Can't talk for everybody, but I was talking paintball as a whole, in all it's forms.
Why are we so scared?
- Thread starter Buddha 3
- Start date
Can't give you anything concrete, but just use your imagination.
Let's assume that the big players realise there is so much more money to be made in recreational paintball, rather than in competition paintball, which is played by a small minority.
They would shunt their fundings away from tournament ball, leaving the teams that depend on sponsorship (the Pros) to fend for themselves suddenly. It doesn't take a huge leap of the imagination to understand that this will lead to the demise of a number of teams.
The Pro bracket, should it continue to exist, will be much smaller at each event, leaving much more emphasis on the lower brackets (and rightly so, as they are really paying for it all anyway).
I don't think that the sponsorship for most lower bracket teams will be effected, since these often consist of "you help me out at the field/shop, I hook you up with some free stuff/discounts." I see no reason for that to change.
Let's say that the big companies do remain interested in putting money into paintball. Chances are that they will put the money into the recreational game. A number of ways this can be done can be dreamed up. They could sponsor events, they could sponsor scenario teams, whatever. It could even mean that certain events get promoted outside the paintball scene, drawing more people in and consequently increasing the recreational scene and through trickle down effects, the tournament scene as well.
However, if the rec scene skyrockets, this may well become what the people also want to read about. Paintball magazines may well put the emphasis of their coverage on the rec scene too, meaning it becomes even less worthwhile to support a tournament team, as it leads to less exposure.
A million changes can be dreamed up, just sit and think for a few minutes. I'm sure you can come up with plenty of them. Some of them good, some of them bad.
i think if the pros actually paid for paint then the bottom end users could get it a bit cheaper... and then more people would take it up...
if every paint company stopped handing out free paint for pros theyd have to buy it from somewhere.. and hopefully that person who starts making a lot more money can bring prices down, we can dream!
if every paint company stopped handing out free paint for pros theyd have to buy it from somewhere.. and hopefully that person who starts making a lot more money can bring prices down, we can dream!
The reason I am against guns is we look to the companies mentioned to help promote paintball in all it's forms so we need them to have a good cash book, selling more product at a cheaper price is good for no one.
As for paint, well we have to increase the player base from somewhere and one of the best ways is to advertise (not necessarily in paintball mags)and directly support events.
I have loads of ideas that we paid a advertising agency (the forth largest in the country) to come up with, to realise them we need cash but I am sure the results will be favourable.
So imagine if all paintballs sold in the UK had a £2.00 per box premium, is that not a very small price to pay for the potential benefits for all.
We have to look at the big picture and not gripe at companies making money or we could all go down the pan.
Russ
National Champs may not be the way to go but if the country as a whole was organized then maybe new players may just see a structure in paintball and have something to aim for?National championships - i wouldn't say this would make a difference cus there aren't enough people who would bother to compete
more peoplea little promotion (maybe of these national championships but it doesn't have to be an event) and you would get more people who love the sport for what it is, like 7man AND Xball and will pay for the 15 bps smile
oh and by the way - what changes are 'on the horizon' ?
As it stands the new player finds a team and then competes at a base level in the PA, NSPL, or whatever, and most would just continue to do so.
Now i'm in no way knocking any series of events but i just feel that rather than playing the same teams 6-8 times a year, you could have the opportunity to compete against other teams across the country.
If the rule book was standardized then there is no reason why a national points series could not be incorporated into the current PA, NSPL, MASTERS ETC series of events.
But the big problem is getting all organizers to agree to it. Currently i get the feeling that they are all currently protecting their own wallets and until someone can guarantee them a better living then they won't take the chance. To be honest I'd probably be the same as it's a major risk for anyone when your mortgage is on the line.
Going back to the points series, if this were to get going then maybe it would be the building block of a new national standard. Some people see the millennium as a big expensive leap forward which is why they continue to play the same teams all the time. A national points series could just bridge that gap in cost, competition and standards?
Just my uneducated 2P's worth
If your mortgage payments are depending on you running a local series, I suggest you start looking for a nice, dry spot underneath the nearest bridge.
I don't think the major problem in what you suggest is the Organisers, speaking for myself and Wendy I can tell you we do want to do something as a joint production if only so people realise we don't sit at home sticking pins in lifelike dolls of each other.
But the wallet issue obviously comes into play, people do not comprehend how much work is required to put on even a local level event and when you have to split the purse even further it does become difficult.
I have always stayed away from what Wendy is doing because I don't want to cause problems but if my event was threatened because others did not play fair I would ............ well lets not talk about that.
You also have to look at the long term development of UK paintball lets just presume a few things for the benefit of this next point.
The PA, Masters and the NSPL all get together and run as one entity, I am sure we as joint Organisers would see some benefit come our way.
But, and this is it's main stumbling block as far as i can see, what would happen to tournament paintball, would it go into a settled state and develop from that point or would it just stagnate and rot without the competition for your entry into their events.
If we all joined together you as paintballers would be sold this big shiny potential utopia and in fact you would just be seeing the entrance to paintball oblivion. (well maybe not that drastic but I like the word)
Competition is good for the development of paintball. Look at the PSP and NPPL do you think they would be where they are without one or the other offering something and then the other must follow or pack up.
I decided on Seven man because Wendy did Five man and all was nice Wendy then decided to do the Seven man as well so I decided it was the right time to introduce a Xball format in a way that could be played in an affordable fashion, then Wendy comes down to my event likes what she sees and next thing she is offering something similar.
So do I get pissed or what!, well as much as it grates me it is something that is bound to happen, if the format is in demand others will offer it.
I was just thinking as I wrote this post..... 5 man is still in demand...... so perhaps I should offer that.... I do have some great ideas to tweak it for the better...... Hmmm I wonder....
Russ
People are scared because they are worried that it's taken them years to get good at a sport and that if everything changes they will be right back where they started. And nobody really takes that well.
Katx
Katx