At the high school level, it’s incredibly commonplace to play multiple sports. In fact, it’s more surprising nowadays to see a teenager only play one sport. But when it comes to the collegiate level, it’s exceedingly rare to see multi-sport athletes.
One Ithacan will be bucking that trend this upcoming school year.
Jack Barton will continue both his football and lacrosse careers at Utica University. Believe it or not, he grew up wanting to play in college. Even crazier? He’s only played football for two years and lacrosse for just one year. But the Pioneers gave him the chance to pursue both avenues and continue to develop as a student-athlete.
“When I took my visits, it felt like a great community,” Barton said. “They all seemed like me. They’re all just ‘copy, paste.’ I was like these guys. I fit in really well here. They seemed like good programs. The lacrosse guys, the football guys, the staff, everybody was really welcoming.”
Barton stopped playing baseball his sophomore year as he felt his hitting would not translate to the collegiate level. That left the door open for a new opportunity in the spring. It’s safe to say his decision to pick up lacrosse paid off tremendously.
“As I was focusing on football, I was like, ‘why not try lacrosse?’” Barton said. “I have an open season for spring. I’m friends with a lot of lacrosse guys. My brother played lacrosse. I gave it a try, and then I ended up loving it.”
Barton committed to football first in early March. He stepped up as the starting quarterback and was a dual threat passing and running the football, highlighted by a six-touchdown performance in a home win over Binghamton. But he was recruited as a wide receiver and free safety, the latter of which he will likely feature in this fall.
While he won’t be under center for the Pioneers, one of the most important aspects he learned from his time commandeering the Little Red’s offense was how to lead by example as team captain.
“Stepping into that role was pretty big,” Barton said. “Leading the team in the off-season, I was always in the weight room getting everybody in. It was a great opportunity. In football, the team’s so big, and keeping everybody accountable and whatnot is a hard task, but it’s something good to put on your resume, for sure.”
That leadership carried over into lacrosse season as one of 18 seniors. It turned out to be quite the last dance for all those 12th graders, though it was the first and last dance In Barton’s case. The Little Red captured its first Section IV Class A title since 2018 with a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Corning. It was Barton who had the final possession, flinging the ball high up in the air as time expired and celebrations ensued. It’s a moment that will constantly replay in his mind for quite some time.
“I still go back to the Hudl film and watch that game back and I’m like, ‘Wow,’” Barton said. “Every moment of the game was just unreal. I think about it every day.”
In just a few months’ time, not only did Barton’s stick skills grow exponentially, his knowledge of the game also saw massive strides.
“The hardest part was understanding the game with that lacrosse IQ,” Barton said. “I noticed as the season went on, I just understood the game way more. It felt so much easier as I kept playing, and it was fun. It’s a great feeling learning something new as you go and being competitive within it.”
Since football and lacrosse play on the exact same playing surface—with different dimensions, of course—it’s no shock to hear that Barton feels the two sports share quite a few similarities besides the obvious athleticism needed to withstand contact.
“You have to be confident in lacrosse so much,” Barton said. “If you have self-doubt in lacrosse, it’s hard to play. Playing with confidence in both football and lacrosse brings you so much. You just got to think like you are the best player on the field. You got to think you’re the best athlete. You’ll go out there and you’ll play 10 times better.”
It will undoubtedly be a challenge for Barton to manage two sports along with his studies as the workload for both athletics and academics is greatly increased. But it’s a predicament that Barton is well-prepared to take on by the horns.
“I know there’s gonna be times where it’s gonna catch up to me all at once, so I gotta stay pretty consistent with getting my schoolwork done so I can have time to practice both my sports,” Barton said. “I feel like [it’s] just balancing the time and getting all the school work done and making sure that’s a top priority because I need to get a good GPA and all that.”
