[SEB5th]

Of course you can go to college and play paintball, thats not the point.

When you study in college it's not like highschool where you just go to classes and then do your homework for the next day. In college, you are learning what will be your future career in life. Knowing people, making contacts, maybe study a few years in an other country etc..

And this can also apply for any job you want to make a living. You need the same "extra" investment if you want to succeed.

This "extra" investment is very hard to combine with a professional paintball career.

I'm not saying it's impossible to achieve but it's a Big and risky challenge.

[K1NGofTH3farW3ST]

College works great around the schedule of competitive paintball.

if you plan on going pro or wanting to go pro, you need to know the obligations-thousands of dollars in hotels, traveling to scrim other pro teams, traveling to tournaments, basically obligating ten of the twelve months in the year to a paintball concentric lifestyle. if you want to get there, play every weekend with a team and get good, get playing upper divisional national turneys then get try to get picked up. its not impossible but it sure as hell wont happen overnight

[sonicx059]

K1NGofTH3farW3ST, on 01 November 2012 - 04:31 PM, said:

College works great around the schedule of competitive paintball.

if you plan on going pro or wanting to go pro, you need to know the obligations-thousands of dollars in hotels, traveling to scrim other pro teams, traveling to tournaments, basically obligating ten of the twelve months in the year to a paintball concentric lifestyle. if you want to get there, play every weekend with a team and get good, get playing upper divisional national turneys then get try to get picked up. its not impossible but it sure as hell wont happen overnight

I play paintball every weekend, unless I have a fractured ankle(played every other weekend). I have a full-time job so I pay for all my own gear. So if I can find 9 other people who has the time and money then I have the possibility of starting a team or even the possibility, "dare I say it", go pro... One day in the next 10 years or so?

[NJC]

you will start in d5 and then you will play national tournaments. i would get picked up by an established team than trying to start a new one. then you play and play and play and play until you get enough points to move up to D1, then you win a couple events decisively and maybe you will go pro. maybe if you can get the sponsorships and cash to do it

[TheGuy]

Distortion_UK, on 29 October 2012 - 09:22 PM, said:

Money . That is all you need I can assure you.

.

If you can afford to play a lot you get better, same with your team. With enough tournament experience, practice, and truck of money to back it up I bet any team could go pro.

[PainX10]

hmm... seems legit, i think ill just keep playing occasionaly until im about 25 and then when i have money and can take more time off i will give it my all

[cybermaniac15]

Well you can start now, just start slow..

[NJC]

just start in D5 until you start dominating then you move up till you dominate, then repeat

[misterkyle]

PainX10, on 29 October 2012 - 11:51 AM, said:

i know this, im just planning ahead. planning ahead has got me graduating college at age 17, it works lol

graduating college at 17?!

[Kirko017]

K1NGofTH3farW3ST, on 01 November 2012 - 04:31 PM, said:

College works great around the schedule of competitive paintball.

if you plan on going pro or wanting to go pro, you need to know the obligations-thousands of dollars in hotels, traveling to scrim other pro teams, traveling to tournaments, basically obligating ten of the twelve months in the year to a paintball concentric lifestyle. if you want to get there, play every weekend with a team and get good, get playing upper divisional national turneys then get try to get picked up. its not impossible but it sure as hell wont happen overnight

Whoever told you that, lied.

You need money to play paintball. To have money, you need a job. If you're attending college, you are probably going to be a full-time student. If your major isn't bogus, you are going to be very limited on time to work. You only have so much time during the week. If you plan to make time for class, studying, having some girls, and having any kind of social life. You're not going to be working much. Probably working 20hrs a week at some near minimum wage job unless you're lucky but most are not.. So basically you're not going to have much extra money to pay for paintball, unless momma and poppa are paying for all your bills and expenses or you got school loans out the ass and you're using your refund checks to pay for shit which is a bad decision for later in life...

TheGuy, on 02 November 2012 - 09:37 PM, said:

Distortion_UK, on 29 October 2012 - 09:22 PM, said:

Money . That is all you need I can assure you.

.

If you can afford to play a lot you get better, same with your team. With enough tournament experience, practice, and truck of money to back it up I bet any team could go pro.

Definitely money is a deciding factor. Perfect Example: Vicious

To OP: Go to local fields that have tournament teams. Try and get on a D5 team. Learn, get better. Play in tournaments, get experience, get better. Work your way into the National tournament scene. Play. Do well. Work your way up to a D2/D1 team and play well. Win a lot and get recognized by Pro Teams. Start going to fields Pros practice at. Practice against them, let them see your talent. If a spot opens up on their roster they'll pick you up if they like how you play. Or win D1 and go Pro with a team you are already on.

This post has been edited by Kirko017: 22 November 2012 - 02:54 AM

[PandasEverywhere]

For all the guys saying he has to start in D5 you are not being 100% honest. I know most people start there but for all we know the op could actually be a good player that has never looked into tourny ball. As crazy as it sounds I do know people who can beat D4 players pretty soundly. If you are a decent player then do not be scared to tryout for teams that are D4 or D3 even. Pretty much one thing that I have realized is this:
D5-beginner and local events are usually this
D4-Generally seems like this is where you begin serious practices where you're practicing the essential skills
D3-D4 to D3 is a pretty big jump overall. D3 is where you can tell if someone is honestly talented enough to go pro or if they will just stick to divisional playing
D2-It's time to start investing 3 days a week to your team for practices and start enjoying lots of sleeper vans
D1-Congrats, you are a semi-pro. If you made it here you are refining your skills for pro.
Pro-you will be playing 4-6 days a week, you will do conditioning if you did not already start that. Paintball is a tax write off

This post has been edited by PandasEverywhere: 23 January 2013 - 04:58 PM

[Dave1234]

http://www.paintball...ofessional.html

[crich775]

Playing at a high level is all about money, Any shmuck with money to blow can get his friends and buy his way into a tournament. However most people don't have that money, so they grind away to get to a team to assist them in paying, that's where skill comes in. Also, planning does work good sir, it landed me getting my second degree currently at 20.

[NJC]

PandasEverywhere, on 22 January 2013 - 10:04 PM, said:

For all the guys saying he has to start in D5 you are not being 100% honest. I know most people start there but for all we know the op could actually be a good player that has never looked into tourny ball. As crazy as it sounds I do know people who can beat D4 players pretty soundly. If you are a decent player then do not be scared to tryout for teams that are D4 or D3 even. Pretty much one thing that I have realized is this:
D5-beginner and local events are usually this
D4-Generally seems like this is where you begin serious practices where you're practicing the essential skills
D3-D4 to D3 is a pretty big jump overall. D3 is where you can tell if someone is honestly talented enough to go pro or if they will just stick to divisional playing
D2-It's time to start investing 3 days a week to your team for practices and start enjoying lots of sleeper vans
D1-Congrats, you are a semi-pro. If you made it here you are refining your skills for pro.
Pro-you will be playing 4-6 days a week, you will do conditioning if you did not already start that. Paintball is a tax write off

i assure you. a year in D5 if you have never played a tournament is much more than reasonable...