Okay, so my kid’s been buzzing about Parkway West High School football tryouts for weeks. Figured I’d help him navigate it, ’cause honestly? School websites can be a maze. Here’s exactly how we got him signed up, step by messy step.
The Starting Point: Pure Confusion
First thing? I grabbed my laptop and Googled “Parkway West football tryouts”. Boom – tons of stuff popped up, but half were old articles or random forums. Felt like digging through a junk drawer. Finally clicked the actual Parkway School District site. Big mistake. That thing’s built like a fortress. Couldn’t find squat under “Athletics” or “Activities”.
Hunting Down the Paperwork
Remembered schools love physical forms. Drove over to Parkway West’s main office after work. Lady at the desk handed me a bright orange packet – “Athletic Participation Packet”. Inside? A mountain of stuff:
- A physical exam form needing a doctor’s stamp (gotta be within the last year).
- Emergency contact sheets with like 50 blanks.
- Insurance proof – had to dig up our insurance card.
- Some concussion education pamphlet they make you sign.
Took us a whole evening filling that mess out. Pro tip: do NOT wait until the weekend before tryouts. The doc’s appointment alone took a week to get.
The Sneaky Online Portal
Thought we were done? Nope. Buddy at work said everything’s online now too. Went back to the district site, clicked around forever, and found this tiny “FinalForms” link buried under “Parents”. Had to create an account, verify my email, then link it to my kid’s student ID number (which I found on last year’s report card). Uploaded scans of:
- Doctor-signed physical form.
- Insurance card front/back.
- Emergency contact page.
Website crashed twice. Almost threw my coffee cup. But hey, got a green “Completed!” checkmark after three tries.
Tryout Day Chaos
Show up at the field last Tuesday. Coach is yelling through a megaphone about cleats and water bottles. Kids are stretching everywhere. Here’s how it went down:
- Check-in table: Showed ID, they crossed his name off a printed list (guess FinalForms worked).
- Equipment shed: Grabbed practice jersey #87 – smelled like old sweat. Freebie, I guess.
- Drills: Coaches split them into groups. Saw my kid running 40-yard dashes ’til he looked ready to puke. Later, they did blocking sleds and catching.
- Water breaks: Every 15 minutes. Smart. August heat’s no joke.
Whole thing lasted two hours. Kid came home limping but grinning.
The Aftermath
Coach said they’d post the team list by Friday on the athletics bulletin board. Checked it obsessively for two days. Finally saw his name under “Junior Varsity” scribbled on neon paper. Kid yelled “YES!” loud enough to scare the dog. Now we’re shopping for bigger cleats. Mission accomplished.
Moral of the story? Start stupid early with the paperwork. And pack extra Gatorade.