Nike Boys Volleyball Camp in Las Vegas

Camp Coaches

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  Rodrigo Rodrigues Gil

  Camp Director

  Rodrigo Rodrigues Gil is a Nike Volleyball Camp Director.

  View Rodrigo's Bio
  

  Rodrigo Rodrigues Gil

  Camp Director

  Rodrigo, originally from Brazil, had the privilege of playing professional volleyball for over 18 years. His journey began at just 14 when he made the courageous decision to leave home and pursue the sport at a higher level. By 15, he was already training with the Brazilian National Team, and over the next few years, he earned the title of ‘Junior World Champion’ three times—an incredible honor recognizing his skill and dedication as a junior player. At 18, Rodrigo became a top international competitor, earning a spot on the prestigious ‘World All-Star Team.’ The following year, he took his talents to Italy, where he played nine consecutive seasons in the elite A1 Italian League. During this time, he achieved numerous individual and team honors and was one of only two Brazilians competing in the league at the time. His professional career also took him to Russia, Korea, Puerto Rico, Qatar, and Argentina, allowing him to experience the game at the highest levels across the world. After retiring from professional play, Rodrigo transitioned into coaching in 2010, joining Mizuno Long Beach Volleyball Club (girls) and Team Rockstar (boys). His passion for developing young athletes quickly made him a sought-after coach and private trainer in Southern California. Over a decade of coaching, Rodrigo consistently led teams to success, qualifying for the Junior Olympics each year and earning himself Coach of the Year honors twice. Across both his boys’ and girls’ teams, several earned top finishes at the Junior Olympics, including a Gold, a Silver, and two Bronze medals, along with three strong 5th-place finishes. Regionally, he consistently kept his teams among the top competitors, maintaining high rankings in SCVA Division 1 for both programs. Beyond volleyball, Rodrigo enjoys spending time with his family, being in nature, and traveling. Fluent in Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and English, Rodrigo values the relationships he’s built through the sport and continues to mentor and inspire the next generation of athletes.

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  April Chapple

  Co-Director

  April Chapple is a Nike Volleyball Camp Director

  View April's Bio
  

  April Chapple

  Co-Director

  Coach April is a California native and a former USA National Volleyball Team member who represented the US in the indoor women’s professional Italian league for more than eight years. One of the few Americans to play in the D-1 Italian League championships, the Italian Cup Tournament and the European Cup of Cups Tournament, April was a first round draft pick and named First Team All Pro in both the American indoor professional Major League Volleyball (New York Liberties) and the outdoor Bud Light Four Person Beach Volleyball League televised on ESPN. April is a four-time All-American and the first four year volleyball Hall of Fame Inductee at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Voted as the Four-Person League’s Best Left Side Hitter, April has played beach volleyball on the (WPVA) Women’s Professional Beach Volleyball Association, (AVP) Association of Volleyball Professionals, been an Italian 3 vs 3 Beach Volleyball Champion, held a number one ranking in the (CBVA) California Beach Volleyball Association, has been ranked #80 in the world and played in the (FIVB ) International Federation of Beach Volleyball events. April has coached volleyball coaches from 1996 to 2000 as the “Five Quick Tips” columnist for the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s (AVCA) bi-monthly “Coaching Volleyball” magazine. As a volleyball journalist, April has written and published over 100 articles online and off about playing and coaching elite volleyball. She has been a contributing writer for publications like Active.com, Capital One Cup.com, Las Vegas Sports Magazine, Volleyball Magazine, USA Volleyball Magazine, e-sports.com and on her own volleyball web sites including Volleyball Voices.com, Inspiring Female Volleyball Players Videos.com, Inspiring-Female-Volleyball-Players.com, and the Parents Volleyball Girl Guide.com. April is the author of the e-booklets “How To Stop Serving Like A Wimp” and “86 Girls Indoor Volleyball Tips: How to Gain Confidence on the Volleyball Court” on sale now at Volleyball Voices.com and Inspiring Female Volleyball Players.com. As a professional photographer, April has photographed some of the top volleyball players and volleyball coaches in the world. Her work has appeared in many top Italian publications, including Vogue Italy, MAX, Corriere dello Sport, the cover of the Gazzetto dello Sport magazine, the Gazzetta di Vicenza, and all three Italian volleyball magazines.