UK PAINTBALL Vs EUROPEAN PAINBALL

[Ryder]

I’m finding it a great emotion torment that to play any competitive paintball (Which by this i hope not to or even mean to undermine any other player or team in the UK) But why is it that we have to travel into Europe to play good quality paintball.

Rubbish, D7's south is a good example where quality training and teams scrim. Shock, nexus, eci, nk etc. Its not down to where you spend your time its a case of how you spend your time.

Why is it so hard for the top teams in the UK to support other UK teams by giving them each a chance to step up to and be counted.

Apsolute CACK, iv seen loads of top teams like shock and nexus offer their services in training days and clincs. Its the fact half the uk lazy f**kers dont want to attend them or cant be arsed. Also another good example, top uk teams in div 1 such as notorious, eci, mk storm all help each other out at events where possible. The oppertunity is there for people to "step up" take if it they choose...

It is my impression that every time plans are laid down it create the arena for the top 6 to 10 teams in the uk to battle it out, the very top teams will not commit.

Down to money, this did once exist in the form of the pro tour but to play a league here and in europe where the benfits in europe are higher (prizes etc) often the latter would be chosen over the other. That doesnt tho stop top teams training against each other.

IF you want to be counted, do something about it

 

[Exile]

Well France still has some of the finest European Teams around! TonTons and Icons just to name a few!!!

No disgreement about those two - but where are Hellwood, Camp Jaguars etc.? France has some great teams still, but not nearly as many as in the years gone by.

Some truth here but the average income in the former eastern block countries does not cover the cost of playing. Support from banks and other sponsors (like the russian railway) make is possible for teams to compete!
i.e. some teams pay 50 Euros per box of training paint! If and when you only earn 300 Euros a month it is impossible to afford to train! Some teams train with 500 paintball for the whole weekend per person!

Still looking at those teams...they are starting to dominate the paintball world overhere....!!!

And they achieve this on zero cash (comparative to UK teams/players) - so who are the more dedicated/committed?
I'm not knocking all those UK teams who get out there and grind it out week after week, because you guys have my utmost respect, I'm just saying that if playing cost the average UK player something like 3 times the amount it costs now, we probably wouldn't have a tournament scene full-stop.

Rubbish, D7's south is a good example where quality training and teams scrim. Shock, nexus, eci, nk etc. Its not down to where you spend your time its a case of how you spend your time.

IF you want to be counted, do something about it

I hear that!

 

[Oli HPG]

Pro tour was free to the teams thanks to the costs being covered by DYE but was badly managed and died as a result.

keka

LOL...yea very sore subject for us! We won a promotion into the DYE PRO TOUR...and and it died...what a bummmer!

 

[Dave S ECI]

But why is it that we have to travel into Europe to play good quality paintball.

Take a south-east team as an example. If you travel around the UK, you might as well look at travelling into Europe. Travel times aren't that high, you can do it in a weekend, and costs aren't too bad either (hotels are a lot cheaper in france).

It isn't all one way though, Hellwood are coming across to D7s soon and Bullets came across before Campaign.

Why is it so hard for the top teams in the UK to support other UK teams by giving them each a chance to step up to and be counted.

You've got to be prepared to ask for what you want and do things on the top teams terms. If you need help with training, why not approach the top teams? Shock has run a team clinic already this year and I know Tommy from Nexus has run a personal clinic too. These guys have busy schedules so work with them.

If you want to scrimmage teams, then approach them. Even if you can't play all day against them, do what you can - play one match or a handful of points. Hang around to the end of the day and see if you can get some time against them then.

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it but commitment levels have increased massively in recent years. Not just in terms of how often teams train but also how much paint they shoot when they do train. The table stakes of paintball keep rising, smaller fields, faster guns, faster formats, smaller bunkers etc - these all require more from those who compete today than those who competed historically.

 

[Dave S ECI]

delete please.

 

[spangley_special]

Apsolute CACK, iv seen loads of top teams like shock and nexus offer their services in training days and clincs. Its the fact half the uk lazy f**kers dont want to attend them or cant be arsed. Also another good example, top uk teams in div 1 such as notorious, eci, mk storm all help each other out at events where possible. The oppertunity is there for people to "step up" take if it they choose...

gotta agree with that, Tommy Pemberton held a clinic a while back, 6 people turned up and one them was a SPL Player!

 

[Paintball_Mad]

if you have a count on the mills leader boards (1-8) of British flags and then compare them to other countries i think you will be pleasently surprised. It was an even greater difference before CC. I don't think the situation of paintball in the UK is that bad, be positive stop bitching and jsut carry on playing.

 

[Bolter]

Apsolute CACK, iv seen loads of top teams like shock and nexus offer their services in training days and clincs. Its the fact half the uk lazy f**kers dont want to attend them or cant be arsed. Also another good example, top uk teams in div 1 such as notorious, eci, mk storm all help each other out at events where possible. The oppertunity is there for people to "step up" take if it they choose...

Agreed and its been totally awesome being involved with ECI and D7s this past few seasons. Won't lie, it has been a turning point in our team and things ARE getting better.

We had Dan Maskell over one training session, and he basically showed us alot of things we were doing wrong, and why. It was eye opening, and totally worth the £5m we paid him

 

[rental]

Being a part of great SPL teams in the last two seasons i don’t disagree with you Dave. Playing for a Aachen Xtreme, a German team, last year I saw firsthand why German teams have come up through the ranks, and it is because of their excellent league structure.

And again with France, they have one of the best league structures in Europe.

Then this year again, having to play in the Belgium paintball league which includes SPL teams Instinct crossfire and then div 2 teams Xistance, sabotage. Do you see Instinct or crossfire doing badly??

I think that a few people have missed the point I’m trying to make, we all understand about commitment issues, getting in with top teams to train against, yes is just a matter of asking. And at the top it all off, the financial struggle every top level player goes through from day to day.

I myself had a large financial entity very interested in putting large sums of money into our team. But pulled out after finding out that the only real UK marketing opportunity the team offered was campaign cup.

As Oli sed the Russian Railways put allot of money into teams, this is because of the marketing opportunity it offers the company on a national level.

So next Question. Without a competitive league in the UK incorporating the top UK teams such as Shock, nexus, ECI, notorious, tigers, stealers, etc. What major financial entity would you think would invest in our pro level players?

 

[Coldy]

So next Question. Without a competitive league in the UK incorporating the top UK teams such as Shock, nexus, ECI, notorious, tigers, stealers, etc. What major financial entity would you think would invest in our pro level players?

What would the 'Major financial entity' get out of it?

I think the problem with paintball here is knowledge. Or Lack or it. Look at the millenium score boards. All the teams (bar a couple of M5) that have placed well come from D7's south. Its not a coincidence. The other places I play in the UK I meet players who think they are the ****, coz they own this white headband, or this baggy ass set of limited edition '09 playing pants, and they have 30 bazillion post count next to their name on here.

Its not there fault. Think about the first time you played paintball. I bet you met someone who at first you thought knew it all. How did you know whether what they told you was right? I see people play paintball every weekend, and not get any better. Because they don't have anyone showing them what to do. And sometimes they are too arrogant to ask for advice, or willing to listen to anyone giving it. Paintball is not an easy sport, there is alot to it. And our knowledge base is very limited.

Next time you get blown up, swallow your pride and go ask the person that shot you, why they shot you, doesn't matter who they are. Ask what you could of done differently, what gave you away. See through all the agg bullsh*t.

Coldy