Man, trying out for the St. Xavier football team was something else. Gotta tell you exactly how I tackled this beast, step by step.
The Starting Point: Finding the Info
First thing I did was hunt down the official team page online. Took me a few tries with search terms like “St. Xavier football tryouts” before I landed on the right spot. No actual website links anywhere obvious, just buried text saying “Check athletics section”. Classic.
Step one: Make sure you meet the basic stuff.
- You gotta be a full-time student – no way around that.
- Need a physical check-up from a doctor dated within the last year. Don’t even bother showing up without it.
- Your grades must meet the school’s minimum. They straight-up ask for report cards.
I hauled myself to the clinic for that physical. Doc poked around, made me cough – felt super awkward but got the form stamped.
The Nitty-Gritty Paper Chase
This part sucked worse than wind sprints. I had to download a million forms:
- The main tryout registration form (three pages long!).
- Emergency contact sheets.
- Proof of insurance photocopy.
- Copy of my birth certificate.
- Signed concussion awareness form.
- Signed “no drugs” pledge.
My printer ran out of ink halfway through. Nearly lost it.
Step two: Submit everything.
You don’t just bring this pile of junk to the field. Nope. Had to stuff it all into a big envelope and physically walk it to the Athletic Director’s office. Lady at the desk gave me the stink eye checking it over. Missed one signature – had to run home, sign it, run back. Total pain.
Gearin’ Up & Showin’ Up
Tryouts weren’t one day, it was a whole weeknight nightmare. Started around 4 PM sharp, after school.
What I needed:
- Cleats. Bought new ones the weekend before.
- Light T-shirt and shorts – nothing fancy.
- Mouthguard. They sold cheap ones at the door if you forgot.
- Lots of water. I brought two big bottles and still ran dry.
Rolled up to the school fields. Already sweatin’ just thinking about it. Couple assistant coaches barked at us to line up. Maybe 70 guys standing around looking nervous. Coach Riley – head guy – stood on a bench and yelled out the schedule for the week.
Grindin’ It Out: The Tryouts
First night was pure torture:
- Ran 40-yard dashes. They timed us with stopwatches.
- Did broad jumps – felt like a frog.
- Shuttle runs ’til my legs were jelly.
- Basic agility drills, weaving through cones. Tripped once. Embarrassing.
Next nights got specific:
- Split into groups by position. I wanted WR, so I ran routes.
- Dropped passes when I got tired. Coaches didn’t say much, just scribbled notes.
- One-on-one drills versus DBs. Got burned once.
- Conditioning! So much running. Thought I’d puke after “suicides”.
Coaches watched everything. Every step, every catch, every time you looked like you were dying. Zero sugar-coating.
The Wait & The Call
Week after tryouts felt longer than the actual grind. No list posted anywhere. Just radio silence.
Started doubting everything. Maybe I wasn’t fast enough? Maybe I dropped one too many passes?
Then, last Tuesday around dinner time, my phone buzzed. Unknown number.
“This Coach Riley. You made the St. Xavier Football Team. First practice Monday, 3:45 PM sharp. Don’t be late.”
He hung up quick. Didn’t even sound excited. But man, I almost screamed. Ran around the living room like a crazy person. My dad just laughed.
Whole process was brutal, but crossing that finish line? Totally worth the paper cuts and sore legs.
