As of July 2014
Churchill Volleyball – Fall 2014
Bulldog Volleyball Tryouts
Varsity Coach
Cindy Hillard
CLHGATOR6@aol.com
JV Coach
JJ Rathnam
jjrathnam@gmail.com
Tryout Schedule for Fall 2014 Girls Volleyball
Notes :
1) For Wednesday 8/13 - All Freshman and Sophomores must attend the JV session. All Juniors
and Seniors must attend the Varsity session. At the end of the Wednesday session, any player
who should move between sessions will be told by the coach. If you think you should move and
the coach did not talk to you, the player should talk to the coach or email the coach. No
freshman or sophomore player should come to the varsity session without an invite from a
coach.
2) Try-Outs will last 3 to 5 days depending on how the sessions progress and depending on how
many players come out. Here is the current schedule. This is subject to change at any time.
Check back to the Churchill Website for updates.
Wednesday August 13
Varsity: 9:30 to 12:30 Main Gym
JV: 4:30-6:30 Main Gym
Monday Aug 18 and Tuesday Aug 19
Varsity: 3:30 to 6:30 Main Gym
JV: 4:30-6:30 Aux Gym
Thursday August 14
Varsity: 9:30 to 12:30 Main Gym
JV: 4:30-6:30 Main Gym
Wednesday August 20
Varsity: 3:30 to 6:30 Main Gym
JV: 4:30-6:30 Aux Gym
Teams announced following the end of
8/20 practice. Teams may be
announced sooner.
Friday August 15
Varsity: No Practice (coach is at Clemson)
JV: 4:30-6:30 Main Gym
(If you make a team – there is practice
every weekday and some on
Saturdays - starting Aug 21)
What to bring to tryouts
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Forms as required by the MCPS. Links to these are listed on the Churchill Athletic Web
Page. One of these forms requires a doctor’s signature. Without that completed form
you will not be able to tryout – No exceptions.
Water & a Light snack
A Jump Rope
Knee pads if you have them
Indoor court shoes, but also outdoor running shoes
What the coaches are looking for:
Athleticism - Coordination and physical strength while also having stamina and intelligence.
Attitude – Positive, competitive, focused on teamwork, and eager to learn.
Commitment – Be committed to your team and the goal of working together to win and have fun.
And for Varsity - Volleyball Skills – Knowledge of correct playing form and ability to do such,
including court positioning and variations of basic principals. For JV, we will teach you to play.
Varsity vs JV Considerations
Varsity – The varsity team is designed to be very competitive. In 2013 Churchill won our Division for
the first time in 27 Years. Our goal this year is to play for a regional and then state championship.
Players who have the above characteristics and also advanced volleyball skills, or skills that fit a
specific need for the team, will make varsity. While our goal is to work hard, have fun and play as a
team, no playing time during matches is guaranteed for varsity players. The goal is to win and win
strong. Players who do not play in matches must still be supportive and stay positive. All players get
playing time and focus during practice.
Junior Varsity - The team is geared toward developing the skills necessary to play volleyball and
working on advancing those skills in preparation of moving to the varsity team. While the goal is to
win, every player who consistently attends practice and has a positive attitude should see some
playing time during matches.
Practices and Matches – If you make a team you will practice after school (Varsity 3-5:30 and JV
4:30-6:30), every weekday once try-outs are over. We may also practice on several Saturday
mornings. Matches are during the week and vary in start times after school. There will be at least
one Saturday tournament for varsity.
What to do at tryouts:
Work hard. Perform all drills at full speed. Run between drills and when shagging balls
Listen to what the coaches are asking you to do. Make adjustments that we ask for.
Be among the first to arrive in the gym. Help with setting up or taking down equipment.
Look the coach in the eye when he/she speaks to you or the team.
Be a champion shagger when asked to shag, or when asked to initiate drills
Make an impression. Give the coaches a reason to remember you. Be positive, work hard,
encourage others, be vocal, and let your enthusiasm be evident
 For varsity consideration –
a. Just because you played a position last year either on this team or another, does not
mean you will play the same position again this year. Be open to change and to
adjustments.
b. Demonstrate your understanding of volleyball skills (serving, setting, passing, hitting,
blocking) individually and in competitive team situations.
 Coaches will take note of players who demonstrate progress while learning a new skill. We
want players who listen, follow directions, and ask questions when necessary.
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Hints to get you ready for tryouts:
Practice your skills before tryouts: If you already know how to play, pepper, play or have someone
toss you balls to pass, set or hit. It doesn’t take long to lose the feel for the game. There are
several open gyms in the area. Go out and play !!
Train: For the next 4 weeks (Wow! That is how long we have until tryouts), workout for at least 30
minutes each day to give yourself an edge. Run, jump, work on agility and strength. You should be
able to:
 run fast and hard for a minimum of 4 minutes without stopping.
 jump for a minimum of 3 minutes continuously.
 run agility drills for 4 minutes.
 30 good crunches with no breaks, at least 10 pushups.
To do this we suggest the following (these are designed to be done anywhere. So even if you are
vacationing, you can do these):
o Choose a simple and relatively short area to run (less than 50 yards long such as your street or a parking
lot). Run up and down the area as fast as you can for 4 minutes. Stop for 30 seconds and do it again.
The intention is to maximize hard and fast, not how far you can run. If you can only run full speed for 2
minutes, then do that 3 times with a break. The next day try to run for 2.5 minutes. And keep
increasing over the 4 weeks.
o Find a step or a steady surface you can jump on to. Maybe 6-14 inches high. Jump on and off it as quick
as you can for 3 minutes without stopping. Wait 30 seconds, do it again. Again really fast jumping is
more important than the 3 minutes. In a separate session jump rope for 6 minutes straight.
o Mark off a distance of 8-15 feet. For 2 min run back and forth (shuttle) reaching down and touching at
the turns. A parking space or the width of your driveway are good examples. Sit down and do 30
crunches. Get up and shuttle back and forth again for 2 minutes. Do this 3 times each.
What will you do at tryouts?
For JV :
1) You will be taught how to play volleyball. This will include passing, setting, serving and hitting.
2) You will be measured on how high you can reach, but also what your vertical is. A shorter
player with a big vertical shows athletic potential.
3) Speed – short shuttle runs in a competitive mode
4) Strength – with a partner you will see how many crunches you can do and how many push-ups
you can do.
5) Stamina – you will run a mile. The goal is to see who will run hard and strong, not necessarily
how fast you run it. If you have done your training, at a minimum, you should be able to run
hard for four minutes then walk for 30 seconds, then run again.
For Varsity:
1) You will be drilled in competitive play and repetitive ball handling.
2) Passing form and accuracy are of great importance
3) Overhand serving is required, with priority given to spot serves
4) Items 2-5 above from the JV list will also be assessed.