Tristen Peterson is a Junior at Bowman County High School. He has been playing and watching football ever since he can remember, and hopes to continue playing for as long as it stays fun and rewarding.
By CHLOE JANOVSKY
Bowman County Pioneer
Tristen Peterson is a Junior at Bowman County High School. He has been playing and watching football ever since he can remember, and hopes to continue playing for as long as it stays fun and rewarding.
“I love to play football because it’s nice to be around my friends and have a good time. It’s cool to practice, work hard, laugh, fight, and win as a team. I know that they will be there to support me through everything,” Tristen says of why he plays the sport.
Freshman year he played defensive tackle, and sophomore year he played linebacker. This year, he has the position of offensive tight end, and defensive end.
How you think is a big part of football. It’s a very mental game. If you aren’t tough or “in it” mentally, then you are going to let your team down. You need to know your mission and what you are going to do on the field, before you do it. Every player has their own way of getting into that “game mode”. One way Tristen prepares for a game is by watching film of the other team. He goes home and focuses on how the opposing team will try to score. Then he thinks about what the Bulldogs will have to do to shut their plays down.”This really helps, because then when you go out there you already know what to expect and how you are going to get around it.” Another way that he gets into a focused, intense mental state is by going to the locker room before a game and listening to his music.”It helps me shut everything else out, and set my mind on just playing the game that I know and like so much,” he says. While intently listening to his music, he remembers his personal goals, and the team goals.
Personal strengths of his include seeing the ball and being about to pick out the play of the opposing team right away. He says that he can just recognize it by the first move each player makes. A major team strength, is persevering through the entire game. Even when the game is getting rough in the fourth quarter, they don’t give up in each other. They keep playing strong and keep the overall goal, winning, in their mind.
One of Tristen’s main goals is to get three to four tackles a game. A goal for his senior year is to get faster.
“I want the team to be able to count on me, and I know that is I pick up my speed and keep getting good tackles, they will.” He will achieve this and some of his other goals by lifting and conditioning in the off-season. He will also attend summer football camps such as NDSU and DSU. His favorite is NDSU’s camp because they really dig in deep and get specific with the positions.
“They divide you up, and then you go to practice with your position’s coach. They even talk to you about what your dream position is and how to get there. It’s a really motivating experience,” Tristen explains.
“The best part of the game is the team. When we get dressed for a game, we are focused, intense, and supportive of each other. The fact that it’s such a serious job, actually makes it the most fun for us.”
