Alright, let me tell you about my time trying out for the DMHS football team. It feels like a lifetime ago, but I remember it pretty clearly because, well, it was kind of a big deal for me back then.
I wasn’t exactly the star athlete type, you know? More like the kid who carried books than a football. But senior year was rolling around, and I just felt like I needed to push myself, try something totally different. Saw the signup sheet for football tryouts near the gym, and something just clicked. Why not, right? What’s the worst that could happen?
Getting Ready
So, first things first, I had to get that physical done. Doctor checked me out, signed the form. Check. Then came the gear. Man, those cleats felt weirdly powerful when I first put them on. Bought some basic practice clothes too. I remember doing some awkward runs around my neighborhood trying to get in shape, probably looked ridiculous. The main thing was the nerves, though. Kept thinking about those huge guys already on the team.
The Tryouts Begin
First day was intense. It was August, crazy hot out on that field. Felt like a hundred kids showed up. The coaches lined us all up. Didn’t do a lot of shouting right away, more observing. We started with basic drills:
- Sprints: Just testing pure speed. I wasn’t the fastest, definitely not the slowest either, which surprised me.
- Agility drills: Weaving through cones, quick changes of direction. Felt clumsy as heck doing those.
- Catching and throwing: Paired up. My throws were wobbly, catches were okay sometimes, dropped a few easy ones out of sheer nervousness.
- Hitting the sled: This was where the real football feeling kicked in. Learning to drive low and push. It was exhausting.
Every day was pretty much the same routine, just harder. You could see who the naturals were pretty quick. They moved differently, caught everything, threw perfect spirals. Then there were guys like me, just grinding, trying to learn, trying to show we had heart, I guess.
Making the Cut?
The coaches didn’t say much to individuals at first. Mostly just instructions, corrections. You kind of had to guess how you were doing based on whether they corrected you a lot or just let you be. I remember one coach, Coach Miller, pulled me aside once after I messed up a drill. Didn’t yell, just showed me the footwork again. That small moment felt huge, like maybe I wasn’t invisible.
After about a week, they posted the list. Man, walking up to that board was nerve-wracking. My heart was pounding. I scanned the names… and mine wasn’t there. Not on the main roster, anyway.
What Happened Next
Didn’t make the team. Simple as that. Felt pretty crummy for a day or two, not gonna lie. All that effort, the heat, the awkward drills, for nothing. But then, thinking back, it wasn’t really for nothing.
Here’s the thing I realized later: Going through that whole process taught me something. It wasn’t about becoming a football star. It was about showing up when it was hard. It was about trying something I knew I probably wouldn’t be great at. It was about dealing with not getting picked and moving on.
Sounds cliché, I know, but that experience stuck with me. Years later, when I faced tough projects at work, things that felt overwhelming or where I felt out of my depth, I’d sometimes think back to those hot August days on the field. Just gotta show up, do the work, even if you feel clumsy, even if you don’t make the “team” right away. You learn something just by trying. So yeah, my DMHS football career was short and ended before it began, but I’m still glad I did it.
