On Bonita Vista High School’s (BVH) campus, boys’ varsity football captain, defensive back, wide receiver and senior Jayden Peterson has been a consistent starter during all four years of his high school experience. With this, Peterson is one of the most experienced players on the team. Peterson elaborates on how he has been impacted by the support of his coaches, especially Athletic Director and Head football coach Tyler Arciaga.
“I’ve always tried being a leader on the team. I’ve always known that the coaches believed in me and thought that I was a leader too, which meant a lot,” Peterson said. “Arciaga believed in me at the beginning of my freshman year and having that support from him, along with the rest of the coaching staff, really helped me.”
Peterson comments on how leading the team could not have been accomplished without the aid and assistance of the entire football team. He further mentions how he is thankful that the coaches have not doubted his abilities since his freshman year. Arciaga explains some of Peterson’s attributes that caught his eyes.
“You can always count on him to pick people up and to give everything he has on the field. He sets a positive example for everybody, even when things were not going as well [for the team]. Last year, he never quit, never took himself out of a game and never shied away from a higher level of competition. He enjoyed going against good competition,” Arciaga said.
Peterson’s heavy drive and determination to improve his skills has allowed him to keep a positive attitude and mindset through the thick and thin of the football season. Arciaga notes how well Peterson acts not only on the field, but also off the field when it comes to his education.
“He has grown physically, as well as mentally, and is a student of the game. From a leadership and emotional standpoint, he has really grown into a leadership role. He sets the right example in how he approaches the game, how he practices and how he carries himself in the classroom. He is just a great example for our underclassmen to follow,” Arciaga said.
Peterson’s peers state that he has proven to create a well rounded example for BVH students to follow; especially for his freshmen, sophomore and junior football teammates. Junior Estevan Flores has been personally inspired by Peterson and believes it is important for others to have a role model to look up to.
“[Peterson] is a great team player as much as he is a leader for the team and he definitely leads by example and pushes other players to be better,” Flores said. “I have been inspired by him because I also want to be a leader for the team and help out other players to improve in their sport. It is important because with a role model, you have a guideline and someone to help you out in becoming successful.”
As Flores stated, having a good example to look up to is a source of motivation and drive, offering a sense of direction and help in reaching future goals. Peterson remembers his memory of once being an underclassmen who viewed the seniors as fundamental role models.
“I feel like I have been a great role model for the younger players. Back when I was an underclassmen, I remember having a senior that I looked up to. Being able to grow up and become that same role model to others has been amazing,” Peterson said.
Furthermore, Peterson notes that even during underclassmen years, not only did he have role models that affected his maturity and mindset, but also upperclassmen who’s rough gameplay forced him to rethink his approach. The upperclassmen that Peterson would be matched up with against as a freshman made him sharpen his skills in order to keep up with the competition.
“[Starting as a freshman] was crazy because I was so young while also playing against a bunch of eighteen year olds. The entire change in game [from before highschool to freshman year] impacted me a lot, especially in how the players got so much faster and so much stronger,” Peterson said.
As mentioned by Peterson, though encountering upperclassmen as a freshman may seem tough, by using his positive mindset, he was successful in turning his hardships into benefits. He also uses that positive mindset around campus in non-football related subjects such as his academics—a feature Arciaga continues to admire.
“I have only had two or three freshmen playing on varsity in my thirteen years as a head coach. I have never had one start on varsity from the get go. Peterson has just been a real blessing for our program and a great example of how to be a student athlete,” Arciaga said.
