Hearts and souls. Bones and muscles. Team Tosi tends them all. Greg and Erin Tosi have been purple-clad fixtures on the sidelines since 2001, when Greg landed a position as athletic trainer at Deering High School.

Their devotion increased when their kids were purple-shirted athletes: Jacob, who graduated in 2017, played lacrosse and football until a collarbone break in his junior year. Lauren, who graduated in 2021, played soccer, lacrosse, and cheerleading.

Even though she no longer had kids playing sports, Athletic Director Michael Daly asked Erin to come back and support the teams. She missed being around the student-athletes, so it was an easy sell. Plus, she’d get to spend more time with Greg, who has essentially worked the second shift throughout his 23-year tenure.

The Tosis are originally from Vermont. Erin’s mother was a school nurse, and her father taught 4th grade for forty years in Addison, a small town near Middlebury. Even they couldn’t resist the siren call of Deering, moving to Maine to be near their grandchildren, substitute teaching on occasion for the Portland Public Schools.

Greg has dealt with broken and dislocated bones, sprained ankles, and plenty of bloody noses–mostly for athletes but occasionally for someone in the crowd. He ensures that some 600 athletes each year are properly cleared to play–from preseason physicals to communicating with medical professionals for injured athletes.

Erin, whose day job is in human resources for the Portland Public Schools, makes sure that his office is well stocked with snacks and drinks for student-athletes. On game days, she sells tickets and popcorn, chats with students about school work and whatever else is on their minds. “I didn’t grow up as an athlete, but I’ve learned football and lacrosse plays,” she laughed. She even learned the intricacies of libero, the tracking system for substitutes in volleyball. “I had never done volleyball but I love it. It's fast paced and so fun to watch.”

Their lives are ruled by sports schedules. They work weekends and many holidays, working every Thanksgiving for decades. They’re looking forward to retirement, but not for another nine years. Until then, they plan to be at as many games as possible and view their commitment to Deering Athletics as their legacy. But knowing the Tosis, come Thanksgiving 2033, they will still be wearing purple, cheering on the Rams.