The USL Premier Development LeagueÆs New Orleans Shell Shockers were impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to their venue, Pan American Stadium, being completely flooded, the teamÆs staff and players have been displaced in the aftermath caused by the levee breaks in the city. Here are a few of their stories

Gary and Peter OstroskeÆs story

Gary Ostroske, owner and chairman of the Shell Shockers and President of the Greater New Orleans United Way, lives in the uptown section of New Orleans not far from Memorial Medical Center. That is Baptist Hospital for those of you who are Old New Orleans buffs. He son Peter is the General Manager of the Shell Shockers. He was also with his wife Mary Ann and daughter Janice.

As told by Gary Ostroske:

After the hurricane all was well. We only had a couple of broken trees. Even the ground was dry on Monday night!

In the morning, the street had a couple of inches of water in it with the sewer manhole spewing water like it was a fountain in front of the Harrahs New Orleans Casino. We later learned that the levee had broken and the water was traveling under ground.

By Tuesday afternoon, the water had crept up to the doorsteps and by the evening it was beginning to seep into the house. But like all fearless Shell Shockers, I believed that the levee would be plugged!

By Wednesday, we realized that the water was still rising up to five feet in the house and we went to the second floor. But all was not lost, we has a generator, food, water and a belief in our government.

When Thursday came and there was nothing said about the levee and the water was not going down, we decided to do what all good citizens should do… we got the hell out!!! We saw a 24-foot boat go by with a 220 horsepower engine.

The captain, Tommy, was a casting director from one of the motion pictures in town. Along with Tommy, he had a woman and her daughter, two young women looking for their cats and a lone stranger. We dropped the women off with a kayak and they went down to seek their felines. We turned down Palmer Street in Uptown New Orleans where we saw a small Cajun pirogue, a canoe-like boat. Peter jumped into the water to retrieve the pirogue only to find the water level was over his head!!!

We then went about a mile and could go no more due to the downed trees across the street. From there we loaded the two women, the mother and daughter, into the small pirogue along with our dog Lilly, bird Artie and all of our backpacks. The rest of us were chest high in the murky water. From there we went to upper St. Charles Ave and walked to River Road.

Looting was on the right as well as the left as we moved on. We hitchhiked on River Road and made our way to the Causeway and I-10.

There we found hundreds of people and buses galore in a helicopter staging area. The military gave us MREs and we ate in the rain under the carport of the Best Western Landmark Hotel in Metairie. The Landmark, ironically, was the official hotel for the Shell Shockers visiting teams and is close to the Lakeside Mall and the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. It is a mere seven or so miles from our home to the hotel for what would normally be a quick 13-minute drive. Unfortunately, in the chaos I think we took an indirect route that doubled the length of the trek.

Peter and I thought the MREs were great. Both of us agreed that this was the way to travel on Shell Shocker road trips. We then decided to hitch to Baton Rouge. The kids were weary that no one would pick up four wet people with a bird and a dog.

But I had a plan.

We took a poster board that was on the side of the road. I need to give credit to my friend Bob Merrick because the poster was from Latter and Blum, a local New Orleans Real Estate Firm. Thanks Bob!

Mary Ann suggested that we make the letter on the sign with her lipstick and Peter went to work. The sign said ôUnited Way Staff… LaPlace or B.R.ö

Amazingly, the first car that went by stopped, but he was a reporter from France looking for directions to the French Quarter, promising to come back. Peter and I looked at each other and momentarily considered commandeering the guyÆs rental car like we had the pirogue, but better judgment prevailed. We could not do that to our friends and allies, the French. After all, they invented the french fries!

Literally, the next car stopped and put us in the back of the truck. Of course Artie, the bird, was the privileged one of our group to get to ride in the cab of the pickup.

From there, we went to the Baton Rouge airport and rented a car. We have been in New Iberia, Lafayette, Kinder, Lake Charles and are now in Baton Rouge. Now we are in the major task of helping the evacuees in the name of the United Way. Believe me, I can't wait until next week.

Oh yeah, last Friday was my 57th birthday. Things are looking up!!!

Steve McAnespie's Story

(McAnespie, assistant coach and player for the Shell Shockers, like the Ostroskes decided to ride out the storm in New Orleans.)

McAnespie usually resides with Coach Kenny Farrell, who is currently safe and sound in North Carolina, but was staying at a friendÆs house in the City Park area of New Orleans at the time. The house was not far from the Pan American and Tad Gormley Stadiums. The two stadiums in City Park are under water at this time.

As the water rose, McAnespie had to go higher and higher in the house before finally ending up on the roof of his friendÆs home alone and with no supplies.

Finally, after two days of being stranded on the roof McAnespie was found and rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter.

From the staging area he was brought to Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La. Thibodaux is about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans. From there, McAnespie made his way to Baton Rouge, Lafayette and the Texas cities of Beaumont and Houston.

From Houston, McAnespie caught a flight and is currently in the Atlanta area with friends.

A native of Scotland, McAnespie has been in the US since 2003 helping Farrell coach the Shell Shockers and does not plan to leave the U.S. for the milder, but still damp, climates of his homeland after his experience with the hurricane.

Media Relations Director Randy PistoriusÆ Story

Being the smart one of the bunch, apparently, I got the heck out of dodge before the chaos and am currently in Shreveport, La.

I left New Orleans at 2 am on the night of Saturday the 27th. I left my home in Metairie and went out through US 90 as the State of Louisiana had started its contraflow plan on I-10. I first stopped in Lafayette to eat and approximately six-and-a-half hours later arrived in Shreveport about 8:30 am.

I am safe and sound and looking for temporary work in the region. Earlier in the day, I represented the Shell Shockers at the MDA Bowling for Dystrophy event. Talk about dedication.

The New Orleans Shell Shockers would like to thank the USL and the Hampton Roads PiranhasÆ Marcie Laumann for their support. We would also like to ask for everyoneÆs support and prayers during this time of rebuilding.