Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Kicking it, Cleveland-style

It’s great to be a Cleveland sports fan. Our Cavs made history this week as NBA Champions and the Indians are leading the AL Central. For those of us who have grown up here, this is the moment we’ve dreamed of. And it’s just as sweet as we’ve always imagined it would be.

Cleveland is the quintessential sports town. Our teams represent the drive, the grit and the determination of hard-working NE Ohioans. Cleveland never gives up.

I can draw that same parallel to Shamrock. As a Company, our culture defines our team’s collective commitment to our customers—but also to this community. In every respect, our people at Shamrock are all in. On June 9, we had the opportunity to give back, while showing the rest of Cleveland that at Shamrock, we’re just as young as we feel.


Cleveland Kicks-It at Progressive Field

Shamrock Team


We assembled a team for Cleveland Kicks-It 2016—a kickball tournament at Progressive Field to benefit children’s cancer research. We finished with an impressive 1-1 record. But not without a few casualties.
  • We lost Dave Fechter to a foot injury (and a Monday morning commute on crutches)
  • Tim Berry was inhibited by back pain before the games even started (his run to 1st base looked more like geriatric speed walking)
  • Jen Barnhart didn’t even make it to 1st base (we have video evidence of the fall)
  • Brian Phillips dove into 3rd and came up 3 ft. short (and then tried to crawl to base)
  • Kelly O’Keefe took out the other team’s intern (nice throw)
  • And I almost blew the second game with 2 missed throws at the end (the pressure got the best of me)

But in true Shamrock style, our team rallied! The highlights included our all-star, Jason Dunn, who got us on the board (it’s amazing what youth brings to the equation); along with our MVP catch from Tom Backus (although he juggled it more than a clown at the circus.)


Shamrock Team at Vita Urbana

Nicole and Jason Dunn

As a team, we excelled in the after-game festivities at Vita Urbana, Scott Popovic’s new place in Battery Park. (@VitaUrbanaCle on twitter and @vitaurbanacleveland on FB) The day was memorable. It was a lot of fun. And mostly, it was humbling to be part of such a heartfelt effort to benefit kids with cancer. It was a great day to celebrate Cleveland’s passion for sports and the love that this community continues to show—regardless of the score. #AllIn


All The Best,

Tim Connor