Welcome to the Cedar Valley Athlete

Zarates Make Triathlons a Family Affair

Written by Nancy Justis

Triathlon Race Start       Health professionals stress that one way to get kids and adults alike off the couch is to make exercise a family affair. The Enrique Zarate family has taken that mantra to heart. Three of the five members are competitive athletes.
       Jaime, 16, and Diana, 15, have followed Dad in the water, on the trail and on the bike to compete in triathlons. Mom Diana, and daughter Victoria, 4, participate as cheerleaders. Traveling to competition sites is considered family vacations.
       “It’s a treat,” Mrs. Zarate said. “All the family is involved.”
     Enrique became interested in triathlons about nine years ago. He participated in swimming, soccer, baseball, basketball and running while growing up in Mexico.
       “I took a big break from sports after college and my first years of marriage until I felt that I needed to get back moving,” he said. “So I started running, participating in multiple races – 5ks, 10ks, half marathons and full marathons.

The Tumbling Twins of UNI

Written by Joyce Barbatti

      “One, two, three...” The countdown begins, full of excitement.
       “Six, seven, eight...” A blur of purple, gold and red tumbles across the floor.
       “Ten, eleven, twelve!” The crowd erupts into thunderous applause.
       Anyone who has attended a UNI basketball game in the McLeod Center may not know their names, but they know the petite, red-haired cheerleaders whose synchronized back flips send the crowd into a frenzy.
       Twin sisters Kristen and Clarissa McPheron from tiny New London, Iowa, have become a huge hit for the Panthers.
       Neither of the McPherons had a goal of cheerleading when they were young. “We were both involved in dance and tumbling since kindergarten,” Clarissa explained. “We thought cheerleading would be a good way to keep up our tumbling.”

P.E.P. Designed to Reinforce Sportsmanship in Youth Programs

Written by Nancy Justis

The Waterloo Leisure Services Sports Department has taken definitive steps to decrease the instances of unsportsmanlike behavior through its involvement with the Pursuing Victory with Honor campaign to build character through sports. The focus is directed primarily towards parents.
To aid in this endeavor, the Parents Education Program (P.E.P.) was developed in the 2008-09 basketball season. It is designed to make parents and fans more aware of how certain actions affect the children involved in sports programs. At least one parent for each child enrolled in an activity is required to watch a 20-minute informational video every two years before the child is allowed to participate in any game situations.

SWIM. BIKE. RUN.

Zarates Make Triathlons a Family Affair

The Tumbling Twins of UNI

P.E.P. Designed to Reinforce Sportsmanship in Youth Programs