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03/01/2017 11:00 PMAdam Perrotti was a member of the football, basketball, and tennis teams upon arriving at East Haven High School. Now a junior, Adam still plays tennis for the Yellowjackets, but he’s also carved out another role as the leader of the student section that cheers on the Easties at their contests.
“When I was in 8th grade, I looked and saw how much fun the student section had and how they brought the whole school together. It just fell apart my freshman year, so my sophomore year, I was asked to lead it,” says Adam, who plays doubles for the boys’ tennis team. “If I was [still playing football and basketball], it would’ve been tough, so I stopped. Now, we have the student section to hockey, football, and basketball games. This year, it just blew up and we did a good job of promoting the sports and getting crowds to every game.”
Adam goes to great lengths to promote the Yellowjackets’ sporting events. He makes fliers that he posts around the high school and even created a Twitter account for the East Haven student section.
“I’ll start tweeting about the games, and I used to create hype videos to get kids pumped up. [Athletic Director Anthony Verderame] also helps me hang fliers around the school,” says Adam. “We like to attend all sports. Last year was heavily football and hockey, but this year was more basketball, and we’re going to work on getting to some softball and baseball games this year.”
Adam’s involvement with the student section doesn’t go unnoticed by Verderame, who loves the energy that Adam displays while supporting the Yellowjackets.
“Adam has done an amazing job with bringing our student body together for our athletic events,” says Verderame. “He has coordinated with coaches to provide equal representation at all games for all teams. He truly is the face of the East Haven hive.”
Adam’s relationship with the administration has helped boost attendance at East Haven’s games. Adam knew it would be beneficial to throw in a few perks to increase the student section’s numbers, and that strategy has paid off in a big-time way.
“We actually started that last year and it’s worked great. East Haven athletics has provided T-shirts and they sell them to raise money for our athletic program,” says Adam. “To get more people in games, they lift admission if any students are following our theme. For example, we had a costume night around Halloween, so if any student showed up in costume, they got in for free. Things like that have really helped us build our numbers.”
The increased attendance at East Haven’s home games really sticks out to Adam. He feels proud about where the student section is now compared to when he became the leader.
“It’s grown immensely from last to this year. I’ve seen it grow in hundreds,” he says. “We maybe had 25 to 50 people at games last year, but this year, we’ve had 150-plus. I’m hoping the same thing happens next year. I like to show people that we can have a good time—anything that can help us grow.”
Adam’s role with the student section has helped him get to know people outside of his typical circle of friends at the high school. Adam gets a big kick from leading the fan base in tandem with those people during the games.
“I love being with everyone and having everyone like me. Being the student section leader has helped in a great way,” Adam says. “I stand in the front of the section and, looking into the crowd, it’s nice to know I’m making an impact. I love seeing smiles because I’m doing a good thing and making everyone have a good time.”
Adam’s passion for music has also led to him using his DJ equipment at various school functions. Whether he’s at a field day, pep rally, or playing music during halftime and timeouts, Adam loves making everyone’s experience that much more enjoyable at the games. For Adam, it’s all about supporting his classmates.
“I like to display a lot of positive leadership. It’s not just about the sport, but our fellow classmates. I like to support those that are playing,” says Adam. “I enjoy doing this because it’s something I can do for the school to give back.”