D
UK Paintball
- Thread starter Robbo
- Start date
US gun culture
I have read this thread with interest and Pete hit one of the main diffrence's between the US and the UK Here in PA it is deer season right now and kids as young as 8 or 9 are out with their familys hoping to blow Bambi's head off. These same kids in a year or to will try paintball .
At the local field (All American Paintball Park) groups of 10 to 15 oldsare booking the park for birthday parties, but it is there mothers who are spending the money....................... the mums are watching ,playing and see it just as safe as a bowling party.
Now this is indoors but the recreation market is were the money is being made , out in the woods . Fields here in the states put a lot into the scenario style . castles , villages etc,but also put the average punter on airball and x ball fields, they mix and match.
Recently I worked with a large hunting fishing chain who are now
incorperating high end markers and are trying to achieve a higher level of service to the public and many of thier managers had more concerns over the issue of shooting at people with markers,
only in a seminar were these guys played did they realise hey this is fun and it is safe ..................... most of these guys grew up hunting and safty is ingrained into people at a early age.
In the uk you have to over come a mental barrier , guns and safety .......... we all play and know how hard every body has worked to make our sport safe.............. but in the no gun state of mind set you have in the uk here is your greatest challenge and here I believe is the greatest dilema you all face how do you go and get joe public to understand our sport.
I have read this thread with interest and Pete hit one of the main diffrence's between the US and the UK Here in PA it is deer season right now and kids as young as 8 or 9 are out with their familys hoping to blow Bambi's head off. These same kids in a year or to will try paintball .
At the local field (All American Paintball Park) groups of 10 to 15 oldsare booking the park for birthday parties, but it is there mothers who are spending the money....................... the mums are watching ,playing and see it just as safe as a bowling party.
Now this is indoors but the recreation market is were the money is being made , out in the woods . Fields here in the states put a lot into the scenario style . castles , villages etc,but also put the average punter on airball and x ball fields, they mix and match.
Recently I worked with a large hunting fishing chain who are now
incorperating high end markers and are trying to achieve a higher level of service to the public and many of thier managers had more concerns over the issue of shooting at people with markers,
only in a seminar were these guys played did they realise hey this is fun and it is safe ..................... most of these guys grew up hunting and safty is ingrained into people at a early age.
In the uk you have to over come a mental barrier , guns and safety .......... we all play and know how hard every body has worked to make our sport safe.............. but in the no gun state of mind set you have in the uk here is your greatest challenge and here I believe is the greatest dilema you all face how do you go and get joe public to understand our sport.
at the end of the day site owners are out to earn a crust and noone can blame them for that. if they have no interest in forwarding paintball as a sport then so be it. a site is a good business investment.
however, price and availability also come into play. i remember flying into Newark airport (new york, usa!) and seeing from the window of the plane an indoor paintball site across the road!
going into walmart and seeing WGP paint in a proper 100 shot pot for $1.49. beside the markers. beside the masks.
can't see that in Tesco.
dedicated tourney practice sites like the Northern Quarter are few and far between. i think you would find that if there was a tangible financial advantage for site owners to have a team or tourneys at their own venue then they would do it.
what is so hard about organising a 5 or 7 man "Pub" tourney? the site owners are bound to have the contact details for thousand of punter/organisers. pub tourneys on a supair field with one or two display teams could be an idea.
eg Nexus play practice games against Tigers at a pub tourney somewhere. something for the punters to aspire to. the WOW factor.
however, price and availability also come into play. i remember flying into Newark airport (new york, usa!) and seeing from the window of the plane an indoor paintball site across the road!
going into walmart and seeing WGP paint in a proper 100 shot pot for $1.49. beside the markers. beside the masks.
can't see that in Tesco.
dedicated tourney practice sites like the Northern Quarter are few and far between. i think you would find that if there was a tangible financial advantage for site owners to have a team or tourneys at their own venue then they would do it.
what is so hard about organising a 5 or 7 man "Pub" tourney? the site owners are bound to have the contact details for thousand of punter/organisers. pub tourneys on a supair field with one or two display teams could be an idea.
eg Nexus play practice games against Tigers at a pub tourney somewhere. something for the punters to aspire to. the WOW factor.
ok im young, naive, in-experianced and a bit dim witted but i still want to have my say so bare with me if i get something wrong 
reading through this, which took a long while cos you all make long posts lol. the 1st thing i thought was that markie is definitly not your typical site owner. yes, i play with him so you all might say im biased, but since ive started going to the quarter every month and now helped with a newbie day, i realised markie, and the rest of the guys, are what i think the sport needs to drive it forward. the only thing the quarter is about is having fun and uniting everyone under one place so that everyone can be driven forward through healthy competition and joint practicing. what i really love about the quarter though is the fact that it isn't profit driven! this is extremly personal to me as im a student and thanks to markie and the way hes brought an affordable training option to me i now earn enough money a week in a part time job to actually play weekly i also know that a lad called sam on the team is also only able to play because of markie. thank you markie c!!! i believe that if everyone was like markie, bean and peal the sport would move forward so much so my question is (excuse me if it sounds a bit stupid ) why can't the quarter get more support? publicly or finacialy? surely pushing the sport forward through the quarter and the D7's would be in the intrest of us all? the northern quarter is the shiz, it has potential, a reputation and is one of, if not, the best site ive ever been to! why isn't anyone seeing this apart from those who go there? i mean xsv picked the quarter as their site for a clinic?! surely thats a good sign?
be free to pick on me as im blonde and all the above i stated
reading through this, which took a long while cos you all make long posts lol. the 1st thing i thought was that markie is definitly not your typical site owner. yes, i play with him so you all might say im biased, but since ive started going to the quarter every month and now helped with a newbie day, i realised markie, and the rest of the guys, are what i think the sport needs to drive it forward. the only thing the quarter is about is having fun and uniting everyone under one place so that everyone can be driven forward through healthy competition and joint practicing. what i really love about the quarter though is the fact that it isn't profit driven! this is extremly personal to me as im a student and thanks to markie and the way hes brought an affordable training option to me i now earn enough money a week in a part time job to actually play weekly
i also know that a lad called sam on the team is also only able to play because of markie. thank you markie c!!! i believe that if everyone was like markie, bean and peal the sport would move forward so much so my question is (excuse me if it sounds a bit stupid ) why can't the quarter get more support? publicly or finacialy? surely pushing the sport forward through the quarter and the D7's would be in the intrest of us all? the northern quarter is the shiz, it has potential, a reputation and is one of, if not, the best site ive ever been to! why isn't anyone seeing this apart from those who go there? i mean xsv picked the quarter as their site for a clinic?! surely thats a good sign? be free to pick on me as im blonde and all the above i stated
I agree with everything Pete said apart from the fact he claims we are the same as division two teams in the states, he is wrong on that point, we are not that good - honest.
I have not got a magic potion and I also believe nobody else has the full solution to a serious problem.
Like Pete I have also had the chat with Avery from NPS and he told me his viewpoint on what the European paintball companies are not doing to help themselves, when I say told me I should say sold me because I did not disagree with anything he said, we do need to develop the other tier between the standard site paintball and the tournament paintball at the highest end of the market.
What happens at the moment is a player plays at a site and if he is interested in taking it further may join a team introduced to him by one of the marshals on the site he played who also would have shown him their own high end marker also telling him that all other guns are crap and if he wants to do well he should buy the same.
What is missing in that scenario is the transition from punter paintball to the next level of recball player who will if he continues in the game purchase the equipment that is required at each level, you do not need a G7 to play down your local woodsball site, when all you are doing is using 2000 balls over the full day using a basic hopper.
What they should use is a basic semi like an inferno or a spyder so they could enjoy themselves and still have some cash in their pockets.
Ideally a site should sell their recballers a few guns before they purchase a top line one they will use in tournaments also in the transition phase they would sell them new hoppers to suit the gun they are using and maybe a couple of air systems and barrels to help them on the way.
You might think I am condoning exploitation from the industry, you are wrong what we need is management of paintball to encourage a larger player base at all levels.
We also need to (you wont like this bit) remove the tie between tournament teams and the wholesalers why on earth are teams who have promoted jack **** given anything at all, the only team that is doing anything for their sponsors is of course Nexus who have an tie in with major paintball media so get the coverage the sponsors desire with a certain irrelevance on the results they attain in competition.
As for the rest of the paintball teams stop giving them anything at all, make them purchase what they require from a retail shop and if they are doing that shop a service like good promotion then they may get support from them.
Why on earth is a site who may purchase two skids of paint a week charged more than a team who may use one skid a freakin year.
That bit of the requirement of paintball growth must come from the industry itself the rest is up to us.
As for training for teams who in this country really does it, maybe five teams at the most, the rest just play piss about paintball for the day and call it training.
I know of a training site starting next year and they are doing proper training you will turn up in the morning and the first thing you will do is do warm up stretches before you jog round the field a couple of times you will then do drills and practice breakouts, running and gunning and all sorts of other stuff and it will all be taught by well respected Pros in the game.
And to encourage new tournament players to the game if any of the attendees bring along a new player that new player will be trained free of charge the first time.
Its not all doom and gloom we do some things right in this country but Planet and WDP can not do it all.
Russ
I have not got a magic potion and I also believe nobody else has the full solution to a serious problem.
Like Pete I have also had the chat with Avery from NPS and he told me his viewpoint on what the European paintball companies are not doing to help themselves, when I say told me I should say sold me because I did not disagree with anything he said, we do need to develop the other tier between the standard site paintball and the tournament paintball at the highest end of the market.
What happens at the moment is a player plays at a site and if he is interested in taking it further may join a team introduced to him by one of the marshals on the site he played who also would have shown him their own high end marker also telling him that all other guns are crap and if he wants to do well he should buy the same.
What is missing in that scenario is the transition from punter paintball to the next level of recball player who will if he continues in the game purchase the equipment that is required at each level, you do not need a G7 to play down your local woodsball site, when all you are doing is using 2000 balls over the full day using a basic hopper.
What they should use is a basic semi like an inferno or a spyder so they could enjoy themselves and still have some cash in their pockets.
Ideally a site should sell their recballers a few guns before they purchase a top line one they will use in tournaments also in the transition phase they would sell them new hoppers to suit the gun they are using and maybe a couple of air systems and barrels to help them on the way.
You might think I am condoning exploitation from the industry, you are wrong what we need is management of paintball to encourage a larger player base at all levels.
We also need to (you wont like this bit) remove the tie between tournament teams and the wholesalers why on earth are teams who have promoted jack **** given anything at all, the only team that is doing anything for their sponsors is of course Nexus who have an tie in with major paintball media so get the coverage the sponsors desire with a certain irrelevance on the results they attain in competition.
As for the rest of the paintball teams stop giving them anything at all, make them purchase what they require from a retail shop and if they are doing that shop a service like good promotion then they may get support from them.
Why on earth is a site who may purchase two skids of paint a week charged more than a team who may use one skid a freakin year.
That bit of the requirement of paintball growth must come from the industry itself the rest is up to us.
As for training for teams who in this country really does it, maybe five teams at the most, the rest just play piss about paintball for the day and call it training.
I know of a training site starting next year and they are doing proper training you will turn up in the morning and the first thing you will do is do warm up stretches before you jog round the field a couple of times you will then do drills and practice breakouts, running and gunning and all sorts of other stuff and it will all be taught by well respected Pros in the game.
And to encourage new tournament players to the game if any of the attendees bring along a new player that new player will be trained free of charge the first time.
Its not all doom and gloom we do some things right in this country but Planet and WDP can not do it all.
Russ
Interesting debate here - we had the same in Denmark about half a year ago - and it seems this problem is fairly general in most of Europe.
I do however disagree with most of what is being said - I think people are either lacking in imagination - or have their heads in the clouds - on this issue (in Denmark too - don't worry - I'm not singling you guys out )
- this is going to be loooong - so bare with me please
First of all - for a site owner to even begin to entertain the notion of broadening his business to emcompass walk on players, you guys have to come up with something better than "well, those 20 walk on customers give you much less revenue - but at least it is revenue".
Not ALL money is worth earning - especially when the site owner has to calculate the salary he has to pay an employee overseeing walk on, wear and tear, having to close down a field for high revenue rental customers (how is he to know some company will not call "tomorrow" to get that exact date for 50 rental players?), etc.
For a site owner to start looking at generating "paintballers" at his site, we have to make it interesting to him on a larger scale.
First order of business is to identify how rental customers are converted - and what they need to be converted (I'll get back to viability for the site owner in a bit):
First - understand that paintball is a team sport - and telling a rental player he should buy his own kit and try and either ask around if a team needs a player or start a team himself, will NOT work... it is simply too large a commitment for a person who can start playing football or golf or whatever tomorrow - and in each of those activities there is a whole organisation already in place to cater for him, so he only needs to focus on enjoying the game.
If you want people to play paintball as a sport on a regular basis, you need to organise it like a sport.... everything else is just ludicris.
With that in mind - if you want to convert rental customers, you need a setup where everything is taken care of for them - right down to where they are playing, when they are playing, with whom they are playing - and not least the possibility of getting "trained" by the local "club pro".
That structure can either be commercial or a club structure - but it needs to be there - otherwise forget it... someone new to the sport will only take on a larger commitment, if he is one of those "1 in a 1000" who just LOVE paintball from the first second (which are the ones we are already converting anyway).
Now, with that in place, let's turn back to why the site owner should set this whole thing in motion:
As things are done today (as mentioned) - there is NO reason for him to do it (bar the few "romantics" that do it for the love of the sport) - he will never be SC Village or Challenge Park Extreme and get 600 walk ons on a Saturday anyway.... so forget about "if you build it they will come".... it's a bull**** argument for a European site owner.
He NEEDS a different income stream to make it attractive.
Here I see two possiblities:
First one, is one that I am amazed the industry does not do more with today: "Sales commission"
Every site should have a local shop (phýsical or online), set up by their paintball supplier, where they get kick back from their supplier everytime they sell something..... much like a Pro Shop at a golf course.
The pricing at those shops have to be competitive - otherwise it will not be a solid earner for the site owners.
Shops exist already at some sites - but without the aforementioned structure for players joining "the club" - those shops will generate very little sale.... because only the "1 in a 1000" will actually buy something there - and pricing will often be higher than if they try finding the same kit online.
If a shop is set up right, in a close working relationship between the site owner and his supplier - it will generate a not insignificant incomestream for the site owner, that he can ONLY capitalise on, if he generates walk on players.
You have to remember here, that players will not only make their first purchase at the shop - they will make their next purchases there also, because they have a good relationship with their local "Pro Shop" and their local field... so the shop will generate income several times on each customer.
For the same reason, offers in the shop should be varied, from "buy you own set of goggles for £ 20" - all the way upto "buy the new VXBHTYGL marker for £ 1,000"... and everything inbetween.
Second possibility, which takes a larger investment, but will also be more interesting in the long run for the site ower, is Reball.
Reball allows him to maximise his earnings on walk on players, because he does not have to pay for paint (apart from the one time investment).
What it also gives him, is a new avenue of marketing, that is completely free for him (we'll not completely - but very cheap).
For instance, our local site - Copenhagen Paintball Arena - just handed out some 350 vouchers for free paintball for 2 people at a Copenhagen fair (a womens fair actually) - and the first 100 people will be at their Reball arena this Wednesday.
Basically, 700 people who never played paintball before, are over the next month playing Reball for free - and the only thing CPA has to pay for, is the instructor - they have no expense for paint.
How many more player do you think sites could generate in the UK, if they were able to let people play the first time for FREE?
So - to sum it up:
- You NEED an organisation catering for "walk on players" at the local site
- You NEED for the site owner to be able to generate an income stream that is significant on those players
Nick
I do however disagree with most of what is being said - I think people are either lacking in imagination - or have their heads in the clouds - on this issue (in Denmark too - don't worry - I'm not singling you guys out
)- this is going to be loooong - so bare with me please
First of all - for a site owner to even begin to entertain the notion of broadening his business to emcompass walk on players, you guys have to come up with something better than "well, those 20 walk on customers give you much less revenue - but at least it is revenue".
Not ALL money is worth earning - especially when the site owner has to calculate the salary he has to pay an employee overseeing walk on, wear and tear, having to close down a field for high revenue rental customers (how is he to know some company will not call "tomorrow" to get that exact date for 50 rental players?), etc.
For a site owner to start looking at generating "paintballers" at his site, we have to make it interesting to him on a larger scale.
First order of business is to identify how rental customers are converted - and what they need to be converted (I'll get back to viability for the site owner in a bit):
First - understand that paintball is a team sport - and telling a rental player he should buy his own kit and try and either ask around if a team needs a player or start a team himself, will NOT work... it is simply too large a commitment for a person who can start playing football or golf or whatever tomorrow - and in each of those activities there is a whole organisation already in place to cater for him, so he only needs to focus on enjoying the game.
If you want people to play paintball as a sport on a regular basis, you need to organise it like a sport.... everything else is just ludicris.
With that in mind - if you want to convert rental customers, you need a setup where everything is taken care of for them - right down to where they are playing, when they are playing, with whom they are playing - and not least the possibility of getting "trained" by the local "club pro".
That structure can either be commercial or a club structure - but it needs to be there - otherwise forget it... someone new to the sport will only take on a larger commitment, if he is one of those "1 in a 1000" who just LOVE paintball from the first second (which are the ones we are already converting anyway).
Now, with that in place, let's turn back to why the site owner should set this whole thing in motion:
As things are done today (as mentioned) - there is NO reason for him to do it (bar the few "romantics" that do it for the love of the sport) - he will never be SC Village or Challenge Park Extreme and get 600 walk ons on a Saturday anyway.... so forget about "if you build it they will come".... it's a bull**** argument for a European site owner.
He NEEDS a different income stream to make it attractive.
Here I see two possiblities:
First one, is one that I am amazed the industry does not do more with today: "Sales commission"
Every site should have a local shop (phýsical or online), set up by their paintball supplier, where they get kick back from their supplier everytime they sell something..... much like a Pro Shop at a golf course.
The pricing at those shops have to be competitive - otherwise it will not be a solid earner for the site owners.
Shops exist already at some sites - but without the aforementioned structure for players joining "the club" - those shops will generate very little sale.... because only the "1 in a 1000" will actually buy something there - and pricing will often be higher than if they try finding the same kit online.
If a shop is set up right, in a close working relationship between the site owner and his supplier - it will generate a not insignificant incomestream for the site owner, that he can ONLY capitalise on, if he generates walk on players.
You have to remember here, that players will not only make their first purchase at the shop - they will make their next purchases there also, because they have a good relationship with their local "Pro Shop" and their local field... so the shop will generate income several times on each customer.
For the same reason, offers in the shop should be varied, from "buy you own set of goggles for £ 20" - all the way upto "buy the new VXBHTYGL marker for £ 1,000"... and everything inbetween.
Second possibility, which takes a larger investment, but will also be more interesting in the long run for the site ower, is Reball.
Reball allows him to maximise his earnings on walk on players, because he does not have to pay for paint (apart from the one time investment).
What it also gives him, is a new avenue of marketing, that is completely free for him (we'll not completely - but very cheap
).For instance, our local site - Copenhagen Paintball Arena - just handed out some 350 vouchers for free paintball for 2 people at a Copenhagen fair (a womens fair actually) - and the first 100 people will be at their Reball arena this Wednesday.
Basically, 700 people who never played paintball before, are over the next month playing Reball for free - and the only thing CPA has to pay for, is the instructor - they have no expense for paint.
How many more player do you think sites could generate in the UK, if they were able to let people play the first time for FREE?
So - to sum it up:
- You NEED an organisation catering for "walk on players" at the local site
- You NEED for the site owner to be able to generate an income stream that is significant on those players
Nick
Nick, I really like that idea and it certainly has some merit but the weak link in it isn't the idea itself but the quality of site owner we have over here.
Some are good but most are cheap, unimaginative and have little to no acumen when it comes in investing into different income streams.
Basically, they have a cash driven mentality with their banks in their back pocket.
With that sort of philosophy underpinning the vast majority of our site owners, it is going to be hard to convince them of anything that doesn't involve another wedge of greenbacks stuffed into another one of their back pockets that afternoon.
We need more businessmen to run paintball sites if we are to develop paintball and not a bunch of Del boys.
Ya know what, these guys run with a minimum 600% mark up on their base line product (paint), lets face it, with margins like that, you don't have to be a businessman to run a site and make money and yet these same people run around swapping suppliers like they were changing their shirts for a tenth of a penny per pball.
I would be too embarrassed to jump ship for a saving like that on the front end of a product I am paying .65 p for and then selling it on for 5p or 6p......
Some are good but most are cheap, unimaginative and have little to no acumen when it comes in investing into different income streams.
Basically, they have a cash driven mentality with their banks in their back pocket.
With that sort of philosophy underpinning the vast majority of our site owners, it is going to be hard to convince them of anything that doesn't involve another wedge of greenbacks stuffed into another one of their back pockets that afternoon.
We need more businessmen to run paintball sites if we are to develop paintball and not a bunch of Del boys.
Ya know what, these guys run with a minimum 600% mark up on their base line product (paint), lets face it, with margins like that, you don't have to be a businessman to run a site and make money and yet these same people run around swapping suppliers like they were changing their shirts for a tenth of a penny per pball.
I would be too embarrassed to jump ship for a saving like that on the front end of a product I am paying .65 p for and then selling it on for 5p or 6p......
Pete,
You are right about the "Del boys" running some sites. Unfortunately (as you know) it goes much higher up the chain than that. Some of the most conniving underhand dealings are being done several tiers above the average Uk Site owner. The site owners that are smart are just cashing in on the prices that are on offer. If I go to the food wholesaler to buy Teabags I would be a fool to ignore a special offered by a rival to my usual supplier, just because I normally buy PG tips.
Paint is no different than Insurance, C02, food or fuel for the generator. You should constantly check the suppliers. loyalty has nothing to do with it if it starts costing your business money. The "shavings" per ball you mention add up to considerable savings when worked out over a year.
I believe your argument is flawed regarding the site owner and the profits, in that you are stating the "base line product" is paint. The product of a paintball site is a service, I am in the leisure industry and the paintballs are just part of the customers experience and therefore a consumable. No different from the chips for lunch or the Tea bags and coffee drunk between games.
Nick,
I was hoping you would get involved in this debate, Your part of the world is obviously doing something right with regards to quality player conversion.
I think this must have something to do with your attitude to sports in general also the drive to do well be the best etc. Re-ball centres are just a tool, you already had good teams with the right drive and raw materials within them.
I have looked into a Re-ball venture and like many others have just come to the conclusion that there would be insufficient uptake in UK memberships to warrant the outlay.
Chuck (site head on again)
D
duffistuta
Guest
Proably the best debate on here for months!
This is a really facinating discussion and one that everyone seems to have an opinion on but real solutions seem hard to find.
I was trying to think back to when I first started playing (many many many years ago) and what it was that transformed me from punter to player. I never went through a rec-ball scene even then (1989) but went straight into a team. However there was a kinda of club at the site I went to which the team players were part of and other teams were formed from. The club members were buying all their paint from the site and all their gear from the local shop and we got small but helpful discounts and the conversion rates were really good from such a small site.
I know that the idea of paintball clubs is nothing new in mainland Europe but it never seems to have been taken up by site owners here. One of the major problems that clubs can help to overcome is that we play a team sport and it is really difficult to convert one punter let alone trying to convert enough to form a team. If there was a club to join that, at its base level, was just like normal punter days, but a little cheaper, that any club memeber can attend and now join in with more likeminded club memebers then individuals could join. Teams would naturally form from this if there was drive to play competition paintball or memebers could just play better woodsball knowing that the people player were also club memebers wanting to play better paintball than they would get from a normal stag or office outing.
However, none of this will work if the industry doesn't realise that by selling direct from manufacturer to normal customer is wrecking the business and that the endemic problem of sponsorship is and will continue to suck the money from the sport of paintball. When you look at what it costs the companies to support teams (for virtually no income as I don't know anyone who pays retail price for anything) then the basic maths just don't add up. Whats funny is that they all know this and are all happy to moan about it but no-one I have spoken to seems to know a way to break the system.
This is a really facinating discussion and one that everyone seems to have an opinion on but real solutions seem hard to find.
I was trying to think back to when I first started playing (many many many years ago) and what it was that transformed me from punter to player. I never went through a rec-ball scene even then (1989) but went straight into a team. However there was a kinda of club at the site I went to which the team players were part of and other teams were formed from. The club members were buying all their paint from the site and all their gear from the local shop and we got small but helpful discounts and the conversion rates were really good from such a small site.
I know that the idea of paintball clubs is nothing new in mainland Europe but it never seems to have been taken up by site owners here. One of the major problems that clubs can help to overcome is that we play a team sport and it is really difficult to convert one punter let alone trying to convert enough to form a team. If there was a club to join that, at its base level, was just like normal punter days, but a little cheaper, that any club memeber can attend and now join in with more likeminded club memebers then individuals could join. Teams would naturally form from this if there was drive to play competition paintball or memebers could just play better woodsball knowing that the people player were also club memebers wanting to play better paintball than they would get from a normal stag or office outing.
However, none of this will work if the industry doesn't realise that by selling direct from manufacturer to normal customer is wrecking the business and that the endemic problem of sponsorship is and will continue to suck the money from the sport of paintball. When you look at what it costs the companies to support teams (for virtually no income as I don't know anyone who pays retail price for anything) then the basic maths just don't add up. Whats funny is that they all know this and are all happy to moan about it but no-one I have spoken to seems to know a way to break the system.