The 2002 summer season will mark Tommy Orndorff’s 29th anniversary as head coach of the 18 & Under Shamrocks. Under his direction, today’s Shamrocks are recognized as one of the country’s premier fastpitch programs.

      The Shamrocks have dominated local fastpitch softball by capturing 18 out of the last 23 Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Metro Washington DC Championships. “The ‘Rocks” were ineligible for competition two of those years because the team was awarded automatic berths to the ASA Nationals by qualifying to compete in the ASA Hall of Fame Tournament. The team announced is in its third year as ASA Gold status. By doing so, the Shamrocks were declared ineligible to defend their local title.

      No other 18 & Under contingent outside the state of California has accomplished as much as the Shamrocks nationally. Most notably, the Shamrocks have made 16 trips to the ASA 18 & Under National Championship Tournament (13 consecutive). In those national appearances, the Shamrocks have finished in the Top 20 eight times, including three straight Top 10 finishes in 1987 (5th), 1988 (9th), 1989 (5th). The 1995 Shamrocks squad finished 4th in the nation. In 24 seasons, Tommy Orndorff’s record with the Shamrocks stands at 944-187.

      Besides his Shamrocks, the past fifteen springs have found Orndorff as the head varsity softball coach at Bishop Denis J. O’Connell High School. Under his reign, the Arlington, Virginia school has played in every catholic league championship game, capturing the top prize nine times. Orndorff’s Lady Knights have also won seven consecutive Virginia Independent State School Association (VISSA) state titles.

      Speaking of the VISSA, it has named Orndorff its “Virginia State Softball Coach of the Year” for five straight years. The Washington Post has twice named Orndorff its “Washington DC Metropolitan High School Softball Coach of the Year” (1986 & 1996).

      A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Al Anch and his family currently reside in Ashburn, Virginia. Al has a great deal of playing and coaching experience in both baseball and fastpitch softball. He began playing baseball at the age of 7 and played a total of 23 years including 4 years at Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia, 4 years on a scholarship at Coastal Carolina and one year of professional baseball with the Kinston Eagles of the Class A Carolina League under manager Leo Mazzone - current pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves. He also played 3 years of fastpitch softball in the early 1980’s. Al’s coaching experience includes 5 years of Senior Little League Baseball (13-l5 yr. olds) before he began coaching youth softball in 1989. He coached youth softball in the Sterling Organization through 1994 before he and daughter Christy joined the 12U Vienna Stars in 1995. In 1995 and 1996 Al was the assistant hitting/pitching coach of the 12U Vienna Stars who attended ASA Nationals both years and finished l3th at the 1996 Nationals in Altamonte Springs, Florida. In 1997 he joined the Shamrocks organization as manager of the 14 and unders. The "Little Rocks" went 80-10 and finished 17th out of 88 teams at ASA Nationals in Broken Arrow, OK. Now in his 4th year on the Shamrocks coaching staff, Al will be working primarily with the pitchers during the 2001 campaign. He will also be working his 8th consecutive Shamrock Camp this summer as a pitching instructor under the direction of Tommy Orndorff and has been an assistant to Tommy at Bishop O’Connell High School since 1997. Daughter Christy is in her 6th year with the Shamrocks.

“Coaching the Shamrocks is very demanding but I always look forward to providing our young athletes, often described as ‘The Elite of the East’, with the opportunity and the challenge of competing on a national level - consistent with their desires and goals.”

Coach Mike Bures is a native of Manassas, Virgina and has been involved with baseball and softball since high school. He played men's slow pitch until his daughter Courtney turned 6 and joined the local Babe Ruth fast pitch league. Mike coached, Courtney played, and the whole family has been hooked ever since.

From 1993 through 2001, Mike served as a board member and coached with the Babe Ruth league in various combinations as head coach and/or assistant coach for both of his daughters regular and tournament teams. In 1998 he was head coach of the 12 and under Manassas Express team that won the Babe Ruth National Tournament in Houma, LA.

In 1995 Mike and his wife Dawn were founding members of the Manassas Blaze tournament teams. Daughters Courtney and Amanda both played on the 10 and under team during the inaugural season. Mike served as either head coach or assitant coach with the Blaze teams through 2001.

Over the years Mike has attended many coaching clinics and is always eager to expand his knowledge of the physical, mental and strategic aspects of the game of softball. As a player softball had always been fun for Mike, but it is as a coach where he truly enjoys it. Whether it has been as a team coach or pitching instructor during winter clinics, Mike has enjoyed helping all the girls work towards their goals.

This year Mike is an assistant coach with the Stonewall Jackson High School team and looks forward to an exciting and fun year with the Shamrocks.

Heiskel R. Gray has been associated with the 18 & Under Shamrocks for the past ten years. First as a parent of former player Tricia Gray (1988-89) and then as an assistant coach (1990-present).