RAD DAD
Doug Peters Fargo, N.D.
He’s trading the athletic realm for a world of Sunday sermons and faith formation
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By Danielle Teigen
oug Peters was once asked what the two most important days in a person’s life are. His response? The day you are born and the day you figure out why you were born. Doug has a passion for helping people grow and develop into the best leaders he can be, and he’s been doing that in the college athletic realm for decades, with his family and kids for more than 20 and now at a local church where his soul is on fire. The former college basketball player (he’s a Colorado native who attended Bemidji State) said he’s had three transformative experiences in his life: the first was being a college athlete, the second came from personal growth and leadership development and the third happened through his local church. That’s what made the longtime MSUM Athletic Director switch gears to become the executive director at Prairie Heights Church in Fargo, a job he’s had for only a month. As he looks toward the future and his new career path, Doug has ample praise for his wife of 23 years, Jennifer, a photographer whose creativity flows through her camera lens. He readily credits her flexibility to raise their kids during a time when he was incredibly busy. “My wife is awesome and that was a huge help,” he says. The father of four (three daughters and one son) is excited for the change and the free time it will offer his family as his kids continue to grow up and leave the nest. With one daughter already at college and another heading there 34
ON THE MINDS OF MOMS | JUNE • JULY 2021
in August, Doug appreciates a schedule that won’t require as many evening activities or road time. As with many parents, time has given him ample wisdom about how quickly it passes, and he reflects on how his profession in the world of college athletics gave his kids some pretty unique experiences (like riding in the Moorhead Days Parade with his second daughter, Ally, and Scorch, MSUM’s mascot) but now he’s eager for the opportunity to watch their passions develop. Passion has been a hallmark of Doug’s life for decades, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a few nerves about this new professional endeavor. “The goosebumps are a little nerve-wracking,” he shared. “It’s a hard left turn...but at the same time, I feel like this is something I have to do. I’m excited but nervous, but I also don’t want to live my life being not nervous. I don’t want to be completely comfortable all the time.” You had three daughters before you welcomed a son; what did having daughters first do to prepare you to raise your son? Having the daughters first gave me lots of practice. Marshall is the lucky one because I learned from all the mistakes I made with the first three before he came along. He also confirmed I am a fast learner because it only took me one time to figure out that I needed to change a boy’s diaper differently than a girl’s! What would you say is your best quality? I love to help people reach their goals and succeed in life.
