LYNN — This spring, boys volleyball was introduced to Lynn, and after just learning the rules and facing tough competition, the Lynn Classical Rams are finding momentum after two wins.
“It’s going really well. It was a real struggle at the beginning, which we expected,” Classical head coach Chris LeBlanc said. “When you throw kids out on the court who have never played organized volleyball before, there’s going to be growing pains.”
After weeks of practice and hard work, the Rams showed progress prior to a showdown against inner-city rival Lynn English – which was also seeking its first win of the season.
“It’s never hard to get our kids up for a game against English,” LeBlanc said. “The kids love playing against them since they have friends on English, and everyone was pumped up for it.”
Heading into the game, LeBlanc felt something was different with his group.
“We went into that match and the warmup we had was easily the best warmup we’ve had all year. You could see it was just a different feeling for them,” LeBlanc said. “They started really well and kind of kept it up the entire game. We did it effectively and efficiently. They were locked in; they didn’t make the same mistakes they were making in past games.”
Classical wound up winning the match 3-0 (25-7, 25-21, 25-21) for its first win in program history.
“They were very happy to say the least,” LeBlanc said. “I think every win that we get, we are going to have a similar reaction.”
It didn’t take long for the Rams to pick up their next win as they defeated Somerville on Wednesday 3-2 in an epic comeback (trailed 1-2).
“They’re starting to get it. It’s starting to click for them,” LeBlanc said. “You can see higher-level thinking happening on the court. It’s fun to watch.”
Karim Chinchilla and Viet Tran have started strong for the Rams. On Chinchilla, LeBlanc described him as the team’s “engine.”
“He’s our captain. At the beginning of the year, I didn’t name any captains because I didn’t know anybody,” LeBlanc said. “I made it very clear to them that I wasn’t going to name a captain at the beginning of the season. After the first four games, he earned that role, so we named him captain going into the English game.”
Regarding Tran, LeBlanc praised his efficiency.
“He’s been really important. He’s very efficient in putting the ball down. He doesn’t make a ton of mistakes, but when he does, he understands why he made the mistakes and works on correcting them,” LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc has been coaching girls volleyball for years, so when given the task of coaching boys who have never played before, LeBlanc said he had to make some changes with his coaching style.
“It’s helping me become a better coach. I think there was a time I was getting a bit high-strung and caught up in the moment,” LeBlanc said. “But by coaching these guys, it has made me realize they don’t know everything, so I need to go a little bit slower and be happy with the little things – and the wins from the matches will come later. It’s been eye-opening to coach this group of kids and watch them grow in addition to watching myself grow to see where I need to go to teach them.”
LeBlanc went to other volleyball minds in the area for additional help, calling the process “invaluable.”
“Mae Driscoll, who is Arlington Catholic’s head coach, volunteers her time and attends as many practices as possible to help,” LeBlanc said. “Brent Ashley is the Lynnfield head coach and has been very helpful as well, and has become our de facto media person creating all of our photos and videos.”
The team’s reception has been well-supported by staff and fans, according to LeBlanc. The Rams have a junior varsity team lined up for next spring, and LeBlanc said excitement is brewing.
“I’ve got eighth graders coming up to me saying, ‘I’m going to be playing for you next year’ and I’m like, ‘You’re going to have to earn it,’” LeBlanc said.
There’s a new sport in the city, and the Rams are improving each week.
