Think you've got what it takes to play pro? Think you can hang with the big guns? If you answered, "Yes!" you're probably done with "rec ball" and completely into "tourney play".
Once you think you have the skill to play, ask a local team if you can practice with them. This will give you an idea of your true skill. Jerry Ross of Dark Matter, for example, played 15 years of rec ball before deciding he wanted to see what tournaments were all about. Jerry went to Dark Matter's captain and asked if he could practice with them. After awhile, he got the hang things, and eventually was asked to join the team.
Dark Matter, an NPPL team, is a prime example of a team that began when a few guys got together and played some local tournaments--and then began their move up. They decided to play the XPSL, and were the XPSL Rookie Series Champions in 2003. The team continued its moves upward, to become NPPL competitors.
Everyone on Dark Matter agreed that practice makes perfect. Advice: Be willing to get beat up on the field and keep going. Some days you're nothing but a target, but keep at it. A time will come when you can hang. You'll be marking out the better players. It'll happen every once in a while at first, and then more often. Sometimes, if you're not quite first line material, a team you're practicing against may need an extra player for a tournament, and if they see your dedication and teamwork, maybe they'll remember you and ask you to play. Most teams don't mind their players getting experience playing for another team, because players don't get better riding the bench.
Take Keith Bowman of Dark Matter, who has been with the team less than a year though he had previous team experience. Bowman stresses the importance of getting along: "Make sure you like who you are playing with and understand their work ethic. Whether you are joining an existing team or forming one with other newbies, getting along is vital to being successful. Your teammates are who you run drills with, who you bunk with, who you practice with, and who you'll win and lose with. How they behave off the field will tell a lot of how they'll behave on the field." Bowman takes paintball seriously and expects his teammates to do so as well. And they do.
Even younger players, like Dark Matter's Steven Perry, Doug Irby, Devin Adams, and Justin Peleaz, take paintball seriously. They struggle at times to get their friends to understand that when they say, "I can't hang out because I'll be in Tampa playing paintball," their friends know they're involved with a serious sport--not a game of war. Their parents are supportive. Instead of "soccer mom" it's "paintball mom" for them.
Once you decide on a team where everyone agrees to take their tournament play seriously, then it's time to move to tournaments. For those starting out, the local leagues are the best places to start with tourney play. After playing a while, hopefully getting a few wins, and then it's time to move up to a regional or a statewide league or tournament circuit. The next step is a regional circuit like the XPSL, and from there on to the major circuits like the NPPL and the PSP.
The NPPL team size is 7man, but you will find 3man, 5man, and 10man, with the occasional "Top Gun" (one on one) event. Once you're on a team, you'll have a lot of work to do. Practice, practice, practice and practice until it is second nature.
From the viewpoint of Dark Matter, dedication is the most important factor for players on an organized competition team. Paintball has to come first, after family and job or school. You must make time for paintball, not play when time allows. Dark Matter's eight core team members practice every Sunday. Sometimes a player may miss a practice but the others are always there--drilling, running, and going over each game play until it's perfected.
Steve Jones said, "We'll work on specific details, such as breakouts, until it's right. We will practice the first 10 seconds of a game over and over until everyone feels it can't get better. The whole team encourages and motivates one another to perfection. It's not just one person telling
the others a plan, but each member testing and trying different approaches to make it better for the team. This can be hard without a coach, like in other organized sports, but it's also what makes paintball unique."
Once you have the time and dedication, and a team, where do you get the paint to play every Sunday? What about tournaments where you're playing for days at a time--how do you get the funds and means to get to the tournament, register, eat, and sleep somewhere?
With Dark Matter planning to play in five national tournaments a year, they must rely on their sponsors. While this doesn't pay for everything, it does cut some of the costs. A tournament will run about $1,100 per player. With sponsorship, that amount coming out of a player's pocket goes down. The more a team wins, the more sponsors it can get. For Dark Matter, Evil provides gloves, masks, barrels, and tournament paint. Impact provides harnesses, so they have most of the equipment covered. The team also has endorsements from AKA, JMJ, and Urquhart Townson Design. These sponsors keep the team looking good. The local paintball store, Gorilla Paintball, also supports the team, and in turn, the players help in the store.
Finding sponsors starts locally. Ask your local paintball shop for advice. Let them know you are serious, and then pursue it. Show them that you mean business and aren't out for a Sunday stroll. Hit the field ready to play. Keep equipment in top form. Even if you took a serious beating last time, keep up the can-do attitude, so people will know you're always up for the next game, learning from your mistakes.
Serious players may some day make a living from paintball. Until then, take your game seriously, and practice, practice, practice.
Tactics, teams, and tournaments. Whether you want to be a superstar on a pro team, or simply a better player at any level, T'nT has what you need. Articles and photos on T'nT topics are welcome; send typed or laser printed text and b/w or color photos to APG, 4201 Vanowen Place, Burbank, CA 91505; text may be sent via email to
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