Chicago Shamrox Name Jamie Batley as Head Coach/GM

June 1, 2006 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Chicago Shamrox News Release


CHICAGO, Ill, June 1, 2006 - The Chicago Shamrox indoor professional lacrosse team of the National Lacrosse League today announced Jamie Batley as its new Head Coach and General Manager. Batley brings nearly a decade of coaching experience and a proven track record of head coaching success to the Shamrox and is considered one of the top indoor coaches in the game. As Head Coach of the NLL's Colorado Mammoth from 2003 through 2005, he led the team to two division titles.

"Jamie Batley is a skilled, respected and winning coach, and we're thrilled to have him bring this team to life as the first Head Coach/GM of the Chicago Shamrox," said Kevin Loughery, Jr., co-owner and Managing Partner for the team. "Being a part of the sports world for many years, my family and I know the importance of coaching and how critical a Head Coach is to the success of a team. Jamie brings experience and success behind the bench in coaching indoor lacrosse in the NLL. He knows how to build a winning lacrosse team from the ground up and has a keen eye for evaluating talent in both the US and Canadian talent pools. We're proud to have Jamie as a key part of the Chicago Shamrox organization as we get ready to begin play this January at the Sears Centre."

Batley joins the Shamrox, indoor pro lacrosse's newest franchise, three weeks after ownership unveiled the official team name and logo, as well as naming Conrad "Connie" Kowal as team President and Phil Ryan as Vice President, Director of Lacrosse Operations.

"I am excited to join the Chicago Shamrox organization and begin building a winning tradition," said Batley. "Lacrosse has been part of my life for the last 22 years as a player, coach and GM. I look to take my experience and give Chicago fans an exciting and a winning indoor lacrosse team that gives everything it has each and every game. I want to thank the Loughery family for this great opportunity."

In his new role, Batley will be responsible for all aspects of coaching during games and practices, including decisions on player evaluation, game-day lineups and physical training. He will immediately join Phil Ryan in strategizing the team building process through the upcoming NLL Expansion and Amateur drafts, as well as through Free Agency this summer.

Batley is currently the Head Coach and General Manager of the Peterborough Lakers of the Canadian Major Lacrosse League, a position he has served during the summer months since 2003. In those roles, he made all player and coaching decisions as well as developing and implementing the team's scouting system. His efforts and leadership propelled the team to two Ontario Championships and one Canadian Championship. The new coach brings vast lacrosse knowledge to the Shamrox gained through many years of coaching, scouting and developing physical fitness regimes.

Batley's resume includes additional NLL experience with the Buffalo Bandits, Syracuse Smash and the Pittsburgh Crossfire. He also head-coached the U.S. Box Lacrosse Team in 2003, leading the team to a bronze medal at the World Championships. As a player, Batley was an All-American midfielder for the University of Maryland in 1993 and a member of Team Canada from 1989-1994.

The Shamrox start indoor lacrosse play in January 2007 and will play its home games at the Sears Centre, a brand new state-of-the-art sports complex in Hoffman Estates, a northwest suburb of Chicago.

Season ticket deposits (only $25), group ticket reservations and team merchandise are available online at the official Website, www.ChicagoShamrox.com, or by phone at 1-866-4-CHI-NLL.

Shamrox Ownership:

The Shamrox ownership group is headed by Kevin Loughery Jr., son of former NBA player and Chicago Bulls coach Kevin Loughery, Sr., who is also a minority partner in the franchise. The ownership group also consists of Donald Sallee, former CEO of Invesco Global Strategies and a founding partner of Invesco Capital Management Inc. The final piece of the ownership group is Concept Entertainment Group LLC, a sports and entertainment asset development company and KLM holding run by Doug Schaer.

Shamrox Front Office:

Conrad "Connie" Kowal, President of the Chicago Shamrox, is a Chicago native who has been a sports executive for over 26 years, with front office experience in Major League Baseball, the NFL and other sports organizations. His background includes 14 seasons (1985-1998) as an executive for the Chicago Cubs and as Senior Director of Marketing and Business Development for the NFL's New Orleans Saints (2003-2005).

Phil Ryan, Vice President and Director of Lacrosse Operations, brings lacrosse experience, both on and off the field, to the Chicago Shamrox. He has played collegiate (Washington College, Md.) and professional lacrosse (Detroit, NLL, 1994), has been a successful coach at the youth, high school and collegiate levels in Chicago, and has helped expand the sport of lacrosse in the Chicagoland area as a partner with the business enterprise Lacrosse America. He also had a successful career as an executive with Merrill Lynch.

About the NLL:

The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America's professional indoor lacrosse league, featuring the best lacrosse players in the world. The league was formed in 1987 as the Major Indoor Lacrosse league, making this the NLL's 20th season. Today's NLL has twelve teams playing in the major markets of the United States and Canada. NLL teams each play a 16-game regular-season schedule (eight home and eight away) that begins in January and runs through April, followed by the Champion's Cup Playoffs. All games are played on the weekends.

About the Sears Centre:

Sears Centre is an 11,000-seat multi-purpose family entertainment, cultural and sports center under construction in Hoffman Estates' Prairie Stone Business Park. Sears Centre will host more than 135 events each year, attracting more than 750,000 visitors annually. The arena will bring a significant boom to Hoffman Estates. For more information, visit www.searscentre.com.



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