A well-respected coach and teacher - Coach Rosetti moves on - By Stephanie Coffin

On the field…

Phil Rosetti, an assistant varsity football coach, an assistant varsity girls basketball coach, a Windham High School teacher for the past 19 years, will be exiting the high school doors for new adventures. Known by most as Coach Rosetti or ROSI has accepted the assistant principal position at South Portland High. 

Coach Rosetti has coached football for the past 15 seasons, 12 of those seasons with Coach Matt Perkins. He started in 1999 with the very first varsity football team in Windham. Coach Perkins was hired for the fourth season. After Coach Perkins’ first season in 2002, Rosetti joined his staff and hasn’t regretted one moment of that decision. Primarily Rosetti worked with the linemen on both sides, but was there for all the players. The players looked at Coach Rosetti as Coach Perkins’ right hand man. He is respected by the students he has influenced both on and off the field.

Football holds a lot of fond memories for Coach Rosetti. As a coach for so many seasons in a sport that derives so much passion from the players, from the coaches, from the fans, Rosetti believes that he has been a part of some tremendous things. From comeback wins, to last second heroics, and to state championship games, he has witnessed a program grow from its beginning to its current status of being one of the top programs in the state. Rosetti is proud to say, “I’ve had a small role in making it happen.” To those who have had the pleasure of working with Rosetti they would concur.

“Probably one of my fondest moments occurred the first year we had football at Windham,” Rosetti started. “In the old school there was a big trophy case by the main office that students hung out near before school. On the Friday before our first game we issued game jerseys for the players to wear to school for the day. As I entered the building I saw some of the football players gathered by the main office. I watched these players interacting with each other joking around. These teammates were students who previously wouldn’t have spent a second getting to know each other. It was the star basketball players, the vocational students, the farmers, along with students in the National Honor Society and members of the chamber singers; it was at that moment that I realized the impact football would have on our community and the culture and climate of our schools.” Rosetti believes that athletics was the avenue to bring people together and that it is more than just a game.

Exiting senior Matt Roy has nothing but good things to say about Coach Rosetti. "He was well respected and liked by everyone on the team, no matter the grade or position of the player. Coach always put the players first and was there when needed." Roy continued, "Coach Rosetti was always in a good mood and made practice fun with his jokes and positive attitude." 

A lot of things that go on behind the scenes of any sport fans are not aware of. Those take a lot of dedication from coaches which Rosetti made happen for Windham's football program. Coach Rosetti ran the weight room at 5:00 a.m. and helped with the speed and agility training in the afternoons as well as taking on additional tasks such as taking care of the football equipment logs. 

"Coach will be a great loss not only in these areas of the football program but he will be a big loss to the tradition and heart of Windham football," said Roy.

 

On the court…
Once football was over, Rosetti found another sport to hold his attention – girls basketball. Last season girls varsity basketball coach Brody Artes was looking for an assistant and he asked Rosetti to join his staff. Even though it only ended up being for that one season Coach Rossetti stated “I enjoyed working with Brody and all the girls. They are a very talented group of student-athletes. My daughter Maria loved spending time with the team and they were great role models for her.” 

“There are a lot of great memories that I take with me from both sports. In basketball it would be the great rally and comeback win versus Falmouth in this year’s preliminary game. The resolve, never say die attitude, and work ethic displayed by the Lady Eagles was tremendous and a true character of all Windham teams,” he said.

In coming senior Sadie Nelson was saddened by the news of Coach Rosetti departure, but at the same time very excited for him. 

“Coach Rosetti was a great asset to our team! He was a ball of positivity and all the girls really liked him and respected him as a coach and a person!” said Nelson. The team knew he was still learning about the game of girls’ basketball, but they admired his “hook shot from around the post area”. The team is continuing the Rosetti stretching drills even though he is no longer with them. The team will miss yelling ‘ROSI’ when he enters the gym. Sadie continued, that when the team found out that he would no longer be coaching “we were really upset about it but also happy for him and his new job.” This group of girls mutually agreed, “He is a really great coach and was there whenever you needed him; he will be missed this coming season.”

When asked what drew him to the assistant principal position at South Portland, Rosetti stated “I’ve been fortunate that over the course of my 19 years at Windham I’ve been able fill in as assistant principal five times. I’ve always enjoyed the experience, but wanted to return to the classroom and continue coaching the kids.” Rosetti knew that at some point in his career he wanted to move into an assistant principal role. “I’ve loved teaching and working with students in the classroom but am ready for a new challenge and to work more closely mentoring students and helping them reach their goals and assisting in leading a school.”

Phil Rosetti wanted the kids to know that “My decision to leave was not an easy one and I am truly going to miss many things about working at Windham, especially my relationships with the students. I hope that during my time at Windham High school I was able to make a positive impact in the lives of those that I worked with and in our community.”