Bit of advice - re divisions!

[SiXplicit]

Right guys & girls,

I'm wondering if any teams have been in this position before, I assume there's a few out there that have.

AFGM have picked up a few new players for this season, guys who have never seen a tournament let alone pick up anything more special than a Tippman or other site rental shooter! Obviously we want to get these guys out there on the tourny scene as soon as possible, in turn giving them confidence and the experience to improve their game. Basically, what every new guy (or girl) in the game has had to do. However, although getting them on a Sup'air field at a tourny is not a problem, the choice of division is.

We play the D7's, which basically works on a promotion/relegation system. Works very well in my opinion too. Now, AFGM has been around for a number of years, we have a reputation and an expectation. If we requested to start in the bottom (Div. 4), then no doubt, we'll end up being slated as "sandbaggers". If we play Div. 2 and field 3 new guys, chances of any success are reduced to nothing, and the only thing the new guys learn is how to get shot a lot!

Basically, I guess what I'm asking is, what would you do in this situation. Obviously, with our strongest squad we wouldn't want to play Div. 4, but with a much weaker team full of new guys, the lower the division the better! Tough one, or am I just thinking about it too much?!

Si

 

[shamu]

I'd enter 2 squads if i can - one in a lower division with the new guys and a veteran or two to help guide them, the other in your regular division.

If you don't have enough for two squads, try doing some non-D7 events to give the new guys some experience.

Other than that, best you can do is really beat the hell out of them in practice. Run 3 on 3s with new guys against the vets over and over. Eventually the new guys will start to learn.

 

[Mark Toye-Nexus]

Its up to you to manage their expectations Simon

Don't introduce 4 into the 7 man team all at once - instead bring 4 and play them in a stronger team by rotation. They should not expect a 'winning day' and you wont be selling the team and other teams down the river.

As they goin experience they will be able to take on more responsibilty. This way the team plays and gets relegated or holds its own on merit.

This is the way in my opinion

Mark

 

[stongle]

The difference between Div 2,3 & 4 at the D7s is marginal to say the least. Do the rotation thingy like Mark says, baptisms of fire are all good. My first ever game on Sup Air was against Ignition at the 2002 Campaign Cup. I'd only seen s a sup air field the week before at Temple. Drip feed them in, worked for Wolf.

Either way, if a player is fit a few days of proper drills and team training will probably make them competative.

 

[Liz]

What some teams have done is play under 2 names, one for when they have a majority of experienced players and one for when it's mostly the newbys playing. But do make sure that if you play under the second team name, there are no more than 2 or 3 of the experienced guys in the squad. And do as Mark says - rotate a couple in if you are playing under the first team name, which will give you the extra players you need if short and at the same time give the newer players some good experience.

 

[Silky]

weve got a similar situation in adrenaline, got 5 guys who have been on the scene a while and thees me and another who have played 1 or 2 tourneys.

 

[Sean]

Drop them in at the deep end you big jessie!

and stop taking on more players, there'd better be some room left!



Sean

 

[KEN@AFGM]

Dude your no fun....

I was looking forward to putting them all in the front line and watching them getting shot! Seriously though we'll hang around in div 3 where we should be (with the new players) and drill the hell out of them in practise! Wont take that long. D 7's will be a painful first experience for anyone but it basically comes down to:

Ow that hurt. Why did that hurt? I got shot alot. Why did i get shot alot? maybe i was to far out from my barricade? Maybe i need to be a bit tighter next time?

Remember when you went to the Birmingham indoor after one tourney at dragons? You and shot gun Pete got killed alot! as a team we got creamed all weekend! But you got better (eventually ) and now to coin the phrase you are the back man of choice!

 

[KEN@AFGM]

f*kin Hell!!!

Is that Sean? I thought you were off trying to avoid flying into large imovable objects! You gonna come and play some ball with the "spritual home" of U.K paintball this year?

 

[Sean]

The one and only in the digital,

As of next month I am done and dusted. I've been around a little bit but you never seem to be there (fair weather baller)

Hows it going?

Sean