Alumnus Garrett Sharp-Craig ‘13: A Passion for Athletics Leads to a Career in Sports Analytics and Media

Garrett Sharp-Craig explained his job to me this way: he sets odds for player and game lines at Underdog Fantasy Sports by using data to make projections for how a player will perform in a game or who will win, and by how many points. 

I’ll be honest, I didn't fully understand what that meant at first, but it sure sounded intriguing—so, I did a bit of digging! Underdog Fantasy Sports is an online daily fantasy sports website and mobile app launched in 2020, with active users exceeding 2.4 million.  

In addition, Garrett has just launched a brand new Bay Area sports podcast called The Bay Area Beat—a twice a week conversation with fellow sports fans on all things Warriors, Giants, and 49ers. It’s available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Athletic kid charts an educational path to fulfill his ambition

From his earliest days at Marin Horizon, Garrett has nurtured a love of sports. He attended MHS for ten years, graduating in 2013. Garrett went on to attend Urban High School in San Francisco (‘17), then the University of Oregon (‘21) where he majored in Business (with a focus on Sports Business) and a minor in Spanish and Journalism, and finally Columbia University (‘23) where he earned a Masters in Sports Analytics.

He now makes his home in New York City, working with Underdog Fantasy based in Brooklyn, but stays connected to his Bay Area roots and sports teams via his new podcast.

We asked Garrett about his time at Marin Horizon…

Q: What is your favorite memory of Marin Horizon School? Educational or otherwise?

My favorite memory of MHS was all the outdoor education trips as well as the leadership building and sweat lodge during the 5th grade trip to Camp Redwood Glen. I loved how MHS empowered students to do learning outside of the classroom. Marin Horizon helped shape me as the leader I am today as well as opened my eyes to my love for nature and the outdoors.  

Q: Who was your favorite MHS teacher and why? 

I had too many amazing MHS teachers to count and I will feel terrible forgetting one, but Stevie Lee, Susan Guadagno, Carla Wilkins, Anjuli Elias, Annie Gordon, Mo Poxon, and Joel Booth. 

Q: Did you have a favorite class or subject?

As any athletic kid with ADHD, I loved PE. But academically, Spanish was my favorite subject in school. Carla was such a fantastic and inspirational teacher that I ended up minoring in Spanish and consider myself semi-fluent today. It was also a class that I struggled in because of my learning differences but the way Carla taught it made me fall in love with the language. 

Q: How did Marin Horizon prepare you for your next steps—high school and beyond? 

MHS prepared me well academically, socially, and personally for the Urban School of San Francisco. I was far more equipped with writing analytical essays with a clear thesis than most of my ninth grade classmates. I also developed a very strong work ethic from MHS which has been the backbone to all my educational and career success to this day. 

Q: With the benefit of hindsight, what do you think was unique about your education at Marin Horizon, compared with your peers in high school and beyond?

MHS’ core principles of inclusivity, compassion, and doing the right thing are all staples of my life to this day. Obviously MHS was a fantastic education, but what I think separated it for me is how focused they were on personal development with a strong code of ethics. MHS also taught me to push outside my comfort zone as evidenced in the Outdoor Education and Leadership retreats. 

Left to right: Garrett with his younger brothers Harrison (‘17) & Dustin (‘19)