Christchurch School

Outside the classroom, the four 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 four areas: Athletics, River and Outdoor, Community Service and Spiritual Life, and Campus Life. Students then have the opportunity to explore their strengths and passions by pursuing certain areas more deeply.

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:

Varsity and JV Football
Varsity and JV Soccer
Varsity and JV Sailing
Volleyball
Crew
Natural Fitness

Winter Athletic Offerings:

Varsity and JV Basketball
Girls Basketball
Intramural Basketball
Intramural Soccer
Bowling Club
Natural Fitness

Spring Athletic Offerings:

Varsity and JV Lacrosse
Varsity Sailing
Baseball
Golf
Girls Soccer
Crew

Christchurch School is a member of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association, the Virginia Prep League, the Virginia Commonwealth Conference, the Old Dominion Football Conference, the Virginia Interscholastic Sailing Association, and the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association. 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 2000, and 1999 Coach of the Year for the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools.

In 2009, All-Prep senior 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 the past fall after wowing college scouts and coaches with his performance at a Baseball Factory Signature College Recruiting event in Richmond. He will be attending Eastern Mennonite University this fall.

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.

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!

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.

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. In 2009, junior James Zaimes shot a hole-in-one in a match at the Country Club of Virginia's Tuckahoe Course.

Lacrosse is led by Coach Vince Smith. 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.

2009 Mid-Atlantic Fleet 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.

Coach Matt Schaefer and the Christchurch soccer team are rising stars. In 2008, they earned another 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, 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.

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.

River and Outdoor Offerings:

River Immersion
Living Campus
Outdoor Adventure Trips

Community Service and Spiritual Life Programs

Campus Life Offerings:

Drama Production
Drama Tech
Athletic Team Manager
Student Athletic Trainer
Student Tour Guide
Chess Club
Sustainability Task Force
Student Athletic Council
National Honor Society
Honor Council
Student Government Association
Prefecture

Your participation in our co-curricular program will be tracked throughout the year. Students earn a minimum amount of points in each of the four areas: Athletics, River and Outdoor, Community Service and Spiritual Life, and Campus Life. Your completion of the program could land you different distinctions. There is a Gold, Silver, and Bronze standard of participation that recognizes your achievement in fulfilling your commitment.

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.