ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Alex Rossi Finds an Avenue to Contribute By Brandon Singer
W
hen Alex Rossi arrived in Berkeley last fall, he was looking forward to a chance to compete for playing time on a young team that had lost five seniors from its 2010 Pac-10 championship squad – including fellow Chicagoan and California’s all-time scoring leader Jerome Randle. Unfortunately, a sports hernia ended Rossi’s freshman season before it even began, forcing him to redshirt. Rossi looked to the positive side of things and focused his extra time on schoolwork and giving back to the community through the Cal Student Athlete Advisory Council (Bear SAAC). Rossi came to Cal with an impressive réAlex Rossi sumé. In high school, Rossi was an excellent defender and premier outside shooter. His senior season at New Trier High School saw him average 19 ppg, 7 rpg and 4 apg en route to being named his league’s Player of the Year and making the all-state second team. Facing the first serious injury of his career was a new and difficult experience. “Sitting on the sideline and being able to do something in my mind, but not being able to do it physically is one of the most frustrating things,” Rossi stated. “It is hard to watch these guys put in so much work and not really feel a part of it.” Despite his disappointment, Rossi remained focused in practices and learned a lot from watching his teammates, in particular guard Jorge Gutierrez. “At this level, there is a lot more than just your athleticism or size,” Rossi said. “Jorge is the strongest guard on our team, but he doesn’t have to use his strength. He just uses subtle little cuts to set up screens and get open.” Alex Rossi (back row) and other Cal studentathletes volunteered at a local Literacy Fair earlier With his injury this year. keeping him out of the lineup on the court, Rossi focused his energy on schoolwork – he hopes to be accepted into the highly competitive Haas School of Business – and volunteering with Bear SAAC. “There was a video at the beginning of the year for the SAAC and it looked like a lot of fun.” Rossi said. “There were a lot of slides of athletes getting involved in the community, doing service and playing with a bunch of little kids.” 34
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Bear SAAC serves to connect student-athletes from different sports, as well as give back to the community that supports the athletic teams. Rossi is a part of the Activities Committee that is responsible for organizing events for student-athletes. “Alex is definitely one of our most active members on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council,” Director of Student-Athlete Affairs Allie Rowe said. “In his first year on Bear SAAC, he has already participated in several community outreach activities such as College Sports Day, Peralta Elementary School Literacy Fair and serving hot meals at St. Mark’s Church. Alex has infinite potential, and it will be exciting to watch him develop as a leader both on the court and among his peers.” Rossi was also chosen, along with track & field senior Linda Oseso, to be Cal’s representative to the Pac-12 SAAC meeting in San Francisco in November. Each year, SAAC leaders from each school get together to share ideas, trying to bring the schools closer together and serving their communities better. And during the conference, Rossi was elected to a one-year term as president of the Pac-12 SAAC. Despite the fact that Rossi’s first year on campus did not go as planned, he has found more than one way to excel in Berkeley.
Unable to perform on the court due to injury, Alex Rossi has found other ways to contribute as a Golden Bear.