Christchurch School

Outside the classroom, the co-curricular areas of school life offer a wide and deep variety of ways to be involved, to stretch, and to grow. Each year, students satisfy requirements by participation in two competitive sports. Over the course of two years, each student participates in Great Journeys programming in River and Outdoors or Community Service.

Athletics Mission:

The Christchurch School athletic program functions as an integral part of the co-curricular program. Lessons in sportsmanship, teamwork, commitment, and strong effort are emphasized in our program. We are committed to collective student involvement in the program, while competing at a high level. Our ultimate goal is to help students on their Great Journeys toward self-confidence, purpose, and identity.

Fall Athletic Offerings:

Crew (Co-Ed)
Field Hockey
Football
Sailing (Co-Ed)
Boys Soccer
Volleyball

Winter Athletic Offerings:

Boys Basketball
Girls Basketball

Spring Athletic Offerings:

Baseball
Crew (Co-Ed)
Girls Soccer
Golf
Lacrosse
Sailing (Co-Ed)

Christchurch School is a member of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA), the Virginia Prep League (VPL), the Virginia Commonwealth Conference (VCC), the Old Dominion Football Conference (ODFC), the Virginia Interscholastic Sailing Association (VISA), and the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association (VASRA). Teams at the Varsity and Junior Varsity level compete with other private and public schools. Want to learn more about our programs?

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Have we got a baseball program for you! Whether you’re experienced, or just want to learn to play, there’s a place for you in the Seahorse dugout. You’ll love to play on our meticulously manicured Bermuda diamond, fed by an underground sprinkler system. Coach Jon Waite knows baseball! He played for the Huntington Cubs of the Chicago Cubs and was Virginia Prep League Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2000. In 1999, he was named Coach of the Year for the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools.

In 2010, the Seahorses made a playoff appearance for the first time in over a decade. Senior Nick Przybyl and Sophomore Michael Taylor were named All-Prep. Przybyl and Taylor were later named All-State in addition to Sophomore Travis Myers.

In 2009, All-Prep catcher and second baseman Phillip Jordan was selected to participate in the Omaha Pro Select Training and Tournament sponsored by UnderArmour in Omaha, Nebraska. Phillip was chosen for the honor after wowing college scouts and coaches with his performance at a Baseball Factory Signature College Recruiting event in Richmond. Phillip currently attends Eastern Mennonite University.

2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Virginia Prep League Champions! It's a new era for Christchurch Basketball, as Ben Thompson takes over the reigns after serving under Glen Taylor. Coach Thompson was previously a coach at the Steward School and has worked with the Team Richmond AAU Program. In 2008 he co-directed and coached in the VCU International Showcase, which brought in college basketball players and exposed them to professional scouts and agents.

In 2009-2010, Sophomore guard James Ford was named to the All-Virginia Prep League team and led Christchurch to their fifth consecutive appearance in the State Playoffs. Ford was subsequently named 1st Team All-State. 2008-2009 team captain, two-time All-State guard, and prefect Coron Williams accepted a Division I scholarship to Robert Morris University. Senior captains Noble Cunningham and Sam Miller will both be playing at Cazenovia College.

Row fall and spring at Christchurch! Christchurch crew is a highly competitive and successful program. The crew team has repeatedly earned medals and has had impressive showings at the state and national levels. Our rowers are well-equipped with a top of the line fleet of rowing shells and our twelve seat training barge. All of our crew shells are housed at the Historic Rosegill Plantation nestled on the banks of Urbanna Creek. The team competes regularly in the Northern Virginia and Washington DC area. Several rowers have received Division I scholarships and have went on to row at a high level.

Coach Richard Laurance is an avid rower and a veteran coach. He was most recently the Head Coach of the University of North Carolina's club team. He has coached in youth, adult, club, and collegiate programs. Among other assignments, he has had stints at Oklahoma City University, MIT, Lafayette, and Mercyhurst College. Coach Laurance has also spent time working with the Minneapolis Rowing Club and the Penn AC Rowing Club. With a men's and women's program, there's a spot on the crew for you!

In 2009-2010 Christchurch's Men's Varisty Quad (John Radcliffe, Kyle Byrd, Tim Johnson and Markus Weber) finished 5th at the National Scholastic Rowing Championships in Saratoga Springs, NY. It was a great season for the team with Championships won at the Eastern Virginia Scholastic Championships and Virginia Scholastic Rowing Championships.

JV and Varsity work together from preseason on to build teamwork, camaraderie, and skills. College coaches are regular visitors to our campus, and CCS players have earned national letters of intent/scholarships to play Division I and II college football. Coach Ed Homer has been a head football coach for over twenty years. He has coached one NFL signer, two high school football All-Americans, thirteen college scholarship recipients, and more than twenty college football players.

In 2009, the team finished fifth in the state. All-State Defensive Lineman and Tight End Josh Lovell accepted a scholarship to play at Division I Marshall University.

Play golf at the Golden Eagle! The Golden Eagle, part of the famous Tides Inn of Irvington, VA serves as our home course, and our players work with Coach Wanda Wallin and PGA professional John Abbott. We participate in the Virginia Prep League at the varsity and junior varsity level, and also play independent schools throughout Eastern Virginia.

2010 Virginia State Champions! The team, ranked 3rd at the end of the regular season, swept through the playoffs knocking off the #2 and #1 ranked teams in the state. Seniors Collin Brooke and Justin Ashby were named All-American and All-State. Sophomore Patrick Young was also named to the All-State Team. Brooke and Young were also named All-Virginia Prep League.

Lacrosse is led by Vince Smith. Coach Smith was named Virginia Independent Schools Coach of the Year, as well as Virginia Prep League Coach of they year in 2010. Smith was a two-time high school All-American lacrosse player at St. Anne's-Belfield, twice All-State, three-time All Central Virginia player, and twice All-Prep. Earning a scholarship to Johns Hopkins University, Smith entered his freshman season rated the #4 Blue Chip Midfielder in Face-Off magazine. After transferring to Hampden-Sydney, Smith was twice All-ODAC, and as a senior was named All-American.

Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 Virginia Fleet Racing Champions! It only gets better, as the team was crowned last spring as the 2009 Mid Atlantic Fleet Racing Champions. The CCS Sailors also sailed their way to a 9th place finish at the National Fleet Racing Championships, the Mallory Cup, in St. Petersburg, Florida. In late May, they sailed to a 7th place finish at the National Team Racing Championship, the Baker Cup, in Redwood City, California. Christchurch, by far, was the smallest school to earn a berth in either National competition. Our sailors have gone farther and faster than ever imagined!

Join Coach Jill Petrone and the rest of the team at the Kelly Sailing Pavilion, where we launch our fleet of sleek and shiny 420s. We launch directly from campus at our waterfront location.

2009 Virginia State Champions! Coach Matt Schaefer and the Christchurch soccer team are rising stars. The team, ranked 3rd at the end of the regular season, swept through the playoffs knocking off the #2 and #1 ranked teams in the state. Junior Alec Faulkner was named Virginia State Player of the Year. Senior James Conway was also named to the All-State team. Senior Colby Leachman was named All-Virginia Prep League in addition to both Faulkner and Conway. In 2008, they earned a state playoff berth. Senior Turner Humphries and Sophomore Alec Faulkner were named to the All-Virginia Prep League team. Humphries was also named honorable mention All-State and will be playing with Eckerd College in the fall. With Varsity, JV, and Intramural levels, there's a place for you, whatever your current level of play!

The members of the Christchurch girls soccer team continue to wow everyone with their hard-nosed, skillful, and smart level of play. Coach Matt Schaefer and the ladies have competed in the state playoffs and have everyone paying attention. Everyone looks forward to even more excitement next year, who knows where this team can go? In 2009 Libbie Randolph and Kelly Lewis were named to the All-State team.

In May 2009, the team took a road trip to Washington, DC to watch a professional women’s soccer match between the Washington Freedom and the St. Louis Athletico. Before the match, the Seahorses joined in the parade of teams. At halftime, they saw Mia Hamm inducted into the hall of fame. After the match, members of the Washington Freedom met personally with the girls.

Girls volleyball is coached by Karen Byrd. This team is dynamic and hard-hitting when they take to the court. Excitement is guaranteed! In 2009, the team finished ranked #9 in the state. Senior Amelia Dunston and Junior Haley Corson were both voted VCC All-Conference. In 2008 the ladies made a state playoff appearance and senior Emily Scribe was named the VCC Player of the Year and was named to the All-State team. GO BLUE!

Want to be a three-season athlete? Can do. But you will grow by a little participation across the board. Want to be on the water all the time? You can make it happen in Sailing or Crew, or try our River Immersion and Living Campus programs. Gear up and go out on an outdoor adventure trip! Not sure were your interest lies? Dive in and find out. You will find something, on the river, on the stage, in the community, in the chapel, on a retreat, or on the field, that will give you satisfaction and new confidence.

We want to offer our students choices in activities. We want our students to explore a breadth of activities in multiple areas of school life. The co-curricular system allows our students to explore their strengths in depth.