WELCOME !!

I had wanted to have this site complete before releasing it. Changed my mind because it seemed like it would be some time before I got it how I liked… that could be a never ending process. Figured that it would be better to just make it a work in progress.  If you are interested in why the site was created… look under “About”, on the top right, above the header.

Information will be added frequently in the near future, including…. Seminars, sponsorhips and sponsorship information, schedule and much more. I’m just getting started, as a variety of things are finalized for this year, and your patience is appreciated

The below post, some would say a book ;-)  ,  is the first of a many to come.  Feel free to comment on articles, your opinion/views are welcome and appreciated. Also, emails can be sent through the contact information page listed on this site.

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My 2008 SSPL Journey

Just started this site, wanted to get some articles up and I thought to myself… What topic to begin with? There’s a number of topics that I’ve written about throughout the years but most I’ve never posted.  In the past I had used the keyboard to get my thoughts out and then often didn’t see a reason to put them online. I’ll dig some of those up, to add to the site, but for now I wanted something new. The most recent happening, event or paintball experience that I have had… would be my move to play in the SPPL last year.

This is a long one so buckle up. I didn’t expect to write this much but it just kept flowing, ended up more like a story than an article… kind of down-loaded my thoughts, as I remember them, onto the computer. I’ve divided it into 4 parts… Intro, New York qualifier, Michigan qualifier and World Championships. Figured that might make it a little easier to read some, then come back and finish later.

Intro…

When the SPPL www.playsppl.com came to be, 4 years ago, it seemed to get a lot of flak on the Scenario/Big Game boards. The negative comments continued throughout the subsequent three years. Comments ran the gammet… “This isn’t scenario, this is tournament ball”, “Competition like this will kill our end of the sport”, “This doesn’t determine who the best scenario team is”, “Large prize packages will cause cheating” and the list goes on and on. You would think that the devil himself had come to destroy paintball as “we” know it now.

So why would someone who started playing paintball very close to when it began (1986-87), want to participate in such an activity? Why would I forsake Scenario/Big Game paintball for the evils of this new bastard hybrid? I think the answer for me was simple… the challenge.

When the SPPL was first announced, I will admit I was sceptical and didn’t look at it too favorably. Didn’t really see a reason to get involved at the time. Unlike some, I didn’t think that those starting the league should be burned at the stake. There just wasn’t an interest and it didn’t seem to determine what was being advertised. It was billed as a way to determine the best scenario team. That’s debatable but it is paintball… isn’t it?

Gonna get a little side tracked here. Sorry but it’s the way my mind works sometimes.
My personal view is that paintball is one of the most incredible activities ever created… ranks up there with ice cream, MMA, vacationing in the islands and ___. Hey, you’ve got to admit… playing paintball, in all its forms, sure beats work ;-).

Now I know this brief “history” lesson is an over simplification, and in the future I’ll definitely write about this in more detail. My experience with paintball started in the woods, with small groups getting together just to pretty much eliminate each other and capture a flag. A kind of hunt for humans with that carrot (flag) at the other end of the field. I collected those silk screened Skirmish flags like a squirrel gathering nuts and hoarded them in a big box in a closet. Variations of the “Capture the Flag” theme emerged and so did teams. I guess that group or clan mentality follows humans where ever they go. I had the pleasure to play against and along side many of these early teams… Navarone, Wild Geese, Master Blasters, Rats, etc. I learned from them, through both my failures and successes.

Scenario ball came onto the scene with Wayne Dollack running the first scenario that I ever attended at Skirmish. Wow, now that was a target-rich environment ;-). A marathon game that would test not only a persons skills but also their physical endurance.  Woods tournaments also emerged, and it gave teams a venue to play capture the flag but in a way that tested them in a much more organized format. People seemed to go in one direction or the other back then, my direction would follow the scenario/big game path. When speedball stepped out of the woods and onto the hyperpipe and inflateable fields, the lines seemed to be drawn. You either played in the woods or didn’t. Instead of realizing that we both started in the same place, paintball was to be forever divided… or was it?

Now back to the present and regularly scheduled programming… the SPPL.
I’d been playing scenario/big game ball for around 15 total years, always enjoyed playing speedball as a way to practice for the end of the sport I’d chosen. Had a deep respect for those that chose the “other side” of our sport; their skills were obvious and also applied to scenario/big game ball. Snap shooting, running and shooting, teamwork, covering lanes and countless others that can be used or modified for “our” end of the sport.

Fast fotward… Played a Scenario/big game at the Blanding MOUT site in FL, as part of ThunderStruck. The general for our side was Sean Scott from Smart Parts www.smartparts.com, and he brought along several players from Smart Corps/Smart Parts Factory team. One of those was Darryl Trent. These were guys that played tournament ball, shhh… not too loud, but were trying our side of the sport. It was an intense, fun and exhausting game with an enjoyable outcome… a big win. As a bonus, we earned and were awarded the MVT for our side. We played our butts off and had a blast.

One of the issues that I personally have had with scenario/big game ball is that it’s not easy to define how good an individual team or player is. As a means of determining… some people respect awards, some being on the winning side, some sponsors, some the words of their peers, some magazine exposure and some a combination of all these. Some think that there should be no measure and that it doesn’t really matter. I guess this “up in the air”, “undefineable” aspect of scenario/big game sometimes gets to me. Viper RTS games may be the closest exception to a clear definable outcome, at least for the side; I love the format and the computerized scoring… but that’s for another story.

I’m a person that has always played sports for the competition, the rush and the win. I consider paintball to be a sport and yes, that includes the path I had chosen in scenario/big game ball. I do not think that a paintball game needs to be played on a speedball field to be considered competitive and a sport. The SPPL began to seem like it was a way to get the best of both worlds or at least a flavor of both. I loved the woods… nature, the smell, terrain, the subdued colors. I also loved up close, in your face, aggressive paintball… the constant engagement. I needed a new fix, a new challenge, something to get the adrenaline flowing again. Now the question, how to get involved? I had thrown it out there that I needed to regain the rush of old but would that be enough?

The 2008 New York Qualifier…

My cell phone was making that funny occasional beeping noise, another message. Didn’t think much of it, but my eyes sure lit up when I listened to this one. I’m sure this isn’t exactly the message, but I bet it’s darn close, especially considering the number of times that I listened to it :-). “Hey Dave it’s Sean Scott from Smart Parts. I’ve got a little problem that I was hoping you could help me with. We were going over our roster for the SPPL New York Qualifier, Michigan Qualifier and Georgia Finals… we’re good for Michigan and Georgia but we’re short a player or two for New York. We need someone who’s fast, really fast, that doesn’t tire out. We were trying to think of who to call in that area and Darryl Trent said what about Dave? You had slipped my mind and it was actually Darryl that brought you up. Consider this your official invite to play. So… let me know if you’d be interested.”

Interested… interested… am I interested to play with a bunch of pro players that have played on some of the best teams in tournament paintball? I would say that it took about a tenth of a second to come up with that answer… hell yeah. Picture an almost 40 year old big kid, grinning from ear to ear, dancing around the room (BTW I hate dancing), feeling an adreniline rush like I’m about burst. Now I will admit, one of the first things that popped into my over-zealous head was, damn… they’re already filled for the Michigan Qualifier and Finals!? :-/ Even if it was just going to just be New York, it was worth it… more than worth it, it was an honor. The wheels started spinning… how could I prove myself to the likes of the players I was about to play with, how could I some how earn a spot on the Team Roster? Then it dawned on me… quickly call Sean before that spot is gone you idiot. Spoke to Sean… the spot was still open and I said yes. Ok it may have come out as yes, but inside it was like YES, ABSOLUTELY, Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now you may ask, “Why so happy and enthused? Like I said before, scenario/big game ball is not as clear cut or defineable as some sports that I have competed in before, sports that have one team or one person competing against another and a clear winner/loser.  Sometimes scenario/big game players are criticized for just that reason and looked down on for that reason. If I were to earn a spot on a team with both current and former top level pro tournament players it would, in my mind, add to what I had already accomplished in scenario/big game paintball and add something more “definable”. The challenge of helping to try and win another World Championship would be an absolute thrill. But there was a tiny, kinda small, little itty bitty problem… I would have to somehow make the team. I asked Sean in a subsequent conversation if there was any chance of openings on the Michigan and Georgia roster and how I could possibly earn a full spot on the Team. He said “There is always a chance that there will be an opening but don’t bank on it and to play like I always do.”

I set up a training program for myself and immediately got going to prepare to play my best at the NY Qualifier. Tons of cardio, agility drills, regular sprints, sprints over uneven terrain, more cardio, sports specific training and sharpening those paintball skills. I wanted to make this team bad, really bad.

The New York Qualifier was approaching… I felt good, real good. Training had gone well and everything had come together. I started going through all my gear… checking, checking again and re-checking it, making sure everything worked and that I had everything I needed. Took everything out of the paintball storage closets and drawers. Laid out everything on the Swain mats in my basement, everything in its place, everything in its order. Went through my checklist, marking off things as I went and then packing it in my gear bags. Went upstairs and put the bags by the door.  Since the Qualifier was at Cousins Paintball, in NY State http://www.cousinspaintball.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=fields.plattekill and just under 2 hours from my house, I was driving. Thursday night I relaxed, watched a movie at home… probably some intese, testosterone filled movie but I can’t remember what it was and fell asleep surprisingly quickly. Oh wait, I think it was Black Hawk Down, but I’m not positive.

Woke up late morning, ate, showered, got dressed and loaded the Mustang. I was excited and surprisingly awake. Headed off to Cousins Paintball in Plattekill, NY. Popped a nice easy listening CD in, Kill Switch Engage, and relaxed for the 2 hour drive. We’d all be meeting at Cousins around 3pm to walk the fields… check the field from both sides, figure out our running lanes, walk off distances, check angles from bunkers/trees, lay out each persons role and come up with the overall “plan”. Similiar to scenario/big game ball, I like to walk the field and imagine it as if I was playing it. Take in the sites and smells, get in that almost trance… scan, imagine where the opposition/enemy would be,  kind of become an animal that is about to hunt. I’m sure the parents of the students I teach would love to read this. Yes, they allow me to shape young minds.

Arrived nice and early, briefly chatted with the guy in the pro shop and a few others. I hadn’t been up to Plattekill in a number of years, but the older guy/ref by the fill station area remembered me, and we had a nice conversation. If I’m not mistaken he was from the Master Blasters. We talked paintball history and the past, he was a real cool guy. Sat on a picnic table and waited for everyone to arrive. I had met a couple of the people that I was going to be playing with at the Blanding game, but the vast majority I had not. Got along with Sean well, and hoped that I would fit in and be accepted by the others that I was about to meet. How would current and former pro tournament players feel about the “scenario guy”? My hope was that they’d give me a chance… that their view wouldn’t be the back and forth negativity that’s normally posted on line between our two sides of the sport. In the past, when my former team or I had played indoors, it always took a few games to earn the respect of tournament teams and players. They always seemed to have an aversion to guys wearing camo pants and not wearing a loud Jersey. Welp, this group of pros was willing to play the SPPL, so maybe they were different. I was willing to work to earn their respect.

The guys began to arrive; we shook hands and introduced ourselves. I’ve got to say that I felt welcomed right away. Reeg and Shlumpy were two of the first that I met, and we talked like we’d known each other for some time. Can’t tell you how quickly I became at ease. This group seemed really cool… a vast array of personalities and humor that was beyond entertaining. They busted each others chops relentlessly but each took it in stride.

After we were done walking the fields, we went back to the hotel and got situated. Sean and I were rooming together and he handed me the SP-1 that I’d use as my primary marker and also other gear that I’d be using to add to my kit. Other than shooting one at a chrono range, I’d never played with an SP-1. I’ve got to admit, that kind of had me scared. Would this gun work well, would I like it, could I get it working again if it went down during a game? We would soon see. We’d be wearing custom Smart Corps Defender Jersey’s and Defender Pants. It was nice to see my name on the back of the Jersey and my favorite number, 13. The Defender pants seemed to have enough protection that I might not even wear knee pads or maybe something light underneath. The fabric almost seemed bullet proof I threw my Jersey and Pants, along with a few of the other guys stuff in the washer… yes, I’m a pansy and like to wash new clothes before wearing them. I like that broken-in, soft feel against my baby soft skin

We headed out to dinner as a group and a couple more players arrived that I hadn’t met yet. We went over the SPPL rules and talked a little bit more about the game. Found out that Smart Corps didn’t use a LAW or for that matter, even the props that were found in the boxes on the field. Well, except for on occassion the insertion card that allowed you to put up to 5 players back in the game. The stories began shortly after and I listened intently, learned a lot about the individuals that I was about to play with. Dinner was very good, as was the conversation.  I didn’t feel like I was out of place with guys that had played together and hung out for years, at least socially, but on the field it was yet to be seen.

Headed back to the hotel and switched the wash to the dryer. No, I did not throw a fabric softner sheet in there. I have my limits, I’m not that much of a wimp. Made sure my gear was ready for the next day and chatted with the guys some more. Pulled my now semi-soft clothing out of the dryer, aahhhh, and got ready for bed. Sean and I cahtted about a variety of topics, definitely a cool guy. Some of the others were going to stay up and invited me to hang out… I decided to hit the sack and get my beauty sleep, I could use all that I can get.

Got a rather good night sleep, woke up excited and ready to shoot people. Ate breakfast and headed off to the field. When we arrived, players were starting to trickle in, but we were early enough to get another quick walk of the field. Headed out with Adam and a couple others and went over my routes. I remember having a conversation with Adam when the group of us were out on the field, and his reply stuck in my head for the rest of the weekend. After going over how our swing base group would get the flag, I said something like, “So my main job is to get to that flag before anyone else on the other team does and raise our color?” His response was priceless. Adam has this matter of fact way about him…. he has a calm control about the way he conducts himself, but you can tell he’s always thinking. He calmly glanced over at me and in relaxed voice said, “It’s one thing to be fast, it’s another to be able to shoot people when you get there.” He then looked away and we continued to walk. I remember taking a deep breath and thinking to myself… I guess it’s pretty clear that I needed to do more than get to the flag, I need to shoot the crap out of some people if I was going to have a chance of making this team.

We geared up for the first game and headed to the field. When we got there, we put some of our gear in the staging area… extra guns and pods on the field. I walked my route for what felt like the hundreth time… I think I planned every step, every twig I would pass over… no one was going to beat me to that flag. BTW… did I mention yet that I wanted on this team badly?

The time came, felt like it was a long wait, but I’m sure it wasn’t. One foot in the box, one arm forward, gun arm back. Placed the ball of my foot against a root to get a better push off and then it came. Went off that line as fast as my body could move and headed straight down the route I had chosen. Made it most of the way to the swing base and from behind and to my left fire erupted. Our cut off men let loose on their swing base runners. Got to the swing base, raised our flag and yelled our code word. Pushed past the swing and proceeded to the secondary spot I had chosen the day before. Adam was moving was going to be on my right, along the tape, Reeg and Schlumy to the inside. We swung hard into their left flank, taking out players as went; this team moved like a machine. Everyone knew what to do, everyone covered everyone else and communicated very well. We had rolled in the field in less than five minutes. The rest of the game went perfectly.

In the staging area, after the game, everyone talked and went over what had occured. Adam was talking with one of the guys and he made a comment along the lines that, I could definitely shoot people. I let loose a big sigh of relief inside and a big internal, probably external smile.

The rest of the day went beautifully. It felt like I had been playing with them for some time and fit in very well; I was having an absolute blast. Frank Connell busted chops, as usual, and the new guy was not immune to his even-handed wrath. During one game he had used me as bait. The team we were playing had decided that it wasn’t working like they had wanted throughout in the majority of the field and that they would change their strategy and dig-in in the heavy woods/brush right in front of their base. So… why not send the new guy in to get them to show their positions. Gave everyone a laugh as I made it to within a few feet of the base flag and then a handful of hidden defenders opened up on me. Got a few, then got lit up like a Christmas tree. It worked, they gave away their positions and short work was made of them after one more new guy was sent in for good measure. From what I understand, if Frank likes you, he jokes a lot with you. I guess this would be the beginning of a wonderful relationship

After Saturday’s pre-lims were over, we went out to eat as a team. Everyone busting chops as usual, telling stories; it was like a history lesson on the adventures of tournament paintball from the inside. At one point, someone out of the blue turned to me and said, “If you have nothing better going on, we’d like you to play with us for Michigan and the Finals. I said, “What?”, not because I hadn’t heard the words but because I thought it was possible that I had made them up in my head. He repeated it and I said, “Something else to do, are you kidding? Absolutely.” Sean turned to me and said that they had decided after they saw me play the first game. I said thanks and then excused myself to go to the bathroom. Went into a stall, closed the door and looked up at the ceiling. I had chills and said in my loudest inside-my-head voice… YES!!! composed myself and went back out to sit and eat.

Now I know that some of you might be saying that I’m over reacting, what’s the big deal? Well, to me it was a big deal. I had been asked to and was going to have the opportunity to play with some awesome players, guys that are and were at the top of the tournament game. I earned a spot to play alongside the players I’m about to list below. I’m sure I have missed a few teams that they have played for, teams that they have coached and could not even begin to list the countless championships that they have won. I do want to give them at least some of the credit they deserve and thank them for the fantastic time that I had playing with them. Not all of those below were at every event but played on the team at one or more.

The Smart Corps/Smart Parts Factory team includes… Ryan Moorhead, Frank Connell, Tim Montressor, Craig “Fatty” Daugherty, Rich Bianco, Jayson Green, Dan “Snack” Kerszencwejg, Reeg Allen, Darryl Trent, Dan “Schlumpy” Lewis, Jason Trosen, Chris Davis, Adam Gardner, Billy Gardner, Sean Scott and myself. They have played for teams like Philadelphia Americans, All Americans, Dynasty, Avalanche, Miami Effect, Ironmen, Infamous, Detriot Fusion, Punishers PB and more. Coached the Philly Americans and Coached Dynasty.

It was a pleasure guys.

Back to the qualifier… The following day was just as good as the first, if not better. Reffing was solid and the sportsmanship displayed was extremely good by the vast majority of the teams at the event. The result was as we had hoped, we had won all of our games and 1st place in the Elite/Pro division. My SP-1 had performed flawlessly, I hadn’t broken a single ball, the gun never went down and it shot pretty darn accurate for a gun that costs so little. All in all, it was a well run event.

After the event, we chatted as a group for a little while and then most headed out for the trip back. I hung out with Sean and talked with the other teams, some of the refs and those running the event.

I had a two hour ride back to NJ, and I must say that I don’t think I stopped smiling all the way home. Again, listened to some light music on the way back… Disturbed, Mudvayne and Journey… yes Journey, I grew up with them in high school, and they fit right in with Disturbed and Mudvayne Called a number of people on the way home and told them about the weekend. My phone battery was dead by the time I got back. What an enjoyable weekend.

Online announcement following New York Qualifier:   http://www.pbuprising.com/invision/Smart-Corps-Wins-Sppl-200-t17873.html&mode=threaded

This was just the beginning though, we had another qualifier coming up in a couple months and then the World Championships. Time to spend the next couple months getting ready and then off to Michigan.

I’ve run out of steam for the moment but will finish up the last two parts soon. Here’s a sentence on each to wet your appetite…

The 2008 Michigan Qualifier… “A brutal field and the temperature to match.”

NY is over, time to think about the next qualifier. Hmmmm… Michigan. I knew I had been to Hell Survivors http://www.hellsurvivors.com/ before, played the Michigan Monster game there. That was back many years ago, when my former team (Knightmare Tango) was still around. Huge game, tons of players… I’m not a big fan of the GIANT games. Yes, there’s plenty of targets and I’m all for shooting as many people during games as humanly possible but the really big games tend to get chaotic, to say the least. Hard for anyone to run a smooth game with those numbers.

I usually don’t forget fields after being to them even once. Tend to have a bit of a photgraphic memory when it comes to how fields play, terrain, ect. My memories of this field were pretty basic and simplistic. Kind of a donut shaped wooded area, a dirt road running all the way around it and a swamp/pond in the middle. I knew that was probably incomplete and jaded, clouded by the Giant game format that I did’t enjoy. My thought… where were they going to run the SPPL games at this field? Talked to several friends to refresh my memory and Jammer helped me remember a lot more about the place. He had ref’d the SPPL and described another part of the field that had been just out of play at the Monster game. It sounded pretty rough… a bowl that went down steeply in the middle, tiered down on one side and up on the other. He said it was a tough field to play.

Ok, so I’d change my training a little bit for this one and threw in/added some chain stepper and hill running. I’ve been to IN and IL many times at the end of the summer and the weather can be a bit warm out there. I’ve had heat exhaustion on a number of occassions playing 24 hr games, in the area, but those were 24 hour games. One hour games, they won’t be a big deal… right?

Game date closed in and my legs felt a little burnt from all the training. During the summers I really pick up my MMA training because I’m off from school and have more time. The MMA, coupled with the paintball training, can take a bit out of an old man… I don’t recover like I used to. I cursed young people as a whole and wished I could find a time machine. Since cursing the young people did nothing and I couldn’t find anyone with a time machine, I figured adding some more break days wouldn’t hurt.

I’d be flying in for this one, as would a few of the other guys. Got to meet Dan for the first time, he’s a cool guy. We’d be meeting at the airport and driving in a rental car to the hotel/field. Now… how many people can say that they were chauffeured to a game by a top pro player? I know he has a sense of humor and I’m banking on it here. Besides, I remember being sent into a hail of fire at the NY Qualifier. Send the new guy in to flush them out, riiiight. Back to the story… I sat comforatbly in the passenger seat, the ride was rather nice. I must say, Frank Connell is not a bad driver. He was sporting that big World Championship ring, I think he sleeps with it on. To be honest, I probably would too if I had one and I hate rings. In fact I probably would have had it tatoo’d on my finger

Got to the field and walked it a bit. This was not going to be an easy field to play. The terrain was going to make it very hard to communicate, there was no way the left was going to know what the right was doing. For that matter, it was going to be hard to figure out what was going on in the middle. Looking from the top down into that bowl… pretty much all you could see, except for a spot here and there, were the tops of bushes and trees. One side of the field seemed to have a little advantage but you switch at half so that wouldn’t really matter.

Went back to the hotel. I’d be rooming with Reeg Allen and Schlumpy, very cool guys. Did the whole eat thing… chatted, joked and laughed. Headed back, got ready for bed and hit the rack.

When we got to the field I noticed right away that it was hot and humid. Started sweating right away and I don’t think I ever stopped. to think, we weren’t even playing yet. Once we geared up the river started to flow… not an actual river, my sweat glands. Maybe an hour game would be a bit rougher than I had originally thought.

Swifty had come from Sherwood Forest to check out the event and he volunteered to help pit us on Saturday. Thanks bro, much appreciated.

Game started and I can not believe how quickly the heat had an affect on people, myself included. It was brutal, the heat out there felt very different from NJ. The air was think and sophocating. The hills didn’t help.

Just like I had thought on friday, it was tough to communicate across this field. You had to rely on everyone doing their job. Don’t get me wrong, there was communication but it was tough to hear people from the middle and you could rarely see what was going on down there. The game result was positive, a clear win but the heat really had an impact. On game two or three, we went a little light on the swing base side, coming from the weak side of the field and it cost us. We recovered from it and steadily put the hammer down. Game score was decisive but the game felt tougher than the score reflected.

Day two felt a lot better… the weather was more forgiving and the humidity seemed a fraction of what it was the day before. The team gel’d very well and we played strong. Continued to win our games and took first place honors in the elite division.

I’ve got to say someting… the reffing at Hell Survivors SPPL event was really, really good. Whether it’s scenarios, big games, tournaments or whatever game in paintball… quality reffing is the key. Krazy8, from the Irregulators, I believe was the head ref for this event. He runs a tight ship and did a great job… bravo to him and all the refs at this event.

Online announcement following Michigan Qualifier:  http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/paintball-news/51327-smart-corps-wins-elite-division-michigan-sppl-qualifier.html

It was an enjoyable weekend and the results were what any competitor would want, a win. We had now won both qualifiers, maxing out our possible points in both with a 200 total. The next event would be the most important, the biggest challenge and a chance at becoming SPPL Champions.

The 2008 World Championships… “Down but not out”.

The World Championships would be held at a field called Low Country Paintball http://www.locopaintball.com/ in Georgia. I had played a scenario event there a number of years ago and definitely liked the field. Billy, the owner, was a good guy and I was looking forward to making the trip. It was a rather flat field but had a mix of terrain… from thick to wooded but open, some swamp (area with water) when it rained :-), a few thick sections, some structures, bunkers, rows of pines and some roll’y area (my word) by a stream. It played nice for a scenario/big game event.

Wasn’t sure what part they would use for the SPPL, so I called/emailed around and talked with those that would know better than I. Found out what had been used for a qualifier and got a decent idea what to expect.

Same thing… trained and got ready for the event, don’t want to drag this “short story” out any more than it already has. One little twist though… those little angels (would use a different word but they might read it) that I teach got me sick before this one. Spent the last week and a half, before the event, resting from the middle school plague that I had contracted. Reminds me that I need to physically torture the little cherubs when I get to school tomorrow.

Got my travel arrangements and made the trip to land in Florida and then drove a couple hours north into the Georgia. My chauffeur, Frank Connell, drove us up to the field. Yes, I know I’m going to end up being left somewhere in the future. Franks daughter came with him to the event and I got to see a different side of him… a good father. Yes, I’m partially trying to make sure I don’t get left somehwere but it’s true none the less.

When we got to the field… the SPPL resident instigator, who I won’t mention (cough, cough… Jayson ) started mentioning how a number of teams said they were going to destroy us. This instigator had done this before and it was actually funny the expression he would wear while doing it. It was kind of a sideway look and a grin, obviously waiting for a response… and knowing that they hadn’t said half of what he said they were saying. My reply was, “We’ll do our best and see what happens”.

We had gotten to the field at different times, walked it separate at first and then quickly together later. The first field that we would play on looked really cool… nice underbrush and very interesting. I got goose bumps just walking it. The “Pine Row Field” (my name for it) seemed like it would be a real challenge with its big open lanes, clear bunkers and only partially thick woods on the one side.

Again, I won’t bore you with the “night before” socializing and eating. Same story, a fun time with some great guys. Slept and woke up.

The tournament started out for us as they had in the past, we played well and won convincingly. The plans we had made came together and everyone did there job. Up unti this point, Smart Corps/ Smart Parts had not lost a game in three years. Unfortunately, that was soon about to change. In the next game we were to go up against a group that I had the pleasure of eating with, at the field, the night before. A good group of guys. The team would be ForestFire, the field would be the “Pine Row Field”. Little did we know that this field would soon haunt us for the next two games, including against the Forest Demons. So what happened… hmmm… it’s simple these two teams beat us. I’m going to look in Paintball Sports February issue because this guy deserves to have his name mentioned. We were just about to get control of the swing base when an extremely sweet move was pulled. With Ezra keeping pressure on the swing base, Matt Friezell of Forest Fire  broke through our left flank… swung around and ended up back dooring most of the team. Bravo guys, beautiful job. Losing the swing base and being completely taken out, on a very open field, cost us dearly. We spent the rest of the game trying to catch up and nearly did, losing by 4 points. Congrats and good job to ForestFire for handing us our first loss.

The next game would be on that same lovely “Pine Row Field”, this time against the Forest Demons. We made a pretty even play for the swing base and seemed to be progressing, when I looked over to my left and saw a couple of our players leaving. I knew Ryan Moorhead had been in a really good spot and had some nice angles, I was surprised someone had taken him. I’m pretty sure that Craig “Fatty” Daugherty was the other guy that walked but I can’t remember for sure. The Demons were playing tight and well… eventually I was hit. When I got back to the box, I asked what had happened… we had seemed in a strong position. Ryan replied that the ref told him he was out and he thought it was a rocket. At least one other guy said the same. With three of the swing guys out, the flag went to there color. This situation pretty much repeated itself again when we were close to taking the swing. Several guys, throughout the game, reported being taken out by a rocket. Forest Demons were playing well and making good use of there LAW. We dropped the game to them and suffered our second loss. Congrats and good job, well played Forest Demons.

I was in the staging area after the game and someone came up to me and leaned on the table next to me. They said that it must suck that we lost and now have to play all these extra games if we even hope to get a chance at the finals. They seemed surprised when I said that this will show what the team is made of… that if we can’t beat them all, we don’t deserve to win anyway. He nodded and agreed. I’ve got to say that after the second loss, the guys were in a bit of an angry state… this is an understatment for those of you that don’t get the sarcasm. They wanted blood and wanted back at every team that was put in front of us. Not one of them wavored in the belief that we would still win, not one. If they did, I sure as heck didn’t see it. Frank Connell even said that he would give me his World Championship ring if we lost. Wow… If I had any doubts before about us winning, I now didn’t

It was going to be the long road back, we would have to play several extra games. They included the winner of Forest Fire vs. Black & Blue Krew, or at least I think that’s how it went. Either way we ended up facing ForestFire again, with the winner meeting Foest Demons (1st seed because of their record) in the finals. The field was to be the one that we played our first game of the tournement on. It was green and had nice underbrush. We came out strong and never looked back. A very solid win and a strong feeling heading into the finals.

In the finals, the Forest Demons would get to choose the field because of their top seed status… they picked the “Pine Row Field”. A smart move and one that made sense. They had taken it to us on that same terrain and I’m sure planned on doing it again. Immediately Smart Corps realized that we needed to utilize other options that were available to us on the field. The clean rows of Pine trees, big open lanes and distinct vertical face bunkers, made great targets for LAW rockets. Problem was, we didn’t have any. Failure to Flatline and Black Eagle Squadron offered the use of theirs. Since I had used LAWs, at times in many scenario games, I was the one who was chosen to carry our new friend. I spent the next half hour practacing shooting inflateable bunkers in the speedball field. From all different ranges, all different positions, popping up, out the side, standing on one foot (ok, maybe not) but pretty much every way I could think of. FTF’s launcher seemed more accurate of the two JCS launchers so it would be the one that I would use. I was pretty confident that I could hit anything at 3/4 the length of the speedball field, from any position… the full speedball field on the majority of shots. I also quickly realized that it was going to suck, carrying both the launcher and my marker.

We lined up at the start box and I could see how intense the guys were, there seemed to be no thought of losing in their eyes. At game on the team moved like a machine, each person making their spots. Carrying the marker and LAW was a pain and I had to leave the marker at bunkers, move ahead and then at times come back for it. The team played wonderfully and the results were what we wanted. A strong win and the fruits of that win… World Champions in the Elite/Pro Division and also Elite/Pro Division Series Champions.

I know this may sound corny but… you know that saying, “Adversity breeds success”? Looking back at this experience… I don’t think I would have wanted it to unfold any other way. The feeling of not giving up, pulling together and believing in ourselves… made up an important part of the experience for me.

I left this event with a tremendous amount of respect, not to say that I didn’t respect them before, for the guys that many on our side of the sport would not think too favorably of… tournament players. These guys wore camoflage Jerseys, painted some of their markers with camo patterns, Adam and Billy wore woodsball camo harnesses from back before most even played paintball… hell, Ryan Moorhead even wore goggleflage. It was a great feeling to have been picked to be on the team with and play alongside, top pro tournament players. To be part of Smart Corps/ Smart Parts and winning the 3rd World Championship… it still puts a smile on my face when I think about it. Thanks guys!

Playing the SPPL was definitely an enjoyable experience.

Online announcement following World Championships: http://www.pbuprising.com/invision/Smart-Corps-Crowned-Sppl-t18274.html

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