Lincoln Academy staff member Phil Page leads a cheer during the final assembly of winter carnival on Feb. 14. (Paula Roberts photo)
Phil Page, the spirit of Lincoln Academy, has announced he will retire after almost 49 years in education.
Page has been the face of LA for many of those years, waving a LA flag during the homecoming parade, leading cheers at school assemblies, organizing spirit week, leading the student body in reciting the school song, or being a cheerleader and supporter at all athletic events.
Head of School Jeff Burroughs announced Page’s impending retirement in the school’s newsletter in February.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to spend time with Phil — whom I most often call ‘Coach’ — and in my six years here, I have learned so much from him about the kind of community LA strives to be,” Burroughs said in the newsletter. “Coach Page embodies the very qualities we hope to instill in our students: kindness, dependability, and an unwavering commitment to this school across generations. From leading the alumni council to running our elementary and middle school basketball camps each summer, and everything in between, his dedication has been boundless.”
Page graduated from Lincoln Academy in 1970. In high school, he was a three-sport, standout athlete. He earned the Balfour Award, which is given to the school’s top athlete. He was the top scorer for the Eagles at the Knox-Lincoln championship track and field meet his senior year.
While attending Lincoln Academy, Page ran on two Knox-Lincoln champion cross country teams and placed first individually in 1968 and 1969. His senior year he won a regional cross country championship.
He played basketball on the 1969 Knox-Lincoln championship team and set a school scoring record with 38 points in a game before the introduction of 3-pointers.
In track and field, Page won the Knox-Lincoln 2-mile championships in 1969. The following year, he won the mile and 880-yard run Knox-Lincoln titles and was runner-up in the discus and triple jump. He placed second in the mile run at states.
He was inducted into the Midcoast Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and LA Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.
Page earned a B.A. in political science from University of Southern Maine in 1974. Once he figured out he wanted to work in education, Page returned to school in 1976 to earn enough credits to teach. He played two years varsity basketball and one year varsity track.
While attending school, Page met Gail, who is now his wife of almost 49 years.
Once he finished at USM for the second time, Page began his career at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro, teaching social studies for eight years and coaching freshman and JV basketball, cross country, and track.
“That is where I got my foot in the door,” Page said. “I was fortunate enough to coach under Art Dyer, one of the most successful basketball coaches in the state. From him I learned the components of a successful basketball program.”
Page built successful cross country and track teams at MVHS by recruiting basketball players to come out for track. Medomak won boys cross country KVAC titles in 1981 and 1983 and a Western Maine Class B championship in cross country.
Coaching three sports for several years left much of the responsibility of raising the couple’s three children to Gail, Page said.
“Like many coaches we owe whatever success we may have had to our spouses,” Page said.
Page returned to his alma mater in the early 1980s, running the boys JV basketball program for the 1983-1984 season. In 1984, he took over the varsity boys basketball program and joined the LA faculty.
During his 11-year tenure as the boys varsity coach, Page achieved a 127-79 record and led the program to its first and currently only state championship in 1989 with in 15-game winning streak. The year before, the Eagles won the Mid-Maine Conference title and were the Western Maine runners-up.
Page is still active in running Lincoln Academy’s summer basketball camp. He has organized the LA eighth grade invitational basketball tournament for 40 years and started the girls eighth grade tourney 20 years ago.
In addition, Page coached varsity baseball, JV softball, and freshman and JV girls basketball at LA.
During his four decades at LA, Page has been involved in numerous aspects of school life. He taught U.S. history and geography for many years, as well as physical education.
Page has served as assistant athletic director and as a member of the wellness faculty and has been the Student of the Month advisor, LA Pride advisor, and faculty shield competition advisor.
Page has also served on the LA Alumni Association and worked in the school’s development office, which helped bring the two entities closer, he said.
“The added communication was a bonus,” Page said.
Page said he is pleased to have helped several graduating classes leave significant class gifts to LA, the most important of which was the granite sign in front of the school from the class of 2002 with the help of co-advisor Gary Bensen.
Page founded the LA Pumpkin Run to introduce cross country to junior high students, has been active in the LA Boosters, and started LA’s spirit week, which leads up to homecoming. During spirit week, Page leads the school’s pep rallies and rallies the crowd during the homecoming parade using a large megaphone.
“It helps set the tone for the school year, spirit wise,” Page said.
Lincoln Academy Head of School Jeffrey Burroughs (left) addresses the student body during a celebration for the retirement of Phil Page on Feb. 14. (Paula Roberts photo)
He also helps out with traditional events during winter carnival, a weeklong schedule of activities before February break. For the last day of this year’s winter carnival, Friday, Feb. 14, the student body, faculty, and staff surprised Page in honor of his retirement announcement. Everybody was wearing custom T-shirts, either in black or white, with a picture of Page’s face and the words “Lincoln Academy Page Pride” printed on them.
“I had zero knowledge that that was happening. I was completely blindsided by the thing,” Page said. “It was just amazing.”
Page’s tenure as LA’s director of spirit and pride is perhaps the most impactful to generations of students, Burroughs said in the school newsletter.
“He has been the school’s most steadfast supporter, not only as a staff member but also as a tireless volunteer for the boosters and alumni council. No one represents Lincoln Academy quite like Coach Page,” Burroughs said. “LA history, sportsmanship, and traditions — pride cards, spirit flags, LA trivia, homecoming, winter carnival, the alumni banquet, and more — are all woven into Phil’s heart and soul. They spill out from his small office next to the library and touch every corner of this school. His presence in our daily, weekly, and annual rituals will be deeply missed.”
During his time at LA – including his years as a student – Page has seen the school go through a number of changes, including 10 heads of school.
“There are just a lot of memories there,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of changes in education and at Lincoln Academy … It has been a privilege to work with so many wonderful students, teachers, fellow coaches and staff members, who have made Lincoln Academy the great school that it is.”
Page also expressed appreciation for the extended school community, which has always stepped up to support LA.
“I am especially grateful for the support of the Lincoln Academy community,” he said. “Between the booster calendar, homecoming sponsors, the booster auction, and other fundraising efforts, the community was amazing in all my requests for donations.”
After his retirement, Page said he will miss the day-to-day interactions with students, giving away homecoming favors at the front office and handing out two-dollar bills to those who know the quote of the week, which he has included in morning announcements for the past 25 years.
“I’ve been in front of those kids so many times,” Page said. “I lead them in the school song twice a year. It is special when you have over 500 students reciting their alma mater … (that’s) where one can really feel the history behind a school over 200 years old.”
