For the majority of players on Riverdale Country School’s no-cut contact private school football team, all they had to do was show up and receive a spot on the team. Mandelzis, who is listed as a cornerback and wide receiver, had to do much more than that, undergoing a sexual and physical maturity test, receiving a closed-door panel’s approval, and having to handwrite an essay legitimizing her interest in a sport she grew up loving and is a staple of her family.