Training in the 21st Century

[Robbo]

There is really only one team in Europe able to compete with the US at present, The Russian Legion.
Secondly, the existing dogmas and philosophies that paintball teams in Europe adopt are practically useless, out of date and unprofessional, and hold no real hope of any of them being able to compete with the Yanks or the Russkies.
Make no mistake about what I am saying here, I don’t care what some idiots out there may be saying, the Russians, and the Yanks will pull away from us in quantum leaps unless we start to do things properly when it comes to organising our teams.
When I look at what teams are doing over here in England in approaching training, I just give up sometimes.
No other team I know of over here trains properly, that is, trains to develop and refine their game so as to make improvement the main goal.
Sergei has nailed this to a fine art, almost created a science out of it.
When are we going to realise that we need to get serious if we wanna play hardball.
Instead of playing stupid ass little tourneys that nobody cares about, get out there and train, practice, sprint, get fit because this is what it now takes to become a top-flight team.
Do anything else, and you got no right to bitch and moan about anything !!!

Now some people might say, ‘Well, it’s alright for you Robbo, your team has got bundles of sponsorship, it’s easy for you to say and do’.
Well, it ain’t easy for us to do, we have to work really hard at what we trying to do and as for sponsorship ?
Well, the fact that you might not have such support does not preclude any team from training the right way. You could get away with 10 boxes of paint per training session and easily learn and refine so much more than going to some stoopid ass tourney that means nothing to nobody.
But you have to utilise that paint correctly and herein lies the reason why so many teams are just gonna go thru the motions of calling themselves pros when in reality, they are anything but.
The paintball landscape is changing before our very eyes, if we don’t try to keep pace and readjust the way we do things as teams, then the cherry picking Yanks, along with the technical genius of the Russkies Machine, are gonna leave us in their wake and we only have ourselves to blame.
Pete

 

[MarkB]

I have to agree with you there Pete. I think we need to learn how to train and stop wasting our time and money playing the smaller events. From what I hear you guys are making big steps in that direction.
The local events are fine if you play for fun and are happy to just go out and play. But if you aim to play the bigger events and make an impact you need to make that extra effort.
I know Kelly's plan on doing a lot of training and with their potential I'd watch out for them next year. As for my boys? Well I plan on putting them through their paces so watch out for us as well.

Laterz

 

[Collier]

Agree completely with what your saying Robbo. Twisted are Revising our training methods. Thats all I'm saying!

Expect to see big things from us in 2003.

Paul.

 

[Collier]

I'm pretty sure that our weekly training will include a few smaller events s2003 for example i.e. drills for 3 weekends then a tournament, I still believe this to be valuable provided you are playing in the correct division.

Paul.

 

[Wadidiz]

Originally posted by Robbo
There is really only one team in Europe able to compete with the US at present, The Russian Legion...

I have a feeling you'll be hearing from Magued about this and the Swedish team.

Good main points. Absolutely right on. The Joy guys definitely take their training (including mid-week) seriously but it would be even better with tougher competition. I'm sure they would love to see you guys and the Russkies as frequent visitors to Stockholm.

Steve

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by Wadidiz
I have a feeling you'll be hearing from Magued about this and the Swedish team.

Good main points. Absolutely right on. The Joy guys definitely take their training (including mid-week) seriously but it would be even better with tougher competition. I'm sure they would love to see you guys and the Russkies as frequent visitors to Stockholm.

Steve

Hey Steve,
I doubt I will get my ears bashed mate, Mag is first to admit that the only time they became truly competitive (with the Yanks) was when they had a few Yanks playing for them in previous seasons.
If you are referring to the Swede's outstanding display at the IAO, when their national team played some great ball then there may be some credence in this but once again the rider being, Max and Alex do not play for Joy, they play for GZ.

At present, Joy are a couple of players short of top slot status but I would certainly go as far to say that Joy Division and Ton Tons are the next closest teams after the Russian Legion when compared to the Yanks.
I've got a lot of respect for Magued and the rest of the guyz on Joy Division because they are now beginning to see the light when it comes to training and commitment and are not moaning about anything, they are just getting on with it.
Good luck to them is what I say.
Pete

 

[Simon Malone]

Pete

Your always saying how advance the Russians are, but you never actually tell us what they do? share the wealth thats what I say

In reality unless you have a top doller paint sponsor it's nearly impossible. 10 cases of paint costs a small novice team between £300 - £450. An if you want to get good you have to spend that sort of money every weekend. Then if you want to play the worth while tourmanents you have to pay for everything. Kit, entrance, flights, hotels, food, paint, and more.

Now all that can be done, but you'll be left with a team of middle aged men, with bad eye site, slow reactions, and all pretty much over weight. So you got to get the super-fly kiddies who are faster than lightning. But they only have part time jobs in the local supermarket, making minimum wage of which they spend half on cheap beer.

Then there's the attitude. 95% of British ballers (of which I know) don't believe in practising. People have laughed at me in the past for suggesting that a team should practice. From my limited experience if a Brit team is going to compete on the world stage it needs 10-12 committed, young, super fast players. Sponsored to the hills and back with paint, and a hell of a lot of spare time on there hands.

Ecstacy, Kellys, Nexus, and Tigers are from what I know the only teams that currently have that kind of setup. Trying to achieve that setup is surly going to take a teams years

 

[ascutt]

Simon

And there in lies the issue. If you really want something then you have to commit everything to getting it. You have to commit your beer money, your time, your energy. These are the things that make players train and train and train. If you are not committed to playing the absolute best paintball then go and play the smaller regional events and get pissed with your mates. However, if you want to shine in the major events then it takes a lot of commitment. Do you think Beckham just turns up of a Saturday, kicks the ball a bit and goes home £100k richer? No, he trains and has trained for years before becomming a pro. The real issue is one of cost - paintball costs a lot of money, continously lots of cash. I know of no other sports, that once you have the kit, still has such ongoing expense but, to get to the top, you need to be commited, you can speak to local businesses, get sponsored, make the effort - thats how other young sportsmen/women do it.
If you are committed enough then anything is possible.

 

[PSK1]

TRAINING

Hey Robbo, can you email me and let me know when you guys are willing to train with us, 90% of the Kelly's are up for training every weekend, its just the other 10% never organise any. The Kelly's will be serious this year and intend on being the best.

Nice result in Germany keep it up with any luck we will be up there with you soon. I want to get the kelly's to the states, hopefuly this year but probably next year which event to you think would be good for us...

 

[Simon Malone]

Simon

Originally posted by ascutt
And there in lies the issue. If you really want something then you have to commit everything to getting it. You have to commit your beer money, your time, your energy. These are the things that make players train and train and train. If you are not committed to playing the absolute best paintball then go and play the smaller regional events and get pissed with your mates. However, if you want to shine in the major events then it takes a lot of commitment. Do you think Beckham just turns up of a Saturday, kicks the ball a bit and goes home £100k richer? No, he trains and has trained for years before becomming a pro. The real issue is one of cost - paintball costs a lot of money, continously lots of cash. I know of no other sports, that once you have the kit, still has such ongoing expense but, to get to the top, you need to be commited, you can speak to local businesses, get sponsored, make the effort - thats how other young sportsmen/women do it.
If you are committed enough then anything is possible.

Couldn't agree more, i'm the committed one of the group. The trouble comes in finding a group of like minded guys who are willing to stick with it through thick and thin. I'm fighting a losing battle trying to achieve that right now.

Take this new nexus team, they've had a much easier time than any other team I know. OK the playing side of it is tough, but they don't have to worry about where there next case of paint is coming from, or what the cheapest possible playing tops are. They've got the industry contacts to provide the big sponsorship deals right from the start. An the sponsorship is a huge pull for any player, everybody has a price. Do you think those guys would be playing for the team if it cost them more money then there previous team

Is that the problem with British paintball, everybody wants something for nothing? An very few are willing to put there hand in there pocket to pay for all this.