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FCA BASEBALL ANNOUNCES
THE 2010 JERRY KINDALL
CHARACTER IN COACHING
AWARD WINNER
The 2010 recipient of the Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award is David P. Altopp. Coach Altopp has earned this award because he is an outstanding role model for all who coach and play baseball. He has, throughout his career, exemplified Christ-like character, while passing on his extraordinary talents and experience by impacting the lives of thousands of athletes, coaches and baseball executives.
Named after Jerry Kindall – former major league player and retired head coach at the University of Arizona – the Character in Coaching Award is presented annually to the college or high school baseball coach who best exemplifies the Christian principles of Character, Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork and Service on and off the baseball field.
Coach Altopp, a graduate of Greenville College in 1966, received his Masters of Science in Physical Education from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ in 1969, and his Ph.D from Southern Illinois University in 1981.
David Altopp's college coaching career was spent in the NAIA baseball world, as head coach at Indiana Wesleyan University (formerly Marion College), Greenville College, Trevecca Nazarene University and Lee University.
Following are a few of Coach Altopp's Career Highlights:
· Numerous conference, district & national championships & tournament appearances.
· Numerous Coach of the Year Honors
· Robert E. Smith Achievement Award for Contributions to NAIA Baseball
· Several overseas baseball missions trips, including Cuba, Germany, Israel
· Various baseball association board and leadership positions, including:
o President of the ABCA
o Numerous NAIA Committees
· Many published contributions to Collegiate Baseball & Coaching Digest
· 6 different Hall of Fames, including the NAIA & the ABCA
David Altopp and his devoted wife of nearly 45 years, Phyllis, have been blessed with two children and 6 grandchildren.
Congratulations, Coach Altopp for your selection as the 2010 Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award Recipient and thank you for using your coaching platform to demonstrate impeccable character and to model …with consistency … the value of placing God first, family and others second, and yourself last!
FCA AT THE AMERICAN BASEBALL COACHES CONVENTION
The American Baseball Coaches Association Convention is attended by over 4,000 college and high school baseball coaches annually. The presence of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the convention creates a unique platform for our ministry to encourage and challenge baseball coaches to leave a positive legacy in their communities that will last forever.
FCA Baseball hosts evening socials that are a great opportunity to catch up with friends, meet some new peers in the coaching profession and enjoy fellowship. FCA Baseball also hosts the annual Saturday morning Breakfast that features a guest speaker and the Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award.
 | Matt Capps, Phyllis Altopp, David Altopp, Jerry Kindall & Ritchie Ware After The 2010 Presentation Of The Jerry Kindall Award
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 | David P. Altopp With Coach Jerry Kindall After Being Recognized As This Year's Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award Winner
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JERRY KINDALL CHARACTER IN COACHING AWARD
A coach has the opportunity to impact more people in one year than most people do in a lifetime. Many leaders in business, government and education attribute their success to lessons learned from a coach.
At FCA Baseball, we want to inspire coaches to be coaches of character. Each year at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention, FCA Baseball will present the Jerry Kindall Character in Coaching Award, which is presented annually to the college or high school baseball coach who best exemplifies the Christian principles of Character, Integrity, Excellence,Teamwork and Service on and off the baseball field.
Nominations for future award winners can be made at the FCA Baseball Breakfast each year, or by submitting a high school or college coaches name to FCA Baseball at baseball@fca.org
COACH JERRY KINDALL
A native of St. Paul, MN., Kindall was the first person in NCAA history to win a baseball national championship as both a player and a coach. In addition to his three titles at the University of Arizona as a coach, Kindall played shortstop for the 1956 National Champion University of Minnesota team.
Signed by the Chicago Cubs in 1956, Kindall went on to play eight seasons in the Major Leagues with the Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins. Following his professional career, Kindall went on to become the University of Arizona Wildcats head skipper from 1973-1996. He is Arizona's all-time leader in career wins finishing his coaching career with a record of 860-580-6.
A three time national ABCA Coach of the Year, he guided the Wildcats to three national championships at the College World Series in 1976, 1980, and 1986. His Wildcat teams also produced an amazing 34 All-America players during his coaching tenure. A total of 209 players who played for Coach Kindall at Arizona went on to sign contracts to play professional baseball, including 32 Major Leaguers.
Although Coach Kindall's coaching resume is impressive, those who know Jerry either as a coach or as a peer, are most impressed by the kind of person he is both on and off the baseball diamond. FCA Baseball can think of no other coach that exemplifies more the Christian Principles of Character, Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork and Service than does Jerry Kindall.
Coach Kindall is a member of both the University of Minnesota and University of Arizona Hall of Fames, and was the recipient of the American Baseball Coaches Association Prestigious Lefty Gomez Award in 1999
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