Paintball, if it was a recognised sport.

[garycarrot]

But surely the level of training you are talking about, would be aimed at a "proffesional" team. Most teams who play tournys are not at that level.

We all play this sport, but at a more modest level. If we train one weekend and play another, thats twice a month, throw in phone calls, internet time and maybe a team meeting or two. Thats a lot of time away from family. Then take into account we have to have a job as well.(to afford to play and buy the nice shiney stuff). It starts to take over your life.

I for one get a lot of grief from the wife.
I play because I enjoy it, But I have to balance it with work and family commitments.
I am never going to move up to the next level, But still want to play to my best ability.

To me it seems the grass roots tourny players are being forgotten. Teams seem to be entering more and more tournys. Playing abroad as well as here in the U.K.

I wonder how the player fallout is amoungst teams, I see lots of new players, but the number of teams has not grown. Does this mean older players are leaving and not playing any more.

It would make sense to me to have one large tourny series in the U.K. this feeding the top teams with players to play in the next series up.

 

[Collier]

If there was just one tournament series (bare in mind it'll NEVER happen, but wouldn't financial commitments and time away from home increase?
Why is it so important to have 1 series anyway, competition is good!

 

[garycarrot]

Do not see your point Paul. ??

If there was a U.K. series. With events held on the same day in say three locations. One north, one midlands and one south.
All U.K. teams play in there region.
The top teams from each region play at the end of the season for the U.K. title.

The top teams could also use the series to watch and recruit players. With the objective being, the top teams have the best players to play in bigger tournys.

So we end up with a large U.K. series that will promote the sport and encourage players to try out for the top teams, and then play at a higher level.

We all then are promoting the U.K.'s best.

I know it would be hard to get all the organisers to pull together, but if they all had a region, then they have an incentive to work together.

I agree that competition is good, but trying to be everywhere and do everything, just overstrech's and burns people out.

There are a lot of players who can not commit to playing more than twice a month.Money or family issues get in the way.

Teams are going to self destruct, if they try to hard. How many players have come and gone in your own team? How many teams have you played for?? how many times has your team had to use "spare" players??

 

[stongle]

Why this obsession with UK, there is an already established Paintball series that runs, The Millennium. What form that takes in 05 is yet to be seen, but being UK Champ means nothing in Paintball terms, just bragging rights in your Local Rag.

Being Millennium (or equiv) Champion in your Div will mean something as far as finances and sponsorship goes.

The majority of top teams in the UK, shun UK competition so what are you left with? Bestest Novice Team? What are you proving with this event? Highest ability UK Teams are:

Nexus
Tigers
Shock
Jags
Sharks
Just SoManc
Phoenix

Only Phoenix played a full domestic season, the others played none or the odd one off.

Same old UK denial, we suck at Paintball and can't be bothered to put it right. Rather than addressing the weaknesses we choose to hold a domestic insular series that helps widen the gap.

 

[rancid]

Originally posted by garycarrot
Do not see your point Paul. ??

If there was a U.K. series. With events held on the same day in say three locations. One north, one midlands and one south.
All U.K. teams play in there region.
Teams are going to self destruct, if they try to hard. How many players have come and gone in your own team? How many teams have you played for?? how many times has your team had to use "spare" players??

My experience (and it's years old) is that leagues increase the ills as you desrcibe them gary. That there was less trouble getting a team together for a one off in June, than getting a squad together to play nine dates, probably around four or five diffeent locations.

Every league I can remember has dissolved because of this... players can't make the committiment, or three rounds of getting your arse kicked and facing relegation tends to dampen ones spirit, then you end up with last minute pulls or teams playing with four men.

All these things sound great on paper, but...

 

[garycarrot]

I think its one reason why we suck at paintball.

Why didnt the best teams play in the U.K. domestic season?? Ask them, cause I dont know.

But I do know that you can only be in one place at a time. So having one date to play would make it easier for teams to play. And having us all together is better for competition, as it will lead to the best teams being on top.

Its the domestic players and rec ball players who spend their money, that help make the bigger tournys happen.

Would it be a bad thing to be called a novice team?? If the objective was to be able to progress to a higher level.

There are a lot of players, but only a few have the ability to move higher.
So what wrong with making it easier for the majority of players.?

 

[garycarrot]

Going with your point rancid.

It seems to me that its how you class yourself/team.

If you and your mates fancy a game, you can play rec ball or have a go at tourny ball. ROOKIE team.

If you and your mates fancy being a bit more organised and play every month. NOVICE team

If you want to have a bash at playing in a millennium event, that takes more commitment etc. PRO team.

That make sense?

 

[stongle]

Originally posted by garycarrot
Going with your point rancid.

It seems to me that its how you class yourself/team.

If you and your mates fancy a game, you can play rec ball or have a go at tourny ball. ROOKIE team.

If you and your mates fancy being a bit more organised and play every month. NOVICE team

If you want to have a bash at playing in a millennium event, that takes more commitment etc. PRO team.

That make sense?

But Millennium does have Rookie and Novice level! Why is that so difficult to grasp?

People must stop equating Paintball to traditional sports such as Football, which appears to be where a lot of this UK, UK, UK bias keeps coming from. We're just not big enough to realistically support this structure.

 

[TJ Lambini]

Originally posted by garycarrot
Going with your point rancid.

It seems to me that its how you class yourself/team.

If you and your mates fancy a game, you can play rec ball or have a go at tourny ball. ROOKIE team.

If you and your mates fancy being a bit more organised and play every month. NOVICE team

If you want to have a bash at playing in a millennium event, that takes more commitment etc. PRO team.

That make sense?

Nope.

Next question.

Oh, and did you change your team name yet?

 

[garycarrot]

Ok, I give up.

And how about the "The T J massive" as our new name??