globe.
Going from an out-of-luck high school baseball player to an NCAA Division I High Jumper at the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles in less than a year was an unbelievable experience.
When you get knocked down, get right back up and keep moving forward—that’s what this experience taught me.
I look forward to my future in the high jump world as a coach for a local school. And regarding my future in baseball, while it would be fun to get back into pitching, I don’t think my elbow could handle it, so I may have to settle for an adult softball league.
