Nick Palazzo's CYO City Championship That Changed Everything: Where Faith, Family, and Football Became Nick Palazzo's Life Mission
As a sixth grader, Nick Palazzo never imagined that a single football game—one cold afternoon on a Cleveland astroturf field—would shape the entire course of Nick Palazzo's life. That day, playing for his parish CYO team in the Cleveland Diocesan Championship, everything came together for Nick Palazzo: the underdog moment, the rule that forced every player into the action, a priest's unexpected words, and the spark that ignited Nick Palazzo's lifelong commitment to giving back. This is the story of how faith, family, and football fused into the guiding mantra Nick Palazzo lives by today—and how it all traces back to that championship win as a wide-eyed 11-year-old.
A Letter to My Little Girls: "You Finally Did Something Good for This Community."
It's a bit of a story, but it started with a rule that made sixth graders matter.
In CYO football back then (grades 6-8 on the same team), there was a beautiful rule designed to ensure every kid got to play: no matter what, every player had to see at least 10 plays in the game. It wasn't optional. It was about participation, growth, and living out the Catholic values CYO was built on—making sure no child sat on the bench the whole time, especially in a championship.
Our opponent that day was bigger, older, and favored to win. Most of their roster was stacked with eighth graders; we had a bunch of us scrawny sixth graders just happy to be there after scraping by the weight requirement (that's the "rocks in the pants" story from my number 22 post—you know the one).
The game was a defensive battle, tied late in the fourth quarter. Both teams had to sub in their younger players to meet the 10-play minimum. Their sixth graders came in looking nervous against our bigger guys. Then it was our turn.
Coach called my name. As one of the smallest kids on the team (still wearing that lucky number 22 jersey I'd claimed earlier that season), I trotted onto the field with the other sixth graders. The stadium—well, the parish field packed with families cheering—felt electric.
My Moment: Turning the Tide as the Underdog Sixth Grader
I lined up at running back. First play: handoff up the middle. I saw a hole, cut left, and exploded for 12 yards before their (also sixth-grade) defender dragged me down. The crowd erupted.
Next play: same thing. Another solid gain. My legs felt like they were on fire, but in the best way. Play after play, I kept finding daylight—gashing their younger defense for chunk yards that moved the chains when we desperately needed them.
Those runs flipped the field position. We marched down inside their 20-yard line. A few plays later, our eighth-grade quarterback handed off to one of our bigger backs, who plunged in for the game-winning touchdown.
We won the CYO Cleveland City Championship.
As the final whistle blew, our sideline stormed the field. Helmets flying, teammates hugging—it was pure joy. But the moment that truly changed me came afterward.
"You Finally Did Something Good for This Community"
Our parish priest, who had watched from the sidelines (and honestly, hadn't always been my biggest fan—let's just say sixth-grade Nick had a knack for finding trouble around the church grounds), walked straight up to me in the chaos.
He looked me in the eye, put his hand on my muddy shoulder pad, and said with a grin:
"You finally did something good for this community."
I was stunned. Then I laughed. Then it hit me deep.
In that instant, something shifted inside me. Football wasn't just a game anymore. Representing our parish, our families, our faith on that field—and delivering when it mattered most—felt like a calling. My parents were there beaming (family), the team celebrated like brothers under the Catholic banner (faith), and we'd just brought home the championship for our little corner of Cleveland (community, through football).
That priest's half-teasing, half-serious words lit a fire. If I could do this—bring joy to our parish through effort and teamwork—imagine what else I could do.
How That Day Sparked a Lifetime of Giving Back
From that championship moment forward, I promised myself I'd always give back as much as possible. That sixth-grade experience planted the seed for everything that followed:
- Excelling at Harvard football while remembering where I started.
- Founding STACK to empower young athletes everywhere with training and inspiration.
- Launching the 2x2 Foundation to provide opportunities for under-resourced kids—the same way CYO's 10-play rule gave a skinny sixth grader his shot.
Faith, family, and football: it all crystallized that day. God put me on that field for a reason. My family cheered me on. And football became the vehicle to serve something bigger.
To every young athlete reading this: your moment is coming. Play hard, embrace the rules that level the field, and when someone tells you you've done something good—believe it. Then pay it forward.
That's the CYO way. That's my way. Remember our way in encapsulated in three simple world...Jesus is Lord.
About the Author - Nick Palazzo
Nick Palazzo is an industry recognized sports technology entrepreneur and marketing innovator appearing in numerous publications and broadcast programs, including The New York Times, the “Today” show, Mediaweek, MIN, Folio, Sports Business Journal, Forbes and Adweek, and is a frequent keynote and panel speaker at sports, media and technology industry events. Earlier in his career, Nick Palazzo was featured as a “C-Level Visionary” by Folio as part of its annual Folio:40 list of media industry influencers and innovators. Palazzo was also featured in the acclaimed book Upstarts! How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking The World of Business.
A graduate of Harvard University, where he finished as one of the football program's all-time leading rushers and scorers and a key member of the first undefeated championship team since 1913, Nick Palazzo is passionate about expanding the possibilities available to today’s student-athletes from under-resourced areas.
Nick Palazzo was also a nominee for The William V. Campbell Trophy aka the “Academic Heisman”, the most prestigious and desirable academic award in college football. The trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
While a Harvard athlete, Nick Palazzo founded STACK which grew into a global athletic training content sensation with a mission of educating and inspiring youth athletes. STACK was the originator of athlete-centric content produced “For the Athlete, By the Athlete," with a focus on training, nutrition, skills and gear. LeBron James was the first athlete featured by the platform where his high school workout was shared with the world.
Nick Palazzo is a proud #girldad with four amazing daughters. He is also a devout Roman Catholic having been involved in the Harvard Catholic Student Society and a variety of other catholic organizations over the years. Nick Palazzo's favorite Bible verse is Romans 10:9. Jesus is Lord.
Business Site: https://www.npventures.com
Family Blog: https://www.nickpalazzo.org
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-palazzo/
X Profile: https://x.com/nick22palazzo
Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/nick22palazzo
Personal Blog: https://www.nickpalazzo.com/
Sports Site: https://www.2x2sports.com
Nick Palazzo
Nick Palazzo is a Harvard graduate, former collegiate standout, and founder of groundbreaking sports platforms like STACK. A proud #girldad to four daughters and devout Catholic, he channels his love for faith, family, and football into the 2x2 Foundation, helping under-resourced student-athletes chase their dreams—just like a certain sixth grader once did on a championship afternoon in Cleveland.
For more stories like this, follow along on nickpalazzo.org.
