UIT staff meet for a team-building kickball match

A whiff of dust swirled around home plate as a red rubber ball flew into the midday sky, bright and punctuated by tufted white clouds. The kicker ran for first, and opposing outfielders moved swiftly to catch the ball, hoping for an automatic out. Cheers, calls, and laughter floated in the air.

Kickball was in full swing.

About two dozen UIT employees from Software Platform Services (SPS) (now Platform Services) in the Chief Technology Officer organization (CTO), University Support Services (USS) in the Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) organization, and a couple of other teams came together on June 23, 2022, at Lindsey Gardens Park for lunch and a friendly match. USS had challenged UIT SPS staff to a game after hearing about its spring team-building barbecue and kickball match.

Avaree Vowell, an intern for the USS Content Management & Usability team, called the event "super fun," noting that each person contributed to the team-bonding exercise.

For example, Monty Kaufusi, manager for the and Student University Development Opportunity (SUDO) program, not only coached her team but hyped up all the players. He was "biggest cheerleader for every person out there," she said.

Vowell also praised teammates Barb Iannucci, associate director for Content Management & Usability, for “catching outs right and left in the outfield," and Emily Jacoby, a website services program manager for Iannucci's team, for running from base to base with an injured wrist.

A highlight, Vowell said, was when Deputy Chief Information Officer Ken Pink, who oversees USS, joined them in the last inning to pitch for the team.

Kim Tanner, director for CTO Software Platform Services, thanked everyone who participated, including USS Administrative Manager Shenia Sellers and SPS Senior Systems Administrator Stephan Stankovic, who organized the event; SPS Senior Systems Administrator Thanh Nguyen, who took photos and supplied ice; SPS IT Specialist Dalton Clift, who brought a cooler; and USS, which provided food from J. Dawgs for lunch.

"Everyone demonstrated excellent teamwork and team spirit!" Tanner said.

SPS defeated USS, 21-5. The real win, though, was building more camaraderie among the teams.

 

 

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