Paintball Journal

The field is ridiculously sweet now, so professional and such, that I decided to give their website a little more face time, especially now that they have pictures of the last tourney up. I’m pretty excited to get back up there and play my team. My guys actually think they can bunker me in a 1v2 or 1v3, which is entirely outrageous. The main reason I want to do this is so that my team can get better at talking and running the field, because it’s apparently pretty hard to be scared of me right now. We’ll see come next week.

In other news, I may be getting a blog on Xtreme Paintball’s website soon. That should be cool, and I’ll be able to play more often with the added income! Don’t worry though, I won’t be leaving this blog for that one, I’ll just be writing them simultaneously. Yaaaay for not doing homework.

I’m beginning my post-burnout recovery, and I’m looking forward to get back to the field. I’d really like to take some time to photograph some real paintball, and I never seem to find time when I’m trying to play during the same day, so I think sometime soon I’d like to just devote an entire day of coaching the team and photographing some games. When I do I’ll be sure to get some pictures up here.

Spring Break is only a week away as well, and I think most of the classes will wind down towards Friday. We might head out this Saturday to play some, and I plan on working some odd jobs all next week to get some cash back, which will hopefully hold me over for several trips to the field. I really want to buy a Halo and a new trigger with the money I make next week, and that should nearly top me off for upgrades.

Overall, things right now are looking pretty good, and I’m still anxious for the weather to snap into spring mode and stay there for good! I don’t know, we’ll see, still just taking it easy for now.

There’s us ready for the break. I’m in the Santa Hat, Brock’s in the middle with the blue Dye jersey, and Evan is on the far side.

Everyone peeking out over the top, ‘cept me. I should’ve done a run through this game, but we weren’t communicating correctly.

This is me taking the flag in our last game, which we won.

I’m sorry for the bad quality but taking a good camera on the field in the middle of a tournament is the equivalent of assisted photo suicide. All of these were taken from behind the netting.

Moderating the amount of time you spend training for paintball may be the only way to keep yourself from getting burned out, and it will take a skillful balance of school, work, spare time, friend and family, etc. Here are some things I’ll keep in mind for the future.

Leave time open on the weekends to hang out with other friends.

Don’t skip too many family gatherings to play paintball.

Practice occasionally in the off months – this should be a time for rest and relaxation. Practicing every weekend when there is no tournament in the near future can really be a drag, so reserve your most serious practices for the week or two before a tournament.

Get a girlfriend! They’ll quickly eat up your free time and money, and will be a nice distraction from the paintball mindset. And if you already have one, don’t neglect them and spend every weekend at the field – they need just as much love and tender care.

Get a job. It’s hard to play paintball two or more times a month without a firm job, but it can be done; many of my friends already do it. They skip lunches at school. They don’t go to the movies on weekends, and they save money on the little things and the like. I do not suggest making this into a habit though, skip only the bare minimum.

Pick up on another hobby. With the weather getting nice and all, I’ll be out on my lake fishing more. It’s calming, peaceful, and nobody is shooting at you (usually).

Grades slacking? Devote a little more time to studies rather than PBNation on week nights.

Most of all, don’t feel like you have to be the best right away; it just doesn’t work like that. Give it time, and just enjoy the ride as you get better. Utilize every minute at the field learning something new or working on some aspect of your game.

paintball

Seeing that I’ve hit a pretty bad burn out since Sunday, I’d like to go over what exactly has been leading up to it, and give you some tips to prevent it from happening to you.

First off, anything in the extreme is bad. It can be related to almost anything really, and in this case my extreme was paintball. For the past three months I did nothing but paintball. I’d wake up thinking paintball, have dreams of paintball, consume my spare time with paintball – everything in my life revolved around it. But it wasn’t just paintball, it was paintball for the win, not for fun. Everything I did was to make myself better at the game, and a crash was bound to happen.

I lost the fun in it, the reason why I began to play in the first place anyways. I’m extremely competitive, and it became just another thing I had to win, or at least excel at. That might look really dumb to you, and now that I look back I still have one thing that I didn’t take into consideration – time. I don’t know why, but something was driving me to advance at such a rapid speed that I wanted to get better with each passing day. Paintball isn’t something that you can do that with; it takes time, money, and just getting out to the field to play time and time again to get the experience. It’s an active learning sport – the more you play the better you get.

Spring is on the way now, temperatures are in the seventies, and I’d like to just get back into the groove of regular life. I’d like to spend money on something else besides paintball – like hanging out with friends, getting to see some new movies, etc. It’s time for a breather.

“Lucky is restructuring and going to be operated out of the UK.”

In fact it has been funded through its expansion to date by UK investment and there is no intent or action to abandon the US paintball community. We are moving to strengthen our product lines and capabilities to deliver good products and good service to the paintball community.

Please have patience with us through this process and look forward to a revitalised Lucky website until then please contact the UK site for product or questions. We hope that the paintball community will continue to support Lucky as it has done in the past.”

My Commentary

AKA No more Lucky PB in the US. This smacks of shadiness, but more facts should come out soon before we jump to conclusions. All US employees of Lucky were let go as of early March. This obviously was not a move made by the US end of Lucky, so we can’t blame anyone but the higher-ups in the UK for the cessation of US distribution, albeit a possibly temporary halt. This is unfortunate, because Lucky was fast becoming one of the most respected and loved paintball companies out there.

What’s really weird is the lack of warning. No dealers were warned, no one knew this was coming. For direct quotes, read on.

(more…)

After coming in 4th, almost 3rd in our first tourney, we had some high expectations for this one. And rightfully so, Evan, JP, and I worked our asses off to get where we are today. We made sacrifices for our team, and it showed in our first tourney. We’ve put a huge amount of time, energy, and money into being better players.

So we took 6th this time around. Evan and I weren’t on the top of our game, and neither Ben nor Brock had enough experience to really compete.

While Evan has burned out pretty bad, I burned out too, just a little bit less so. I’ve taken a little different approach to the whole idea, and I want to get better now. I love this sport way too much to just quit on the dream of competing at a higher level. Even though I never really have considered playing seriously, I always want to be getting better, I always want to be able to compete with whoever I play.

That said, I took it pretty hard on Sunday too. I don’t really have all that much drive to get back out and play right now. However, when I do, I want it to be fun and serious at the same time. For example, not recball against some church group.

I’d love to head back to Friendly Fire soon. Run some drills where my team practices moving and bunkering, skills which have huge consequences at the smaller tourneys. I’ve got some great drills in my head that I’ll hate and my team will love, 2 vs 1’s and things like that.

When you haven’t put as much resources as we have into the sport, it’s hard to take it seriously, and I could tell Brock and Ben weren’t as down as Evan and me after the tourney. To them it’s all fun, and there isn’t anything wrong with that. But a team that plays for different reasons isn’t a team that will stay together for long.

I hope that Ben and Brock can see the fun in playing competitively. I’m not saying that I run practice like a drill sergeant, it’s just that while it’s fun pwning noobs at recball, it can be so much more rewarding doing well in a tourney after training and working on being a better player. In practice I’ll have to see who is willing to make that commitment.

I can honestly say I had fun a couple weeks ago at Silver Spur, running around, mowing faces all day. But it was NOTHING compared to the feeling of doing well at that first tourney.

zeroes for a day, no trace, paintball, friendly fire paintball, silver spur

Looking back on the tournament, I can see that we simply failed at several of the points we had wanted to work on. First of all, we said we were going to move more, be the aggressor, run up and shoot people, but that didn’t happen. We got back into our conservative mode, but instead of focusing on setting up solid defensive breakouts we somehow got caught in between trying to do both. Several times we missed our lanes, and they were usually the ones coming downfield, and it was a lot harder to completely lock it down due to the width of the field this time and the absence of out front player. Basically, pick a plan and stick to your guns. When you get up on bodies then look to improvise, but until then make sure everything is covered.

Secondly, our communication was pathetic. I didn’t expect our newest member to just jump right in and play like we did, but being new didn’t help communication whatsoever. And then there were times when I thought I was being vocal enough, and afterwards they’d say, “Dude, where was that guy?” I’d tell them I was screaming his position, and then there were times where I wasn’t hearing them. It helps to be extra loud indoors. The walls are concrete, everything echoes, and once all guns get up to speed the small things just get droned out. If you’re not hoarse by the end of the day then there is something wrong (and we weren’t even close).

Paintball, Paintball tips, paintball tournament

From PBNation:

The new epic classic from the makers of Cereal Killerz

Be one of the 1st to own and watch this DVD.

Over three years in the making this epic movie is a rare, unscripted behind the scenes look at the professional paintball world you won’t find anywhere else.

“This isn’t a game; it’s a fight. Knuckles bare, fists clenched white, all weapons approved, and the bastards of the world are waiting in the shadows with broken bottles and big grins. And this fight is fought everyday. On long highways, dirty couches and floors, rock hard dirt fields and shaking planes. In foreign lands, lost, hated, broke. It’s the battle to prove to the world that your small part, your pinprick slice of existence, matters. That even if the sun explodes tomorrow and scatters us screaming into the void, we go smiling because we had faith in ourselves, faith to gather a tribe and try to make our own reality. Nobody gives you anything until you make them understand. That’s why we formed this team, to make people understand.”

DVD info:-Running time 135 minutes
-30 minutes of Bonus footage
-Directors commentary version of the film with guests Nicky Cuba, Rich Telford, Matty Marshall, and Alex Fraige all there to chime in
-Dolby 5.1 surround sound

DVD packaging includes:
-A 56-page Photo Book
-Brand new Monkey with a Gun sticker sheet only available inside the DVD-not sold separately

Special PbNation offer includes:
5 PbNation stickers
5 MWAG stickers

“H4AD is a frank unscripted documentary covering the daily lives of men playing on a professional paintball team. It contains very strong language throughout the movie and the frequent use of the F bomb. If you or the person you are purchasing this product for would be offended by the use of such language please do not purchase or view this film.”

The trailer looks straight-up awesome. Cereal Killerz was received to rave reviews and honestly, this looks to beat it. I’m actually really considering buying this DVD, which is huge considering I can’t afford paint.

To download the trailer, here are the links.

http://imgs.pbnation.com/trailers/H4ADtrailer640X480-H.264.mov
http://imgs.pbnation.com/trailers/H4ADtrailer640X480-MPEG-4.mp4
http://imgs.pbnation.com/trailers/H4ADtrailer640X480-iPod.m4v

paintball, paintball dvds, monkey with a gun productions, heroes for a day, pbnation

I have come to the stark realization that I’m not going to big tourney paintball. It was just one of those passing dreams, and it was fun while it lasted, but I just don’t think that’s what I want to dedicate my life to, and that’s what it would take to become the best.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love paintball. I’ll always find time to grab a weekend to play, and when I do it’s not like I’m going to go completely into recball mode. I’m going to keep learning, keep playing against people that will make me better. It has gone from something I must excel at immediately to something that I wish to excel at on my own pace. The team is still together, and I’ll be with them till the day something rips us apart (college).

But it’s weird how such a change in mentality happened so quickly, and I was surprised that it came from within me and not somebody or something else. I’m also surprised that I’m okay with it. I don’t feel like I’m letting anybody down, and for once everything feels like it’s where it should be. For the past three months paintball has been a splinter in my mind, everything revolving around the game and getting better at it. Now it’s just…I’m fine with slowing it down. I’m ready to play for fun, not for the win. I’m ready to get my head of out the clouds and put my feet back on solid ground again.

I hate Egos. Well, okay, here’s my lesson for today, kids. Gather round because this could save you from death welts on your back someday.

Here’s the situation, we’re down three on two. It’s me in back right, and Evan at home. We’re playing JFK, who we know will move on us, so I cross up, looking in. Evan’s supposed to be crossed up looking towards the right tape, but no, he’s looking out the left side of his bunker, same way as me. JFK makes a simultaneous move, Sam running down the right tape (right into where Evan’s field of fire should have been) and another player moving to the 50 dorito.

I have no idea Sam’s coming and I’m sure this dorito man is about to eat paint, when suddenly I’m on my knees in rather severe pain because my back has been destroyed by Sam.

So, cross up when you’re down. And make sure your team mate is doing the same thing. Owie.

evan is a noob, paintball, back pain, arthritis, crossing up, ego

We played our March 11th tourney yesterday at Friendly Fire Paintball, annnnnd we didn’t do so hot this time. First off, the competition was a lot better; people were having a better idea of how tournament worked. A lot of the weaker teams didn’t show up, and then the team that one it last time, JFK, brought two teams. They pretty much swept the field against everybody, but one placed 1st and the other in 3rd in the finals. Team Sadistic – the Junction Boys younger side of the team – squeaked into second.

As for us, well we placed…6th. Man it hurts to say it. We didn’t do bad, but we just didn’t do all that great either. We really missed JP. In the January 28th tournament Dana and I simply locked down the field (it helped that it was only 50’x100’) while JP went straight up and pretty much did all the killing. We brought on two new players of tournament, and they did about how we expected, but the problem was, we didn’t have a front man that could get up to challenge anybody. We were mostly playing backs and the mid bunkers, and we should have focused on playing defensive since we weren’t moving up the field much anyways. It was just a mess.

The field was completely done this time, and my god it was frickin’ sweet. Basically they doubled the width of the field into the other side of the warehouse area, shortened the length just a bit to create a roomy sidelines/staging area, and turn the field. The turf was great, like real grass, and it made it great for sliding. They didn’t have the four mini Xs in though, or a real snake, and that kind of bummed me out, but with the money form this tournament they’ll have them in no time.

But oh well, that’s just a crash course of the event. We still had a lot of fun, learned a lot, all that good stuff. And we brought home Sportsmanship Awards! (which pretty much means here, take this because you’re not good enough). Like I said, oh well, people are mad jealous of them…

Well, here it is, my final will and testament before the tournament. All I can say is that I’m excited and optimistic for Sunday. The turf and expanded field will be a lot different, but should work to our advantage as an athletic team.

We’re taking a coaching staff (JP) who will be yelling at us from the sidelines, and drawing on a dry-erase board. Also, possibly munching on a bubble-gum cigar.

Evan has been in a pissy mood for the past couple of days, and apparently the only cure is bunkering someone who we know we’ll be playing, not to mention names, but… he’s a cocky bastard.

We lose an hour due to Daylight Savings Time, so waking up will be even tougher now. Looks like an early night on Saturday.

I have to make sammiches, get more batteries, pick up some Gatorade, and make sure I have enough money.

But damn, I’m ready to play.

No Trace - For The Win.

paintball, tournament, team no trace

A local team from our city will be flying out to a couple of events to play Division III PSP this year, and it’ll be awesome to see how they do. They certainly have the determination to play competition like that, and judging them from the times we’ve seen them play, they definitely have the skills to compete. All of them are veterans to tournament paintball, and many of them are fresh out of high school.

There is nothing against this team – they meet the physical demands, they have the gear, they have the experience. There is nothing holding them back at this point, and I’m eager to see how they perform. And if they do manage to place, they can get some possible sponsors looking at them, as well as some nice cash prizes.

5-man Xball Division III

1st - $2,500
2nd - $1,500
3rd - $1,000
4th - $500

I’ll keep it updated when they get to an event, and they’ll be here before you know it!

Mid-Atlantic Open – PBC Sports Park – May 3rd-6th
Chicago Open – Bolingbrook Recreation & Aquatic Center – June 20th-24th
TBA – August 2nd-5th
World Cup – Disney’s Wide World of Sports® Complex – October 21st-28th *

*Days of play for the 2007 World Cup will be confirmed shortly.

PSP, Paintball Tournaments, Paintball

Eclipse Hoodies

You can now wear Eclipse in your time off the field too! Thus making you look at least as half as sexy as the model in the picture.

Russian Legion 07 Sponsors

People are amazed by the Russian Legion’s new sponsors, Kee Action Sports (the merged NPS / PMI), in particular. KAS has a ton of companies underneath it, so RL (and all other teams sponsored similarly) have access to a wide variety of gear, all falling under their sponsorship.

Ironmen Won PSP LAO

But you already knew that, no one is THAT out of touch.

07 Powerlyte Ion Bodies

Apparently Powerlyte was tired of all the Ion owners complaining about the lack of options on the Ion. So they came out with this revolutionary idea of switching out body kits. Pretty sick, no?

07 Rage Jerseys

Rage, who had one of my favorite jerseys last year (because of that gold chain, that was so frickin’ rad) have released the designs for their new jersey. Sick, needless to say. Except this time around, platinum chain, not gold.

Player Paintball “Scenario” Pants

In an interesting marketing scheme, Player Paintball has decided to create scenario pants, because sometimes BDU’s just aren’t enough. The built in kneepad looking things appear sturdy, which would be nice, and I have a huge respect for PP since I saw their “Grab Ass” technology, but are these gonna work out for them? Who knows…

07 VLocity

Seems like just last year a brand new VLocity was coming out. Oh wait. Last year a VLocity did come out. Apparently it’s not enough to come out with reincarnations of guns annually. Oh, no. Now we have to do it with hoppers. Great. The only thing different that I can see is an angled lid. Oh, and rechargeable batteries.

paintball, VLocity, Player Paintball, 07 Rage Jerseys, Powerlyte Ion Bodies, Ironmen, psp lao, Russian Legion, Planet Eclipse