Two years ago, Gabe Moore dropped football cold turkey. The year before that, basketball.
The Freeport star was the poster boy for athletic versatility, averaging 14 points a game on the hardwood and piling up 2,223 yards and 28 touchdowns on the gridiron as just a sophomore.
Coupled with a runner-up finish at state in the high jump, it led to the coveted Northwest Florida Daily News Male Athlete of the Year, an honor bestowed upon the best athlete in a three-county, 12-school coverage area.
All this as an underclassman, mind you.
By his senior year, he focused on just one sport: track and field.
This decision — which was easy for Moore — is becoming more prevalent with athletes these days. Cue Baby boomers and Gen Xers shaking their heads.
To be fair, as a 29-year old — a member of the Millennium Generation — even I struggle to empathize with this trend.
Like my friends growing up, I played everything: golf, tennis, basketball, baseball, soccer and football.
Sure, there were a fewtravel teams here and there. But they weren’t year-long commitments or bank-draining ventures.
Sports had designated seasons. Once those seasons moved on, so did athletes.
Once I got to high school in 2000, this mentality still remained the norm. In North Carolina, I competed in cross country, indoor track and, forced to choose between tennis and golf, golf. A year later, after moving to Colorado, I was allowed to play golf and tennis, all while resuming my running activities.
Paired with a job and academics, it was trying, but also exhilarating; the bond and memories created far outweighed the sore muscles, callused hands and aching back.
Flash forward to present day: Athletes more times than not are weighing the risk and reward of condensing their skills into one sport.
Scholarships remain the biggest reward, the culmination of earning the exposure of playing one sport year round.
Another reward? Lessening the chances of injury.
Case in point: Rory McIlroy will sit out the British Open because of a soccer injury. This doesn’t mean injuries won’t happen. It’s just that with the physicality and wear and tear of each sport’s commitment, versatility is rarely prized or encouraged.
Gone are the days of Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders and, remember Michael’s jump to baseball?
Moore’s decision to focus on track proved to be fruitful. He won a state title in track, captured indoor nationals and shined in world-wide showcases.
This all led to a scholarship from the University of Arkansas, which houses one of the top track and field programs in the country.
Small-town folks originally scoffed at his decision to specialize.
Once considered the anomaly, it appears Moore’s plight is now closer to the norm.
… loud, audible sigh
Seth Stringer is the Northwest Florida Daily News' sports editor.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: STRINGER: Athletes snub versatility, specialize in one sport