Ever since Pacific Paintball made the announcement that they were closing the NPPL’s doors, the internet forums and blogs have been going wonky with discussions, suggestions, flame-baiting and near-slanderous remarks over what will be happening, where they’ll be playing, which new league players will attend and how all of this is going to either cause the downfall of western civilization – or save the country from the (technical) recession it is experiencing.
First, a little updating:
Shawn Walker, formerly of the NPPL & XPSL, has apparently teamed with Evan Mony to form the ‘Regional Paintball League’ (RPL), which will be a West-Coast series at least somewhat modelled on the XPSL.
Brian Barno of the GPL has announced plans to expand that East Coast league into a national effort and is – according to rumor – seeking out other regional series to work with.
Other individuals have announced the WCPPL, another west coast 7 player effort
Lane Wright of the PSPhas announced changes and some small degree of re-formulation to that league in order to address and accommodate the market as it is now – with lots of discussion amongst affected teams and players taking place on Paintball Reserve.
No doubt there are several other existing leagues and or new efforts in the works, engendered by what many see as an opportunity to take advantage of a cleared field, not the least among them persistent rumours that Smart Parts is going to purchase the NPPL brand and do something with it.
Homily Time: This has happened before. It is a symptom of the industry’s penchant for looking inwards, rather than outwards. It is always easier to try and make a buck off of something that’s familiar, rather than to try and create something new.
The fact that in previous years the collapse of an industry entity has led to the unbridled creation of look-a-likes – most of which have failed – does not necessarily mean that repeats of such activity are also damned to failure, but it does point out the tendency of most in the industry to copy rather than innovate.
It also points out the industry’s insistence that the only way to be successful is to create your own thing – whether someone has gone there before or not.
Don’t get me wrong: if the marketplace says that it wants multiple leagues (which it seems to be doing), then the market will get multiple leagues, regardless of whether doing so is economically advisable or not. It will also get the following along with multiple leagues:
multiple player registration systems
multiple rules systems
multiple technological standards
multiple reffing standards
multiple drains on sponsor resources
multiple drains on player resources
multiple purchases of kit & equipment that increase operating expenses
multiple industry ‘faces’, each vying for the attention of outside sponsors/partners/dollars (and each often working to the detriment of their competitors)
oodles of energy wasted on arguing over which is the best, which is truly pro, which should be THE ONE.
And a host of other multiples that no doubt exist.
The solution, of course, is an obvious one, while the technical aspects of implementing that solution has proven (at least so far) to be beyond the grasp of the industry.
That solution is one league, or rather, a ‘sporting entity’ that encompasses all league efforts, rules, outside industry access, self-promotion, operations and etc.
The PSP has triumphed in the Darwinian struggle that was national tournament play. The original national league was formed, at least in part, for the EXPRESS PURPOSE OF PREVENTING TOURNAMENT PLAY FROM DEVOLVING INTO REGIONAL ONLY PLAY.
Regional only play is technically bad for a few reasons, such as – dissolution of the community, non-conformity of standards, loss of a large and impressive marketing entity, etc.
So, if what we have is PSP, than so be it. Let’s take what we have and try something relatively ‘new’ for a change. Let’s try to encourage PSP to work with these other entities to create an umbrella under which some form of unification, standardization and representation of the sport can be created.
The PSTAhas a stake in this. They are purportedly the entity that represents the sponsors, so let them represent. This organization is the only such body in the industry that has the effective leverage to insist on change. Supporting multiple leagues is obviously beyond the ability of the industry (no fault of theirs, just a fact of life) – but making the decision as to who and what to support has also been beyond them. This is understandable due to paintball’s very (unfortunate) incestuous relationship with itself (companies that own teams that endorse product that own leagues or franchises that…).
This is the reality, however. Sleeping with its own sister has proven not to be a detriment to the growth and success of the industry as a whole. Again, so be it. Who are we to point fingers at someone or something that’s sleeping with someone – anyone – as long as we’re all still just playing with ourselves?
Let us therefore work within the confines of what has already proven to work – however limpingly, ineffectively and slowly that may be. Progress is progress, whether measured in inches or in miles.
After 27 years, it is time to leave kindergarten behind. A childhood that lasts for nearly three decades is not cute – it is retardation.
Everyone has a stake and everyone – from the corporate ceo to the first time player – can contribute to the solution.
The first step would be for the PSTA – to place a cap on the amount of support that its member companies will extend to events – be they tournament, scenario or anything else.
I only single out PSTA because it is the body representing the largest number of industry interests. If someone else with the clout to swing such a cap is out there, please join the party.
Given the economic climate, this really ought to be an easy thing to do. I know it won’t be – teams will be whispering in the ears of their teammate/sponsors/owners – but the voices of the bigger picture of corporate survival should be speaking more loudly at this time.
The second thing the PSTA should do is lay out a set of standards that are the minimum requirements that are applicable for obtaining their support.
The third thing is for the PSTA to endorse the only existing national competition entities as the conduit through which the support shall flow (PSP in the case of tournaments, some appropriate org on the scenario side) – but
only after setting the ground rules under which those organizations will work with and support any other entity that is willing to step up to the standards.
And one of those standards must be a component that focuses on regular play, introducing the game to the public and supporting the grass roots.
Work with what you have while at the same time encouraging and supporting the change needed to create opportunities for success – for anyone who wants to step up to the bar.
This does not mean that every tournament will have to use PSP rules, or APPA player registration, or hire PSP officials or rent PSP equipment. Regional leagues should be able to offer their customers what their customers are asking for.
But what it will do is place each and every such entity on notice that they will have to conduct their operations in a fiscally responsible manner and, furthermore, in a manner that the industry as a whole can support.
Because the industry can no longer afford to support ‘bad’ efforts (and I am most specifically not referring to any league entity – past, present or future in saying that). In the current climate, ‘bad’ efforts are operations that drain money, talent and customers away from sustainable operations and into non-sustainable ones. Imagine, if you will, the local state of affairs if every local event that limped along on meager staff, poor facilities and the attendance of 7 five player teams were, instead, to send those same 7 teams to a single event.
Such events, despite the best efforts of some very fine people, do nothing but take revenue away from the big picture and, perhaps more damaging than anything else, often turn potential customers off of participation.
It would be far more effective to use larger events to support those local fields (who usually only host events for two reasons – a vain attempt to up their own revenue and/or to give their local teams practice/experience or a cheap event) and encourage them to take the marketing and advertising benefits in exchange for encouraging their small group of teams to attend those larger events.
Of course, the mechanism for such trickle down benefits to local operations will have to be built in to the equation up front – part of the standards mentioned earlier. Perhaps such could consist of as little as a reserved place at the trade show for local businesses, special discounts from manufacturers for the same and an entry fee discount for any teams they bring to the table.
What about the other leagues – especially the other ones vying for national status? Embrace them. Bring them into the fold. So long as they are traveling in the same direction, let them do their thing. The beauty of working together is that as time goes by, they will all begin to influence each other. The good ideas will rise to the top. The effective managers and operaters will find a home. If there is a market for X-Ball, X-Ball Lite, Seven man, Five man and Three man ball, (and there is) the only way to be in touch with all of those market segments is to either offer them all at a single series(which is proving to be prohibitively expensive and logistically impractical at this time) or work with the entities who are servicing those segments.
The same is true for scenario ball; some folks want 12 hour games, some 24, some want a league structure and an on-going series, others don’t. No one is capable of servicing all of them.
The only other strategy available is for those who think they have the moxy to survive as separate and individual entities is to wait for their competition to strangle and die and hope that no one else comes along to fill the void.
Take a look. That hasn’t happened once in past 27 years. What makes anyone think it’s ever going to happen?
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