Before senior William Perkins, captain of the water polo and swim teams, gets ready to jump in the pool, he reflects on how he wants to represent the swim team; he does not just want to perform the best for the points, but to be a good role model for his swimming teammates.
“[I want] to help uplift and inspire others and use what I have learned over my four years of swimming in order to better myself and everyone around me,” Perkins said.“At the end of the day, what I care about the most is representing the team as a whole.”
Being in the pool is something that has been a part of Perkins’ life since middle school, but he did not start competitively swimming until his freshman year, and he became captain of the team his senior year.
“Being able to have this position where I can lead activities and try to inspire them through cheers and chants is my favorite part of this year,” Perkins said. “I love swimming and would never quit it, but this year I want to feel completed.”
They take time, but there is nothing more valuable than your time than being able to grow, learn and better yourself.
— William Perkins
This last summer Perkins was a swim coach, and he feels that it was a perfect role for him to get ready to be the captain this year.
“It allowed me to apply my skills in teaching swim to a wide range of skills to help develop people quickly and make sure everyone feels included in the sport,” he said.
One way that he has incorporated this mindset into his captain’s role it that he makes sure that he and his swim teammates go out to dinner once a week. During the team dinners, the teammates discuss upcoming team events, celebrate any victories and share funny experiences.
“A couple of weeks ago, we went to the duck pond, and it was a lot of fun,” Perkins said. “I hopped in and swam around, and I practiced my lap.”
In addition to being a leader of the swim team, he is also in a leadership role as part of the water polo team. In his sophomore year, Perkins was debating whether or not to join the team after a roster spot opened up. Before he decided on his own, his good friend William Wheeler and his father both insisted that he join.
“They didn’t even give me a choice really, [and] the next thing I knew I was picked up at my house, and I was in the pool doing laps for water polo,” Perkins said. “Initially it was a force, but I love the community and I am more than happy to be a part of it.”
He works hard on the pool, and he is a great role model for everyone.
— Coach Jeff Rudy
Fast forward to senior year, Perkins is now captain of the water polo team, which is another thing he did not plan, but water polo captains, Spencer Mcnelis and William Wheeler encouraged him and set the new goal for him.
“I got it passed down to me by my close friends, Spencer Mcnelis and William Wheeler,” Perkins said. “They both were super adamant about me taking over the position. I love the sport, and I would do anything for those boys. Anything to keep water polo going at Mac is my goal.”
McNelis saw the potential that Perkins to lead because he witnessed how persistent Perkins is and how committed he is to improving himself.
“I knew he would be a great captain [by] seeing how he put so much effort playing in the field and communicating to everyone on what we can do better at,” McNelis said.
Though Perkins admits he was initially forced to play water polo, he slowly developed a love for it because of how close of a bond the team has.
“Everyone that is committed to water polo is just so invested in the sport and moreso they are invested in each other and being able to have these strong connections with one another,” Perkins said. “It really feels like a brotherhood—like an understanding of how we are united.”
As captain of the water polo team, Perkins’ main priority was to make sure everyone on the team was enjoying their time being a part of the group.
“I am trying to keep that same camaraderie strong for the players,” Perkins said. “[That] is the way that we can keep water polo going for the foreseeable future.”
Though Perkins said he loves being a part of both swimming and water polo, he admits that it has put a strain on his school work and personal life. He has to balance out his other priorities against his commitment to both sports.
“What I [found] myself doing is as soon as I get home from school I would do my homework and then go straight to swim practice,” Perkins said. “And the second that swim practice would end, I would go straight to water polo, so from 7 clock to 10:30 at night, I’d be at the pool.”
Being a part of water polo and swimming has not only made Perkins a better swimmer and player but has also given him the opportunity to better his social skills and pass on what he has learned to future players.
“[Being] around different people as well as getting a sense of team spirit and camaraderie, these kinds of ideas helped me develop my social skills and become a more confident leader in my abilities and instill in people what I [have] learned,” he said.
I am trying to keep that same camaraderie strong for the players. [That] is the way that we can keep water polo going for the foreseeable future.
— William Perkins
Head swim coach Jeff Rudy said that Perkins has done a great job as captain so far this year due to how he is able to bring the team together and work harder.
“He is able to improve team spirit, and he does a lot of things behind the scenes to make sure everyone feels like they are a part of the [team],” Rudy said. “He works hard in the pool, and he is a great role model for everyone.”
As captain of both teams, Perkins has also been trying to convince more people to join water polo and swim because he believes that both sports offer an opportunity for participants to develop character and to grow.
“They take time, but there is nothing more valuable than your time than being able to grow, learn and better yourself,” Perkins said. “I think both sports will accomplish a thousand times more than [anyone] could expect.”
As much as Perkins has enjoyed his experience being on both teams, he does not plan to continue them at the college level. He intends instead to focus on his studies, but the lessons he has learned will stick with him for a long time.
“Anyone who knows me knows I am on the swim team, but being able to get those skills of working with other people helped develop my sense of character,” Perkins said. “Those are [lessons] I am never going to forget, even though I might stop swimming after [graduating], those lessons will always stick with me.”
Riley Pita • Jan 21, 2024 at 11:18 am
I really liked how this article told the story linearly about Perkin’s career from water polo to the swim team. It was really surprising to me when I read that he didn’t originally intend on staying in the water polo team and was kind of just thrown into it.