Scott Heitland
Where did you grow up? Algona, Iowa
Schools attended? HS – Algona, Undergrad – UNI, Graduate – Drake
Who is in your family? April – Chase – Andrew – Coco
Favorite hobby outside of teaching/coaching? I enjoy golfing, biking, live music, and trips to Clear Lake
How did you get into the sport? When did you start playing? My dad was a high school football coach and so I grew up around the sport and played for him in Algona. My memories include hanging out at practice when I was younger and then playing for him when I was older. I started coaching football in 1994 as the freshman football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg HS.
Favorite thing about coaching? What I enjoy most about coaching football is a long answer as there are many things. But my favorite thing is an August practice on the field with the coaches and our guys. I just love being on the field with our players. I love those two hours. I enjoy the preparation – can we develop a game plan to defeat our opponent and then can we go out and execute it? Seeing the players out there giving their best on Friday nights and finding a win – I am happy for them and the joy that they are experiencing after a win. Winning is hard – and when you experience it you should celebrate it.
Favorite memory from coaching at DCG? Oh boy, after 20 years there are a lot of memories. Memories of great victories, some incredible individual stories of our players, and some crazy things that happen during the season. There are also memories of games that break your heart and tough times that we had to overcome. Pretty hard to nail down just one. I could tell stories for hours…
Most rewarding part of being a teacher/coach at DCG? The opportunity each year to craft a new team. To take 75-80 individuals and get them to buy into the team and make the team’s goals their goals. It is a real challenge but one I enjoy. We have good kids here at DCG, they work hard and want to be successful. That makes it a fun place to coach.
Advice to a young player? Stay the course. Know what the long-term goal and objective is and keep your eyes focused on it. Great things are not accomplished overnight. It takes time, effort, and consistency to get to those long-term goals. When it gets hard, don’t quit. When it doesn’t go the way you think it should, don’t quit. Pour your energy into the right places and you will reach that goal. Remember, the grass is green where you water it.