Too many teams?

[King John]

All paintball will ever be is a fun weekend and evening hobby until there is a large enough fan and player base to interest advertisers and sponsers who actualy PAY TEAMS and PLAYERS enough money so they can train 24/7/365 to be the best in the world.

Large cash prizes at tourneys would also get the kids smashing the sup air fields after school / work all the time because they can get fat wad of cash back for doing well.

Teams should look for sponsorship from local companies, not Dye/Planet/whoever. Thats like my local town team going to bloody Nike and Umbro, unrealistic.

This sport is gonna need another 20+ years before it gets big enough to get any real coporate interest and enough cash through the doors of the big companies to make paying the best players / teams enough to live on a reality.

 

[Dskize]

Raff, are you being obtuse or am i not explaining myself well ? genuine ..

By the people at the top of 'the league'...

 

[Raffles]

Good post Ian - thanks .

John - so how did the likes of Nexus, Shockwave, Tigers etc. etc. ever compete then?

D - I meant who is going to 'spot' these talented players in the first place? I know if a team does well - it furthers its own cause. But what about the talented player(s) in a not-so-good team. For example, how does a lower-league footballer get to try out for a premier league team? I'm not having a go mate - just throwing the questions out there (and waking everybody up after their Sunday lunch ).

 

[Rat]

And @ Rat. Use the ones that are available. Your bitching about not being feasible to travel to a site. well, then only more are going to shut. Ones arent going to open on your doorstep unfortuately. You need to use the existing infrastructure. if the site exists at penkridge, use that. The person who owns the site / pays the rent / owns the bunkers will set it up; you pay them a green fee, and then organise playing points against other people there. its not exactly rocket science.

I dont think an hour is that long to travel. Whats that sixty miles. even at 30mpg in a car, thats 4 gallons. £16 return. less if you car share.
.

not bitching just raising the point that there are a fair few players that carnt afford that kind of travel either regularly or at all. some players carnt even drive what then?

Theres a player i know of in the "sticks" who woul dlove to go to all the tournaments, and even if he got a train the stn nearest the field is still a good 5 or so miles away from the field itself.

only raising a point so please dont think im having a pop/seeking a battle (please )

 

[Lovetone]

not bitching just raising the point that there are a fair few players that carnt afford that kind of travel either regularly or at all. some players carnt even drive what then?

Theres a player i know of in the "sticks" who woul dlove to go to all the tournaments, and even if he got a train the stn nearest the field is still a good 5 or so miles away from the field itself.

only raising a point so please dont think im having a pop/seeking a battle (please )

1 - if you cant even afford to drive/otherwise travel to a paintbal site, you cant afford to play paintball. sorry. thats kinda like me saying "i fancy a slap up meal but dont have a tenner for the taxi".

2 - just because someone lives out in the sticks or doesnt have transport, you cannot rationally expect sites to spring into existance so its within walking distance.

Most of the sites will have ( i would imagine) determined the best balance of cost / facilities and locaton, with reference to ease of access for the players. Off the top of my head sites I know of in the UK for training are within close proximity of either motorways or public transport. being flexible will help.

Im afraid that you cannot ask for the world from site owners. Parents/ car shares/ public transport should be sought if you dont have your own means to get around.

To answer the question: what then?
Well its a case of fight for your right...to paintball (lol) or accept that you simply cannot reasonably follow the pastime/sport.

Its klinda like me saying "i really wanna go to australia. but damn it, the flights are darned expensive...hmm what can i do....maybe rearrange some tectonic plates so that australia isnt so far away for me...or perhaps an act of god could grant me the cash required".

no, for now, I have to postpone that trip. fact of life. yeah it sucks. but thats the facts. australia isnt going to come to me.

It kinda revolves back to the "whats in it for me" attitude, or the "ill do it as long as its easy / cheap / free / not too inconvenient".

 

[Lovetone]

D - I meant who is going to 'spot' these talented players in the first place? I know if a team does well - it furthers its own cause. But what about the talented player(s) in a not-so-good team. For example, how does a lower-league footballer get to try out for a premier league team? I'm not having a go mate - just throwing the questions out there (and waking everybody up after their Sunday lunch ).

a real world example of that. Jack Metcalfe was a great player. he played for wildcats and was obviously destined for greater things (no offence). wildcats came to NQ. Firm and others saw him. Played for the firm. Played week in week out with the likes of diruption, grinded it out with Pebble I recall. Ended up on Disruption. (the fact that he had other priorities and went to Uni is a moot point also before someone calls me on that one).

so, it does happen.

 

[Rat]

thanks for the response Lovetone. I must admit when i started typing these ideas out i coul dhave sworn i was going in a particular direction. i seem to have lost that direction and "end aim"

i will however carry on turning up to Penkridge CPPS cos it rocks!"!

 

[dextrus]

I think that all parts of the uk like sections should have there teams .

But to be honest there can never be too many teams at all.

All the sites should help each other and not be in it for them selfs like some.This would help teams come around and visit different sites thereforth help the sites out to keep the up to date and they would be able to get new stuff like new bunker kits and maybe astro turf

Its myyyy 2 pennies

 

[Lovetone]

All the sites should help each other and not be in it for them selfs like some.

Altruism is a nice concept but it can leave you bankrupt.

 

[Polly]

my 2p -

I think new players already have something to aim for, div one. The div one teams in this country i think are improving year after year and becoming much more organised and focused, all thats really missing is advertised tryouts. I know that when i was new to the sport i saw div one players and wanted to get to that level, and that was a couple of years ago when i dont think the level of play was as high (i may well be wrong).

I think playing against better players is essential to working your way up in this sport, thats why its such a shame that places like NQ dissapear. It's places like that where anyone can come play against some of the top uk teams that produce the best players, and i think this has been proven by markie and co.

short and probably really badly worded, forgive me im tired