New Hampton baseball coach Nicholas Perkins is wasting no time.
Since being named the new head coach, Perkins has been a busy man getting acclimated with the program that he inherited.
“I have reached out to players to let them know I am honored to be their coach and that I look forward to working with them,” Perkins said. “The first week or so has been rewarding, in that a lot of people have reached out to me to extend their congratulations, tell me they are happy for me, and wish me well. That has meant a lot.”
One thing, Perkins noted, is that the desire to compete isn’t lacking from his players.
“We won’t have to convince the players Hampton Baseball can play on a high level,” Perkins said. ”The 2017 ball club proved that.”
The 2017 Bulldog squad came up a game short of the start tournament as they advanced to the sectional round. Hampton was runner-up in the District 1-A and Region 1-A Tournaments. The coaching spot became vacant when Matthew Hardin stepped down at the end of the season.
Perkins, who has been a special education teacher at the school for two years, knew this was the head coaching job he had been waiting for.
“For me it was not about getting a high school head coaching gig, Perkins said. “For me it was about Hampton. The community, administrators I work under, faculty and staff I work with, and the students have been so kind and gracious to me since I arrived on campus two years ago as a Special Education teacher. It’s special because it’s Hampton.”
The expectations that come with any coaching job at Hampton isn’t lost on Perkins.
“The rich athletic tradition at HHS speaks for itself,” Perkins said. “We want to pick up where the 2017 club left off, and play a part in helping Bulldog Baseball establish a rich tradition. I am honored to be among the great group of coaches we have at HHS.”
“I must thank the sovereign God and Christ my King and I must thank my best friend, my wife, Heather,” Perkins said. “We can’t wait to establish relationships with these young men, hopefully be a blessing to them and positive influence on them, teach the game, have fun, and win a lot of baseball games along the way. We look forward to the competition.”
