Windham senior Perkins signs to play lacrosse at Coast Guard Academy

By Matt Pascarella

There was a big turnout of support at Windham High School on Tuesday, March 12 for senior Tobias Perkins’ commitment signing to attend the Coast Guard Academy where he will major in business management and leadership and play college lacrosse. Everyone who spoke about Perkins emphasized the fact that he is a leader on and off the field.

Proud parents Matt and Melissa Perkins watch as their son,
Tobias Perkins, signs a commitment letter to attend the
Coast Guard Academy this fall where he will play college
lacrosse and major in business management and leadership.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“It means a lot,” said Perkins. “Seeing teachers all the way from Primary School to now and to see how many people have impacted me throughout my life to get to this point is amazing. It shows hard work pays off and definitely shows how important the academic side of things are. When you do well in the classroom it’s another example of what a good outcome can be.”

Perkins loves contact sports and says he began playing lacrosse in the third grade. He wanted to stop playing T-Ball because it wasn’t exciting enough and asked if he could play lacrosse. His father signed him up and Perkins would watch the high school lacrosse players practice and play when he was in the sixth grade. Since then, every spring he’s looked forward to taking the field and the memories he’s made on every single team he’s been a part of have been incredible.

Athletics has taught Perkins a lot of life lessons like hard work, perseverance, humility, how to battle through adversity and how to be a leader. For him, playing three different sports with different skill levels makes you adjust your leadership style.

“It’s Tobias who has spoken for years about what to do and how to do it the right way,” said Windham varsity lacrosse coach Peter Small. “When I think back to Tobias coming up to the lacrosse field as a middle school kid and watching and learning and playing and leaning right into lacrosse, there’s an innate leadership ability within Tobias ... he sees the good, he sees the bad, he analyzes it and says this is how we then carry it forward. Watch what people do when they’re off-ball, or not highlighted, and that’s the true character of Tobias; he’s lifting everybody up around him. It’s a model for what we want of student athletes.”

During past summers Perkins has been playing in a variety of lacrosse showcases and tournaments and has been talking with different coaches. When he was in Pennsylvania, he introduced himself to an individual and they got to talking and Perkins was unaware this was the Coast Guard Academy’s lacrosse coach.

That coach wanted to attend some of Perkins’ games and liked what he saw. He then saw Perkins play in a tournament and invited Perkins to visit the Coast Guard Academy, as serving in the military has been something he’s always wanted to do.

While Perkins is unsure of what he would like to do with a business management and leadership degree after college, he would like to be involved with stopping human and drug trafficking.

His advice to anyone who wants to someday be a part of a college commitment signing is to do the best you can in the classroom, work hard on and off the field and doors will open.

“He’s definitely a leader,” said Windham senior and teammate Finn Smith. “I’ve looked up to him all my sports career; he’s always trying to get the best out of you. I’ve become a better lacrosse player because of him. It’s a privilege to have him as a teammate.”

According to Smith, Perkins will bring skills and goals to the Coast Guard Academy lacrosse team. Perkins will definitely have a leadership role and his teammates will look up to him.

Perkins said he would like to thank his friends, family, teachers, coaches and most importantly his parents. <