MCA’s Heinz wins national award

Mintz Christian Academy’s volleyball team has yet another award to add to their trophy case, as athletic director and head coach Dan Heinz received a national award last week. The National Christian School Athletic Association announced that Heinz was the recipient of the 2023-24 NCSAA Girls’ Varsity Volleyball National Coach of the Year.

According to its website, the NCSAA Coach of the Year award criteria includes “A coach who has: displayed knowledge of the game and an ability to communicate that to his/her players; coached his/her team to an excellent level of performance; demonstrated a love for his/her players and a concern for their growth in relationship with Christ; demonstrated a genuine growing personal relationship with Christ; grasped the true purpose of sport and life, and guided his/her players in that pursuit; and developed a program that reflects a sustained commitment to Christ-centered excellence and Biblical discipline.”

With the Mintz volleyball team boasting a 22-1 record that includes a perfect 15-0 in conference play, 68 sets won versus six sets lost, and a period of over a month that saw them not losing a single set to their opponents, someone nominated Heinz for this award, yet he is unsure of who did.

“I have yet to learn who nominated me,” Heinz said. “But I hope to find out this week at the tournament where the presentation will be made.”

As far as the process involved, Heinz offered some insight. “The selection process is through the NCSAA headquarters,” he said. “Coaches are nominated and the NCSAA selection committee completes the process.” And since it’s a national award, that means Heinz was up against competition from all over the country.

An award like this usually doesn’t come without support, and the Mintz coach had a lot of that for this award. His daughter, Anna, who coaches at the collegiate level at Southern Wesleyan University, gave this message to him: “Hey Dad, it’s Anna, congrats on being named Coach of the Year; you never cease to amaze me. I am so proud of you and so thankful for all you do. You pour your heart into everything you do, and you give it a hundred percent. You are the greatest role model, greatest friend and father I could ever have. You touch the heart of every person you meet. I may not be there in person, but I am always with you in spirit. I love you, Dad, and I am so proud of you and as always call me after your game. Congratulations!”

Anna spent time as a coach at Mintz as well, before stepping into her current role.

It wasn’t just Anna that had words to say about Heinz and his pedigree, either.

“Dan Heinz is an invaluable asset to every organization he is a part of. His dedication to the betterment of his community makes him stand out. He maintains an expectation of excellence for every athlete and student he works with- which in turn, produces excellence,” wrote Emma White Marshburn, a player from the class of 2022. “Coach Heinz is not only an incredible leader on the court, but he’s also an image bearer of our Savior. He humbly serves behind the scenes, making things happen to further the kingdom. His wisdom and dedication to the gospel has made it a privilege to be known and supported by him. I’m forever grateful that I had a leader who supported me in so many seasons of my life. His selfless dedication of his time and energy made me into a better athlete and a better believer. Coach Heinz has positively impacted so many, and I’m so excited to hear he gets a sliver of the recognition he deserves.”

As for Heinz, the appreciation for the award, and the support, is difficult to explain.

“It is hard to put into words what this honor means,” Heinz said. “When they announced it two weeks ago prior to our final home game, they played a video with pictures from a lot of my team from the past 11 years. We have come so far from those first years.

“As a coach, my priorities are to be a good example of Christian character; to demonstrate that, whether we win or lose, it is character that counts,” he continued. “Sports and competition are unique in that we say it helps to develop character, but what it truly does is reveal character.”

Mintz Christian Academy principal Jim Workman even added his testament to the character of Heinz. “Dan Heinz is a child of God,” he wrote. “He is also a caring, motivating, teaching, bar-raising, humble, volleyball coach at Mintz Christian Academy. He is liked and respected in each of the communities in which he is a part — whether it be his family, friends, his teams, parents, colleagues, fellow church members, opposing coaches and players, or officials. His teams are always prepared, and they are good citizens. They are taught to do their best to glorify God and to be servant-leaders. He never asks anyone to do anything he will not do, and he has blessed many situations without anyone knowing about it. He does not seek accolades for himself, and I am grateful for all he has done for MCA.”

Heinz, with his typically quiet demeanor, focused not on his personal accomplishments, but the success of the Mintz volleyball program instead. “Last year, Susan Clark and I won co-county volleyball coaches of the year,” he said. “What receiving this award does is place even greater importance on being a good example, recognizing that everything we say and do as coaches can not only have an immediate impact, but also a long-term impact on the players we are entrusted to coach. My greatest successes are not the number of wins and titles, but watching young athletes develop spiritually, increase their confidence in their abilities to meet challenges, and gain a love and appreciation for teammates and the sport.”

Since the start of the 2017 season, just a few years into the Lions having a volleyball program, Heinz has coached them to a 144-9 total record, compiling a 94 percent win rate. That includes three undefeated seasons in 2018, 2019, and 2021. In the period of time between the ‘18 and ‘21 seasons, the Lions dropped just one total loss.