Phil Peretta graduated from Berlin High in 1961 where he was a four–year varsity athlete in both football and basketball. He was captain of the football team his senior year. His senior year he received the Babe Ruth Award for best athlete of his class. Phil’s interest in athletics began in 1954 when he was a pitcher on the Chicago Cubs with the Berlin Little League. That year the team went 7–1 winning the Town Championship. After Little League he played in what was then the Alumni League and later with the Hartford Twilight League. After high school he played with a local softball team and played basketball in the Berlin Town League with fellow Hall of Fame members Bob McCann and Tony Legnani.

Phil was always very interested in the Summer Olympics. In 1964 he spent two weeks in Tokyo where he saw Bob Hayes compete, who then went on to play for the Dallas Cowboys. His biggest thrill was having the opportunity to meet with and have dinner with Jessie Owens, one of the greatest athletes of all time. In 1968 he spent two weeks in Mexico City and was in the arena when John Carlos and Tommy Smith put up their fists for the black power movement. He also saw Bob Beamon shatter the long jump record by almost 2 feet.