Posted every Tuesday, Adam Musto’s column will examine different aspects of the Chicago Shamrox organization.

#27 Captain Mat Giles is a carpenter in Cleveland for the past ten years building new homes.
www.GrabowskiPhoto.com

America loves the story of the blue collar underdog that defies all odds to win.

In sports, fans root for David to slay Goliath, and many times fans cheer for the “blue collar” teams.

For example, prior to the Chicago Bears 1985 NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, head coach Mike Ditka inspired his team, saying that the Bears were the lunch-pail Grabowski’s while the Rams were the glamorous California super stars.

Some teams, such as the 2005 Chicago White Sox, have taken this image to world championship.

But the reality is that it is a compete oxymoron to call professional athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL blue collar athletes. Although they play tough, at the end of the day, they are millionaires who rarely ever to worry about making ends meet or living from paycheck to paycheck.

However, sports like the NLL are different. The players that play indoor lacrosse are not paid the big salaries and work other jobs between games and in the off season.

In a season long report, I will take a look at what certain Shamrox players do outside of their jobs when they’re not playing lacrosse.

Chris Panos is a independent personal trainer independent who teaches lacrosse and also coaches the Lake Forest varsity lacrosse team.

“Lacrosse is my life and I’m really passionate about it,” Panos said. “It’s always good giving back to the kids. They appreciate the game and respect the things that I’ve accomplished.”

“They want to play lacrosse and I’m glad to give them the opportunity.”

Matt Giles is a carpenter and has built new homes in Cleveland for 10 years. His first job was as a janitor for four years in high school.

Kevin Fines is self employed and designs sell pictures for pharmacies and retail stores, which he has done for over a year. During his youth in Ontario, he played hockey in the winter, lacrosse in the summer, and during the day he taught a hockey school where he helped young players perfect their goaltender skills.

Coach Jamie Batley works for the Canadian Government and IRS. He began working as a roofer making five dollars an hour when he was a teenager. Batley also worked as a waiter and shoe salesman.

“We come from humble backgrounds and we all have jobs outside,” Batley said. “But we’re there for the fans. We’re not prima donna and we’re not millionaires.”

“The NHL is a prestigious league, but you’re never going to be able to walk on the ice and get a guys autograph. You’re lucky if you see them.”

“There’s no other league or professional game where the fans can have access like lacrosse,” Shamrox assistant coach Joe Sullivan said, who began working at Mothers Pizza, washing dishes and picking corn.

Adam Musto is a reporter for ChicagoShamrox.com and other publications for the Chicago Shamrox including the Shamrox Scoop E-Newsletter and the Shamrox Scoop Game Day Program. Musto has written for the Sun-Times paper The Courier News based in Elgin and is currently writing for the Northwest Herald based in Crystal Lake. He is currently a senior at Jacobs High School and will be attending University of Illinois in the fall.