"We're just fighting, with no maps and few Generals".
- Matt Marshall, P8nt Magazine
Matt wrote that in 2004, and it's still true now.
Tournament paintball is going through the toughest period of its life, and it's not over yet.
No format dominates, there is no single set of rules, sponsorships are cut, teams disband. Outside sponsorship via TV didn't happen.
Paintball is an expensive sport, and in order to get better teams practice but burn through paint at tournament rates while practicing, which puts more financial pressure on players who don't have the benefit of a paint deal.
In the US, the PSP and the USPL continue to slug it out to become the dominant National circuit.
In the UK, I think we need to take steps to organise a national database of players, so each player can be identified at a certain skill level, and then clarify which events are classed as "local", "regional" and "national", to give us some sense of direction.
Bully's UKPSF database is ideally placed to do this.
Until we have this, we are still lagging behind the USA in terms of structure.
Maybe the Feds are already looking into this.
UK Players are still among the best - if a moneyman like the ones behind, say, Impact or TBD could put together a team of the UK's best (tihink back to the X-Ball trials in 2002), then get someone like Robbo or Ledz to coach them, we could turn out a world class team.
We're still fighting.
- Matt Marshall, P8nt Magazine
Matt wrote that in 2004, and it's still true now.
Tournament paintball is going through the toughest period of its life, and it's not over yet.
No format dominates, there is no single set of rules, sponsorships are cut, teams disband. Outside sponsorship via TV didn't happen.
Paintball is an expensive sport, and in order to get better teams practice but burn through paint at tournament rates while practicing, which puts more financial pressure on players who don't have the benefit of a paint deal.
In the US, the PSP and the USPL continue to slug it out to become the dominant National circuit.
In the UK, I think we need to take steps to organise a national database of players, so each player can be identified at a certain skill level, and then clarify which events are classed as "local", "regional" and "national", to give us some sense of direction.
Bully's UKPSF database is ideally placed to do this.
Until we have this, we are still lagging behind the USA in terms of structure.
Maybe the Feds are already looking into this.
UK Players are still among the best - if a moneyman like the ones behind, say, Impact or TBD could put together a team of the UK's best (tihink back to the X-Ball trials in 2002), then get someone like Robbo or Ledz to coach them, we could turn out a world class team.
We're still fighting.
