By Kyle LoJacono
Anyone who has seen a Gaither High sports event has likely seen Paul Barrett.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound senior has been on the Cowboys’ football team the last two years and a member of the soccer and track and field squads since coming to Gaither from Alonso as a sophomore.
Barrett played wide receiver in football, making five catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns to help the squad go 9-4 and reach the regional finals for the second time in the program’s 27-year history.
During the winter in soccer he posted six goals and seven assists while playing midfield and forward. The Cowboys won a district and regional championship to make back-to-back state final four appearances this year with Barrett’s help.
Now as the track season begins, Barrett is trying to achieve more than he did as a junior when he won three district championships and reached the Class 4A state meet in the 300-hurdles.
Barrett said the one challenge he has when the seasons shift is transitioning from sport to sport.
“It takes time when one season ends and the other starts because they’re all so different,” Barrett said. “Moving from football to soccer was hard, and then for track it’s nothing like soccer. The first week of track I was so tired.”
The deep playoff runs for the football and soccer teams meant Barrett joined his next squad weeks after practice began.
“He’s still getting into the track season,” said Gaither second-year boys track and field coach Jeff Ditman. “It’s not a bad thing because it’s great that he does so many sports. The determination to succeed is there with him. He’s committed and he’s got nothing but potential.
“He definitely brings the work ethic,” Ditman continued. “He’s an interesting kid, and I mean that in a great way. He’s a fun-loving kid and he brings a certain energy to the track that’s necessary. It can be a grind. You’re grinding away in practice because you’re not practicing — you’re training. He brings a fun-loving energy that really picks people up.”
Eric Sims, the Cowboys’ boys soccer coach, said Barrett filled holes created this year after losing 10 seniors from the previous squad.
“He’s really big and fast,” Sims said. “He’s really hard to stop once he gets going on a run. We needed his offense and he’s a big reason we got back to the final four.”
Ditman is also an assistant on the football team, giving him the chance to see Barrett in very dissimilar activities.
“He’s always prepared, and the other thing is he’s a kid who takes AP courses and works really hard in the classroom,” Ditman said. “It’s hard to do everything he does and excel in three sports, especially nowadays. It just seems like kids specialize. To actually compete in three seasons at a high level is really rare.”
Barrett said playing three sports gives him insights those who specialize in one don’t have.
“I learned a lot from football that I could use in soccer,” Barrett said. “Football is such a team sport because you have to use all the players to win. I tried to do that in soccer and use all our players. That’s what our team was in soccer because we used each other.”
Barrett was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica and came to Hillsborough County in the sixth grade. He said soccer is the sport he has played the longest going back to his earliest memories.
“I did track to stay in shape after the soccer season,” Barrett said. “During the summer I tried to do club soccer, but it was too expensive so I started playing football.”
Barrett is unfazed by his busy schedule between school and athletics.
“The time management really isn’t that hard,” Barrett said. “A lot of kids exaggerate that part. I guess it’s just the mentality I grew up with.”
Barrett’s favorite sports memory at Gaither was playing at the University of Tampa in the 5A state semifinals as a junior. Second is winning the high jump district title a year ago, besting Alonso’s Brandon Holloway who is considered one of the top running back prospects nationally.
“I mean I beat Brandon Holloway, and how many people can say that,” Barrett said with a smile. “I can say I beat Brandon Holloway. He’s going to be famous some day.”
Barrett has no set plans for college, but would like to play soccer or compete in track on scholarship or as a walk-on. Wherever he goes he won’t forget the hours he has spent on the Cowboys’ gridiron, pitch and track.
“I’ve really loved my three years here,” Barrett said. “I’ll always remember being here.”
–All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches.
