Physical fitness – whether achieved through team sports or fitness classes – is part of the total educational experience at Madeira.
Madeira’s athletic and fitness program has something for everyone: competitive interscholastic varsity teams, developmental interscholastic junior varsity teams, and instructional fitness classes.
Fall, Winter, and Spring seasons; Open to grades 9-12
Madeira competes locally within the Independent School League (ISL) and the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association (VISAA). Students are expected to attend all games and practices. Practice times are typically Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 2:45-4:15 p.m for junior varsity teams and 4:00-6:00 p.m. for varsity teams. Preseason tryouts for fall sports will be open to returning athletes and invited new girls who are interested in being considered for a varsity team. Junior varsity tryouts for fall sports will take place during the first week of school. Tryouts are open to the entire student body during the pre-season for each sport.
Fall Season: Cross country, varsity and JV field hockey, varsity and JV soccer, varsity and JV volleyball, varsity and JV tennis
Winter Season: Varsity and JV basketball, varsity rock climbing, varsity swimming and diving
Spring Season: Varsity and JV lacrosse, varsity and JV softball, varsity tennis, varsity track and field
The Athletic Department is on a trimester calendar. To meet the graduation requirement, a student must earn at least eight Activity/Athletic credits during the 12 trimesters of her high school career. Students may satisfy their Activity/Athletic requirement through participation in fitness classes, dance, riding or aquatic classes or in the interscholastic sport teams program. For more on athletics requirements, including information on independent projects that qualify for athletic credits, see the Athletic and Activity Requirements page.
Mr. Rod Montrie began working at Madeira in 1992. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland College Park. In addition to his role as director of aquatics, Mr. Montrie is the varsity swim and dive team head coach.
Katie LaRue comes to Madeira after serving as associate director of Athletics at Mercersburg Academy, where she managed logistics for 45 teams and served as head girls’ basketball and volleyball coach, as well as being an integral part of the residential life programs. As a coach, LaRue has successfully developed winning programs with strong cultures. During her tenure as Mercersburg Academy’s head girls’ basketball coach, the program re-established itself as a competitive force. In 2016, Mercersburg had its most successful season in program history, winning its first-ever Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association championship, and LaRue was voted Public Opinion Coach of the Year. Prior to her time at Mercersburg, LeRue led her first basketball team at Asheville School to the Carolina Athletic Association Conference finals, upsetting the No. 1 seed along the way. Her players have earned many post-season honors and she has supported numerous athletes through the collegiate recruitment process.
LaRue was an all-state athlete in both basketball and volleyball in high school. She played Division I college basketball at Charleston Southern University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, then pursued an MBA at Winthrop University while serving as a graduate assistant for the women’s basketball team and assistant to the athletic director in marketing and facilities management.
Kelly Chandler comes to The Madeira School after receiving her Bachelors of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies at Vanderbilt University and her Masters of Science in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. While in Philadelphia, Kelly served as the head lacrosse coach for Ultimate PA 2022 and the volunteer assistant at The Agnes Irwin School, where she helped lead the Owls to a 2016 Inter-Ac Championship and Runner-Up in PAISAA. During her time at Vanderbilt University, Kelly was a four-year starter on the varsity women’s Lacrosse team, helped lead the team in scoring for the 2016 season and was named to the All-Big East second team. Kelly attended Episcopal High School, and is excited to be returning to the D.C. Metro area and the Independent School League. Through her experiences, Kelly has developed a personal passion to make a difference in the lives of others, specifically adolescents and young adults. Kelly views education and experiential learning as the best means to make an impact, and is excited to facilitate that growth within the Madeira community.
Jon is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with 20 years of experience educating others in fitness and health. He joins Madeira Athletics after working in Japan with a professional men’s basketball team. Prior to that, he was the Head Athletic Trainer at The Hill School in Pennsylvania and overall has spent 15 years of his career working with high school athletes. He holds a M.S.S in Sports Medicine & Sport Fitness from the United States Sports Academy.