Nearly five years ago, two strangers had a similar dream to one
day play professional basketball.
It now seems the dream may become a reality.
Marcin Jagoda and Chris Peña, two graduating seniors on the
2004 UCLA men’s volleyball team, have embarked on a plan to
play professional basketball next season in Europe.
“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Peña
said. “You have a limited time to be an athlete and I feel
the time is right for both of us.”
Peña and Jagoda were both varsity athletes in basketball
and volleyball at their respective high schools, but basketball was
their first sport and main priority.
“As a kid, I grew up playing basketball,” Jagoda
said. “It was my first love.”
Jagoda was an All-CIF selection as a senior at Crespi High
School in Encino and was recruited by both Rutgers University and
the University of Pacific to play Div. I basketball.
But it was not until two summers ago that the idea of playing
professionally came into his mind.
Jagoda was visiting his family in Poland when he auspiciously
ran into the coach of one of the country’s professional
basketball teams while working out at the local gym.
“I knew some of the members on the team, and the coach
asked me if I wanted to practice with the team,” Jagoda said.
“After playing with them, I realized that I may be able to
play at the professional level.”
Inspired by his performance with the team, Jagoda returned to
Poland this past summer and contacted numerous teams regarding his
chances of playing professionally.
“I talked to many coaches and they said I would have a
legitimate chance of making a team,” Jagoda said. “That
was when I talked to Peña about the idea.”
Peña, Jagoda’s roommate and teammate of three years,
found the idea quite intriguing.
Coincidentally, basketball was also Peña’s first love
and it was his dream to play professionally as well.
“I had repressed the idea for many years,” Peña
said. “It was not until Jagoda came along that the idea came
up again in my mind.”
The only thing seemingly stopping them was the rule that
European teams are only allowed to carry two American players on
their roster, severely limiting their chances.
Fortunately, because they are both European citizens, Jagoda and
Peña bypass the exception and qualify as European players.
“Having a European citizenship is critical for us,”
said Peña, a citizen of France. “It significantly
increases our chances of making a team.”
With the idea quickly becoming a reality, both players are
making a concerted effort to prepare themselves to play
professionally next season.
At the end of the volleyball season in April, they contacted
Phil Wagner, UCLA’s head trainer, and set up a workout
regiment that would prepare them for the European tryouts in
September.
“Phil has been extremely helpful for us,” Jagoda
said. “We have been lifting weights four times a week and
practicing basketball for two hours after that.”
Both players have also been practicing and scrimmaging with
members of the UCLA basketball team, looking to get all the
experience they can before the tryouts this fall.
“We really appreciate the opportunity to play with the
guys,” Peña said. “It gives us something to
compare ourselves to.”
Now, these volleyball standouts have taken the first step toward
pursuing their own future career in basketball.
“All we need to do is get our foot in the door,”
Jagoda said. “And we will be able to prove ourselves from
there.”