This summer, DSS Team members hit the softball fields of New York City to compete against softball teams from other major organizations.

The DSS team, informally known as the “Doyle Destroyers,” included a couple of dozen DSS employees and their family members, most of whom live in New York City or on Long Island.

Games were played once a week during the spring and summer at ball fields in Manhattan’s Central Park. Team Doyle was part of Division 2 of the EDSO Sports League. The league features softball teams from a number of prominent companies, including real estate developer Tishman Speyer, global banking giant BNP Paribas, publisher Simon & Schuster, satellite radio provider XM Sirius, and the running advocacy group New York Roadrunners Club.

Vice President of Sales John Kalle coached the team along with Long Island Customer Service Manager Gerardo Molina.

Kalle noted that the team is a family effort for Doyle players. “Sometimes, not everyone we are expecting shows up, so we end up drafting some of our players’ sisters, wives, brothers and such,” he says. “We are lucky that whenever we need an extra body, there is always a DSS family member who can step into the game.”

The team grew out of DSS President and COO Mario J. Doyle’s persistence in putting together a team and getting it into the league. “Mario went all out,” Kalle says. “He purchased blue uniforms and promoted the team. He also took part in our last game, playing second base and batting twice. His first time up, Mario got a hit,” Kalle recalls.

Team Doyle finished the regular seasons with eight wins and five losses and made it to the league playoffs, but lost to a Division 1 team in the first round of the playoffs.

The Doyle softball team is yet another way to bring co-workers together in an informal, out-of-the-workplace location to build interpersonal relationships, boosting cohesion in the workplace. “It’s always great to get people out of the office so they can meet co-workers under different circumstances, enjoy each other's company, and have fun,” Kalle explains.