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| I was not blessed with athletic ability. I survived the trauma of being the last person chosen in gym class.
I was a good student. As an adult, I’ve had many opportunities to be active in our community in many ways.
That’s why I appreciate and admire UNI’s volleyball team. Of course, these young women are dedicated, talented athletes, but they have much more than just athletic ability, to which I can relate.
Athletics certainly teaches many life lessons—character, teamwork, leadership. Bobbi Petersen expects more of her team than just winning on the court. “Our team has made it their goal to be active in the community. The Cedar Valley shows great support for UNI Athletics, and it is a great reward for us to give back to those organizations that are looking for volunteers.”
Petersen’s team mentors kids in the after-school program at the Boys and Girls Club. They serve meals at the NE Iowa Food Bank soup kitchen. They mentored children affected by the tornadoes of 2008 as part of Operation Falcon Pride. They were in line sandbagging Cedar Falls as the flood waters rose. They assist with the Relay for Life. They host a volleyball clinic for Junior Achievement and participate in JA classroom sessions. They serve food at the Sartori Hospital May Breakfast. They participate in the Girl Scouts Sports Night in the UNI-Dome. They participated in a panel discussion for Character Counts workshops. They read in numerous classrooms throughout the Cedar Valley.
Are you worn out yet? This is all in addition to the rigorous practice, travel and competition schedule they have.
Did I mention their success on the court? 2009 marks the 12th straight year the Panthers have won 20 or more matches. In her 10th year as head coach, Petersen currently ranks 10th among active Division I volleyball coaches with a winning percentage of .765.
Petersen never forgets these young women are students first. Several years ago, the NCAA began using an Academic Progress Rate (APR) to measure the progress of student-athletes toward achieving their degrees. A standard score for academic progress is 925. In the latest report released in May 2009, UNI Volleyball scored a perfect 1000. (UNI women’s tennis also scored a perfect 1000.)
Isn’t it the hope of us all that future generations are productive, quality citizens?
As the late Coach Ed Thomas believed, “If all I have taught you is how to block and tackle, then I have failed as a coach.” Coaches’ responsibilities are so much greater than that. UNI Volleyball and Coach Petersen are proving that success on the court doesn’t have to detract from the goal of becoming great citizens when the competition is over
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