Looking to start a team - tips and advice?

[Dean_BGPB]

I have played for a couple speedball teams before, but all seem to fall through due to other commitments etc. I may be looking to start a team, just need some advice regarding sponsors, jerseys and anything else.

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers

 

[A.B]

You're not particularly going to like this advice but in the years of playing I wish I'd of learned it earlier.

Decide what your goal is? Promotion? Recognition? Fun?

Forget sponsors, let your team prove its value before approaching any company's for assistance. Have something to offer them, otherwise it's just a discount and you're locked into buying one type of paint/ gun/ gear.

Forget shiney kit/guns/etc buy second hand whatever is reliable and efficient. Let someone else take the hit on those costs.

Put ALL the savings from the above into constructive training and bulk paint purchasing (with negotiated discount).

Find the best teams you can to practice against.

Have a bigger squad than you need because over a season commitment will wane and you will still have events to attend.

Good luck

A.B

 

[Tom]

....... just need some advice regarding sponsors, jerseys and anything else.
.....

With sponsorship consider what you want from it, what you will do for the sponsors, how strict a deal you are after and what it may mean to people in the team.

99% of sponsorship is a discount and most of the time you can get discounts anyway if you're buying a few things
Bigteam buys into a sponsorship programme with complete set of clothing, guns, hoppers (which gives you a big up front saving but is also a big up front expense) are nice for all that gear, but not everyone is going to need or want all that gear. Brand loyalty helps with sponsorship but falls down if there's a personal preference for a specific item. Make sure that before going in this direction there is true brand loyalty and you all want that brand - not that it's the best deal at the time.
It could be a strict exclusive agreement that you are locked into for the year, and any new players as time goes on must also buy in

With a bulk deal comes the option of custom guns. Nice and pretty, but the sponsor will probably require you to have the 2016 model, then 2017 model etc
Each team member paying £1000+ at the start of every year on the sponsorship deal, and flooding the secondhand market with last years gun.
Are people going to want your guns? You paid less then retail, but the second hand market also pays less then retail and buyers will assume you had a deal price. Are you so good that they want your gun, or your design is so good that they want it?
Buyers may factor in the cost of reannodising or just offer you less because your unique design reduces the buyers and they can get a very cheap gun

Paint deals (which give you a saving on the primary consumable expense) could be part of a single brand deal or just a pain agreement. Make sure the dealer will be where you are playing

You don't have to have sponsorship as a team and then people can use what they like.

Have a loose requirement for team identity, eg say to prospective players that should they join then they would be expected to buy the team jersey, you prefer them to have a common goggle, and they can shoot what they like but most members use x brand and you have that technical expertise on the team
Different players could have vastly different needs from many items, eg if you needed to wear brand x trousers then the snake player might be be replacing theirs every two events when they keep ripping and wearing them down.

Pick sponsors that you can offer something to - eg the site local to you that you will train at and help out at

Think outside the box on sponsors as well, is there a local business you're connected to in some way? Give them some publicity and have the local paper updated on your progress with mentions of the business
Is there a local business that will be usefull to paintball events? - mini bus hire and get cheap travel, do you have a contact in premiere inn, and get cheap accommodation, or your local camping shop for a giant team tent

I've looked at a few jerseys and prefer jerseys clinic ones. Look around at what people are wearing and check the feature options, from basic jersey to the most padding and integrated gloves etc
JC also make a wide range of complimentary items and will take custom requests (eg my dslr bum bag)

 

[hipjaw]

Jerseys? Long sleeve t-shirts two sizes too big and iron on names and logos (if you so wish). The guys above have covered what I would have to say but to reiterate.

Money spent on gear and sponsorship deals might be nice but money spent on training is what makes you better.

Whether winning is in your cross hairs or not, make sure your squad is having fun. A lot of banter, one-off no pressure tournaments / walk-ons, team meals... all makes room for fun and making the overall experience worth it.

 

[Sid Sidgwick]

My advice after a few years playing and running my own teams is....

Don't bother.

I know that sounds harsh but from my experience in today's game it's much easier to join an established team that has been around for a few years and is well known in the tournament scene. Go to your local training site or pick one close by and go and see what teams play from there. Benefits are you get accepted into a whole new family of friends and don't have to worry about sorting all the usual ****e out.

There are plenty of 'stable' teams now, what I mean by this is teams like SAD or Care Bears who have players from all around the country playing for one of their many teams.

Ive been fortunate enough to play for many years with my friends, and more recently to have joined, rather than formed a team and from this experience I've met a whole new group of friends (and still get to play with some
If my older ones too).

 

[Tony Harrison]

Sid's right. Join another team, and you can blame their Captain - or any other member, for that matter - for any losses or bad decisions.

It's all about blame.

 

[thomasbear]

They have covered a lot of the points I would say. But if you still want to create your own team create a core group of friends who you all play together with and have fun then eventually you will pick up other players until you have 6/7 for you to form a team. As creating a team from 7 random people who don't now each other makes things really difficult as no guarantee they will all get on.

Also manage you expectations even if you get say a lot of div 2 players don't try and go straight for div 2 go below and create your base line then win your way up.