Dr. Horst Baacke of Germany presented 2017 IVHF Mintonette Medallion of Merit Award

Photo from left: Douglas Beal (1989 IVHF Inductee of USA), Ms. Baacke, Peter Murphy (NL / FIVB), Dr. Horst Baacke, Günter Hamel (DVV), Joop Alberda (2014 IVHF Inductee of NL), Reinhard Hoffmann (SSVB / DVV), Dr. Berthold Fröhner (IAT), Christan Dünnes (DVV), Dr. Ulf Tippelt (IAT Leipzig).

LEIPZIG, GERMANY. (March 1, 2018): The International Volleyball Hall of Fame (IVHF) is pleased to present the 2017 Mintonette Medallion of Merit Award to Dr. Horst Baacke, former head coach of the GDR volleyball team.  Created in 1996, the Mintonette Medallion of Merit is awarded in recognition of significant individual achievements and contributions to the sport of volleyball. The Mintonette Medallion of Merit recalls the original name that volleyball's inventor, William G. Morgan, assigned to the sport when he invented it in 1895. 

Baacke is only the second German after Siegfried Schneider (2009 IVHF Inductee), to be honored by the International Volleyball Hall of Fame with Induction or award.

He was honored at a special luncheon in Leipzig and was joined by 1989 IVHF Inductee Doug Beal of the USA, 2014 Inductee Joop Alberda of the Netherlands, Peter Murphy of the Netherlands / FIVB, DVV Sports Director Christian Dünnes, DVV Sports Representative Günter Hamel, DVV and SSVB honorary council member Reinhard Hoffmann and Dr. Ulf Tippelt and Dr. Berthold Fröhner (IAT Leipzig) to deliver their congratulations. Everyone was full of praise for the outstanding contributions of Dr. Horst Baacke.

Baacke brought statistics into the sport of volleyball, turning the game into a math problem.  

"He used science to take the sport to another level," said Doug Beal, "He has traveled to 80 countries around the world to train young coaches and bring the sport forward.  He was not only interested in creating trainers, but also teachers."

The now 91-year-old has dedicated his life to volleyball and is internationally known and recognized for his work.  He was a member of the FIVB Rules Commission and significantly involved in the introduction of net antennas. 

The International Volleyball Hall of Fame congratulates Dr. Horst Baacke for his lifelong commitment and contributions to the sport of volleyball.  

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About IVHF
The International Volleyball Hall of Fame, with its headquarters in Holyoke, Massachusetts USA, is a 501(c)3 non-profit. The IVHF exists to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to the international sport of volleyball and to foster the appreciation of the historical development of the game by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting its collections for a global audience.  The IVHF recognizes indoor, beach and sitting volleyball athletes, coaches and leaders in its museum and at an annual induction ceremony. The IVHF operates several volleyball tournaments, events, and instructional clinics each year and provides the opportunity to bring people from different cultures and different parts of the world together to celebrate the sport. Further information is available at www.VolleyHall.org.