HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: MFL MarMac's Kautman has passion for basketball

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By MacKenzie Gramlich, MFL MarMac freshman

MONONA - One freshman at MFL MarMac plays basketball with such a passion it's hard to ignore.

For Tristen Kautman, a member of the boys' varsity team, basketball is everything.

'I can honestly say that I can't remember a day I haven't thought about basketball,' he said.

The game doesn't come easy to everyone, it takes dedication and hard work. That's what helped reserve Kautman a place on the varsity team. But Kautman ultimately thanks his father for how much progress he's made. Mark Kautman began placing him in tournaments in second grade.

'I was pretty good and I loved it,' Tristen said with a shrug and a smile.

Naturally, he's been loving the game ever since, all while his dad is by his side. Mark has yet to miss a game and the importance of something so simple is apparent in his son's expressions.

'My dad's always been there for me," he said. "Every day. He inspires me with how he played back in high school. I hope to be great like he was, maybe even better.'

When asked what it takes to be dedicated, Kautman said, 'Aw, jeez. Dedication for me is taking time away from friends and family. Sometimes it's missing things like family vacations or just playing Xbox with friends. ... You can't just go through the motions, you have to play hard, you know?'

MFL MarMac is known for it's school spirit. Nearly every home game, bleachers are full of eager fans. A crowd is great to get the adrenaline pumping, but it also can be the cause of some anxiety.

'If I miss a shot, it doesn't really bother me," Kautman said. "I don't need to worry about what other people think at that moment, I just need to think about the next play. I'm thinking we need to do something to get points on the board.'

Watching Kautman play is a treat. The look of concentration and his passion are so obvious. The way he carries himself up and down the court, one wouldn't guess that he does get nervous.

'I shake," Kautman said with an almost embarrassed smile when asked about getting nervous. "During the national anthem is when it's the worst. I shake like crazy. I get nervous during warm ups, too. But at tipoff I realize I really need to focus.'

In preparation for this season, Kautman put a lot of pressure on himself. He played AAU basketball, decided not to go out for football, and was in the gym daily.

'I'd like to think, hope, basketball will provide me with a scholarship for college,' he said.

But even if it doesn't, Kautman still sees himself playing 20 years from now.

'I want to play my whole life, even if it comes down to just scrimmaging with friend,' he said.

Tristen still has a few years to think about the future, after all it is just that - the future. As for now he's focused on helping the team make this a successful season.

'I practiced with the current seniors when I was in like third or fourth grade," he said. "The team gets along well. We communicate and we hang out. If anything it makes us better.'

"I think we can approve on our defensive side. We need to work on turnovers, we need to rotate better on defense, and capitalize on other team's turnovers.'

On the flip side, the team does an incredible job at simply being a team. The Bulldogs don't have one player who scores all the time or who overpowers the others. According to Kautman, the team has almost four players averaging in double figures.

It didn't take Kautman long to come up with the best game the Bulldogs have played this season.

'It was the game with South Winn(eshiek)," he said. "Our defense was good, we overcame all the downs and we kept ourselves in the game. We kept fighting and Cody Mason hit a clutch 3-pointer in the last seconds of the game for the win.'

Kautman said the schedule ahead is a tough one. But he thinks the team will continue to play well and hopes it can get back to where they were last year.

"The pressure is greater," he said. "People are thinking, 'wow the past two years these guys have made it to state.''

It's safe to say parents, students, all the members of the community, are expecting that outcome once again.

'You don't want to let the school or town down," he said. "We want to show that we can do it even without the guys who've graduated, to prove we can do all right without them. ... The goal has always been to win a championship.'

In the end, when Kautman thinks of basketball, he thinks of his whole life.

'My whole life revolves around basketball," he said. "For me basketball is all that and a reliever.'

Kautman is one 15-year-old who knows exactly where he wants to go.