Prep conference notebook: Should athletes be specialists or diversify? UNM football coach talks in-state recruiting

A discussion item that tends to get dialogue flowing is the contrast between specialization and diversity.

As this relates to high school athletics, many athletes remain devoted to one sport on a year-round basis. Not everyone is a fan of this.

There remain loud voices in favor of allowing athletes more time to compete in multiple sports.

This is what Artesia boys basketball coach Mike Mondragon spoke about Saturday afternoon as the 2025 New Mexico High School Sports Summer Conference concluded at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Artesia is coming off a huge 2024-25 year, with state titles in boys basketball and baseball, and a runner-up showing in football, and several top finishes in other sports.

Mondragon spoke Saturday about the benefits of allowing athletes to do multiple sports. Artesia, he said, most definitely benefited from the contributions of athletes across the three major sports.

“You can be successful using multi-sport athletes in your program. They don’t have to specialize,” Mondragon said in an interview. “It takes more communication, and more work for your head coaches and administration, but once you are for each other, it allows those athletes to shine, not just for your program but all programs.”

There are coaches — and, to be fair, athletes — who prefer to focus on a single sport. Other coaches want athletes to spread their wings and diversify.

Burnout, Mondragon said, is a legit concern for single-sport athletes.

“I think it’s sustainability,” he said. “The specialization model is getting old. It’s hard to sustain playing year round (in a single sport) for four straight years.”

And, he added, it’s even longer if the athlete began varsity competition as an eighth-grader.

But isn’t moving from sport to sport inviting the same type of burnout?

Mondragon answered:

“Our football boys, when they’re fixing to play for a state title, they’re ready to come to basketball. They’re tired of football,” he said. “Basketball, in March, they’re tired of basketball, they’re ready for baseball. By allowing them to do other sports, they get a break and a change of pace. It’s not burnout.”

TIME AND SPACE: University of New Mexico tight ends coach Jared Elliott was another of the afternoon speakers Saturday, and his opening remarks covered how the Lobos’ new coaching staff intends to recruit New Mexico.

“I think there’s challenges in recruiting everywhere,” Elliott said. “Regardless of where you are. You’ve got to cover a lot of ground, you’ve got to evaluate a lot of guys.”

But Elliot repeated what new Lobos head coach Jason Eck has already mentioned.

“Coach Eck is committed to recruiting the state of New Mexico,” he said. “It’s important to bring young men into our program (who want to be with) the cherry and silver.”

Of course, the Lobos have struggled mightily to sign elite New Mexico athletes; last school year is a glaring example, with three stars from La Cueva — Mason Posa, Cam Dyer and Mark Handy — all choosing programs from outside the state.

“Coack Eck, he’s the most accessible … maybe one of THE most accessible coaches,” Elliott said. “It’s an open-door policy. We have open practices, we don’t want to shut ourselves off … from potential recruits of prospects. We’re gonna be aggressive about building relationships with high school coaches.”

The Lobo coaching staff tried to hit the ground running once they arrived in Albuquerque, relying on tools such as Hudl, plus various recruiting ranking services, to help.

As it is, two metro-area players, Cibola linebacker Hayes Baum and Cleveland tight end Elijah Richards, have committed to UNM so far.

But, Elliott added, “it’s still old school. You have to see a player, you have to talk to a player. How is he wired, is he the right fit for us?”

And that doesn’t even necessarily mean college-ready athletes.

“We don’t view high school players as finished products,” Elliott said. “They’re developmental. So we’re gonna commit to that here.”

MADIGAN: Tim Madigan is one of Rio Rancho High’s all-time great boys golfers, and he is a past individual state champion for the Rams, in 2007. He later pursued a professional career.

He is now a teacher and golf coach at Organ Mountain. Last spring was his first season with the Knights.

Madigan was among the guest speakers on Saturday as he spoke about various facets that go into becoming a more productive and successful golfer.