Big Team VS Small Team

Florida seems to be constantly growing teams, more than most states, but there are a few places that are growing, and mainly keeping on pace. Southern California, Northern California, the Carolinas, Omaha, Central Texas and New York seem to have the most progression of players and teams.

This is the common Florida team structure, whether for CFPS, (the now dwindling) SPCS, and other other tournaments.

Most local, divisional paintball teams normally consist of about 5-9 players. This would qualify you as a "small team". This team usually plays for fun, or to build experience and usually plays whatever tournament fits their schedules. They sometimes practice when they're all off work, or have free time. Rarely do they have scheduled or set practices. Some teams of this size that have field or factory support, but that is rare.

Then you have larger teams, these teams consist of between 10-30 players. These teams are usually based out of a home field and might have one or two sponsors. They normally receive support from the field by reduced field fees, reduced paint, or reduced merchandise. The sponsors normally supply the teams with slightly above dealer pricing, or dealer pricing. These teams usually play a tournament series, not just single events. They might attend one national event over a year. This event might be a PSP event or USPL event that is within driving distance for them.

The largest of all is the "super-team". These teams are more like an organization. There is normally an owner, a head coach, and sometimes lesser coaches. They normally consist of 30-70+ players. It's normally like a farm of feeder team. The lower division team supports the higher divison team by building players. These teams usually have a field sponsorship much like the "large team" sponsorship, and usually have multiple sponsors. Granted these are not "free stuff" or "full factory support" sponsorships, they normally give the teams everything they need without breaking the bank. These teams might have a gun sponsorship, gear sponsorship, or playing apparel sponsorship. These teams usually play all the local or regional events they can find, and might play multiple PSP or USPL events, or sometimes play the whole series. The “super teams” are geared for progressing players up quickly through the ranks, playing local, progressing to regional, then national, from D5 to D2 in a short amout of time. Those players who can’t keep up with the grueling pace are weeded out.

Larger teams can make things much easier, or in some cases much more difficult. Players on large teams need to be just that, players. The coach or team owner needs to be able to make decisions for the team with minimal input from players. Normally upstart “large” or “super-teams” usually have issues. New sponsors can cause some problems.

With smaller teams if one person cancels last minute, the team is put in a really bad situation trying to find someone to fill in. With a larger team, given the same situation, they’ll easily fill the spot due to the size of the roster. Smaller teams do have an advantage; the players have normally been playing with each other for a while and can gel better with each other than with a larger team, where you may play with different people every week.

"Large" or "super-teams" usually end up on the podiums. One reason is, they have squads to practice with, in their own team. They can also have a better feel for layouts. If you have your whole team, (let's say 30 people and each person) is playing a different specific position, that means you'll have 6 different perceptions on how to play that layout, for that specific spot. These teams also give the player a better chance to move up in the rankings. You can easily shine playing on a D4 team, and if you want to move up, you'll have the players necessary.

Each kind of team, whether it be a "super-team" such as Firece-Damage, or Total Karnage has their own advantages and downfalls compared to large teams such as Fatality, or Tampa United; besides playing on the national level versus the local.

I'm out to prove you wrong

"The new generation of players has no respect for the game." "They don't know or care about the history." "All of them want something for nothing"

The typical gripes and comments regarding the "new school" players from the guys that have been in the sport the longest. And I have to agree with them, well mostly agree with them. The majority of new tournament, divisional players don't know the history of the game, and some don't care. Some get mommy and daddy buy them the new, four figure, "hot gun" on the market. They get the new gear every year at Cup, or online. And they do this when they could perfectly well work for it and pay for it themselves.

I'm not talking about the kid who gets this as birthday present, or the kid who helped his parents out at home and did chores. I'm talking about the spoiled kids.

There is a small group of new players that do care, that work for their gear and paint. These are the guys who will work, reffing for a day for a case of paint to use tomorrow at practice. The players that save all year for enough money to buy a used gun from 2 years ago.

I like to believe that I'm with the latter group. I work at a local field so I can play paintball. When I first started playing, before I was old enough to get a job, my parents paid for me to play. I had to do chores around the house, keep my grades up, the usual deal. But, right when I was old enough to start working, I did. I started out reffing at the local field for a case of paint every day. As time passed I was soon getting store credit, allowing me to get most of the pieces and parts I needed, barrels, tanks, hoppers, a gear bag. Finally I worked my way up to getting an actual paycheck. Granted it was minimum wage, but it was all I needed. I worked 8 hours a day, as much as I legally could. I got a savings account, and I saved every dime I could. I was finally able to get the expensive, top of the line, most technically advanced marker I could. Sometimes I actually hated playing on weekends, because it was time I could have been using to work. When I went home I was constantly reading up on all the latest gear, constantly gaining knowledge of everything I could. I gained knowledge from the people around me and from the experience I received reffing. I gave 100% all the time, and it paid off. Because I had researched products, read rules and gained all the knowledge I had, I earned a spot working in the ProShop.

I kept giving 100%. Every month or so we had new reffs that were taking the same path I did. I did my best to try and pass on all the information and knowledge I had.

I was lucky to get that opportunity, and I am thankful I did.

I wish all the other players had that determination, and I’m making it my job to try and give them that determination. I also made it my job to try and change the notion that the "new school" is a bunch of lazy, trend following, zombies that don't care.