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Save Paintball Interview with Nicky Cuba
Pro Paintball player Nicky Cuba recently sat down with SavePaintball.org and answered several questions regarding the sport and most importantly, the state of paintball. Its always interesting to hear the thoughts an opinions of a pro paintball player on where they see the sport going and ideas in which we can promote paintball.
The video raised a valid question, one which each one of us should be asking ourselves. How are you an ambassador of paintball? We would really like to hear what your doing to promote and introduce the game to new paintball players. Sound off in the comments below!
This article was authored by Justin – who has written 876 paintball news and gear articles.
Justin was introduced to the game of paintball in ’96. Since then, he has been actively involved in promoting and playing in recreational and tournament paintball.
17 Comments
Who is Savepaintball.org?
I like the question, propaintball.
I try to take at least 1-2 people every month or so to play rec ball. I recruit newbies from the office, or neighbors, or friends and what not. They are typically hesitant until they realize we are all on the same team and then its easy street. Well, until they shoot the luxe and then they wont give it up. :)
Lots of fun though. Lots of stress and paintball politics on the turf fields these days so when I get the chance to hide out in the woods and snipe people with my old cocker’s I really enjoy it.
Church and work outings are great ways to get people interested in the game. Also, for people in school, bring it up to your class mates every once in a while and try to take a big trip out to your local field. The more people that get exposed to it, the more people will see the heart given to the game and they will grasp just how people really get sucked into the game.
Yah Church groups for sure..ours goes twice a year and everyone digs it.
We just need to get more people to play so that they don’t rag on us for being a “militia” sport. If you have friends, take them out sometime. If you have a formal group, take them out; maybe even talk to your local field about starting a fundraiser and let the local media know. Those who don’t like it will at least respect it for not being a bunch of shoot-em-up nutjobs, and those who do like it will bring more money into the sport. Aside form that, we also need to find some way to keep vandals from using paintball markers.
Personally, I think that X-ball could be televised live if somebody would do it. Show the point-by-point competitions live, advertise, bring in more money, spend it on bringing the viewing quality close to that of mainstream sports, then use the rest of the money on bettering the sport. Once we’ve got that going, we have a steady stream of cash to operate off of.
I think if you guys really want to make change for our sport and “save” it, we need to look inward. Don’t act like spoiled children and disruptive idiots. Have fun playing the game and enjoy yourself on and off the field. However when your actions cause civil disobedience, property damage, and drunken conduct you basically reinforce the negative image of paintballers. The gun image will be with us forever, since that is part of the game. Just do your part to not add to the negativity that people think of when they see you. You can bring friends to fields and invite them to play, but take responsibility for yourself and be an ambassador for the game and not a detriment.
Just ask yourself if you are a help or a hindrance to making paintball better.
-John
Center50 Films
This interview was a joke. Here is a way to save the sport. Find people to interview that have at least an I.Q. of 100 and are not high. Then FEED THEM THE QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE! that way they can be prepared to answer the questions.
i try to coach the younger, less experinced teams at the field where i started playing tournaments at.
save paintball will never work and it’s actually a plot created by a couple broke kids to make some money off “supporters.” huge scam trying to take advantage of a downed spor
This is totally a scam. Over the last 2 years, the recession hit the industry hard, and sponsorships have dropped.
The Pro players which supposedly people all look up to can no longer loaft around all day, party at night and shoot their guns on weekends. Now that companies like KEE/Dye/Smart Parts are gonna coddle them anymore, Pros are throwing a hissy fit, as the sponsoring companies value the consumer rather than them (which how it should be)
Looks like the pros are banding together in a last ditch effort for a free ride, as they recognize if they dont do something to stimulate a new generation of kids who want to pay for their bar tabs, and rent money
Drop the Peter Pan complex and start bagging my fucking groceries. because clearly, Nicky Cuba has an IQ of a peanut, and outside of the paintball world, is just another nobody without an education. Get over yourself, people dont respect you outside of your circles.
This isnt the case with all Pros as some have left the game to pursue a real career.
Posting from my corner office with a view
-Wise to your bullshit
This is a scam – I really wish you had some positive things to say, but I’ll compliment the fact that your response is well written and completely hilarious.
ditto–> that idiot needs to go back to long island or where ever in NY he is from!
Hate to criticize, and really love the goal here (great questions btw), but this video seems half hearted. Two minutes in, I wanted to turn it off, but listened anyway to hear the messages because I care about the sport. All I hear is “I” “I” “I” and some uninteresting responses though, and didn’t learn what I can do to save the sport at all. WE are all in this together, WE all need to take the commitment to bring positive light to the sport, and WE are all ambassadors of the great sport of paintball.
Where would I be without paintball? My closest friends, my second family, all come to me from paintball. My characteristics, my lifestyle, my current direction in life – was really shaped by paintball over the last 15 years. Without paintball, I would not be a leader, a team player, a hands on individual, or as knowledgeable as I am today. I wouldn’t have gone to the college I did, had as much fun there as I did, or started my own business – without my involvement in paintball. Never having played above D3, I wish a pro player could say something a little closer to the heart than a message that sounds like “I got paid to fly around the world and play the game”.
Anyone that tells you they’ve played, don’t judge their dated gear or laugh at their “nooby” experience. Hear out their stories, as rec-ball as they may be, it’s the stories they remember that are positive that they will reflect on when they think of the sport and playing again. Compliment the story, or give positive affirmation, so they smile and don’t feel like a noob but instead want to play again. Give them guidance or go out and play with them, lend them your gun for the day so they can see what top of the line gear is like. Do one on one drills with them so they know how to become a better player, and let them know some of the exercises they can do at home that will vastly improve their game.
Talking to people into sports? Feed them some of paintballs unique terminology and common plays while looking at a field layout. I don’t understand football plays, but love to see the X’s and O’s of what they players are trying to accomplish, it shows dedication and much more thought to the game then simply catching a pig skin. Paintball is no different, we all know we do exercises to prepare, memorize field layouts and call signs, and have standards like O’s and G counts. Our fields are grated perfectly flat, laid with football or soccer turf, with our own unique ‘bunkers’ developed specifically for the sport. And the layout, the layout is key! People can’t watch what they don’t understand, but if they’re watching the back player thinking “Back center shouldn’t have his gun down, why is he not shooting? He’s dropping the ball on snake side! Oh no, we lost back left, no ones watching the snake tape! ” then boom, an opponent moves runs down your snake player then takes out two more G’s across the field. Now I’m sucked into this match! Oh noes my guys blew it, but I know why! Paintball is professional in that it has it’s own sub-system, classes, language, and plays. But if no one realizes that, they mistake us for running through the woods like hooligans.
And not that running through the woods isn’t fun, let them know there is rec ball and woods ball, on it’s own class, that is a TON of fun. It’s important that tournament ball be taken seriously though, and understand the commitment and work involved to get to the Pro (or even D1) level. The prices paid for a pro spot, and bureaucracy involved between leagues, it’s very irrelevant in the big picture.
nicky, why are you sunburnt? you look stoned…
To be honest I think paintball is going to be making a big comeback. I bought my new paintball gun through Airsplat.com (BTW they just started selling paintball guns so check it out) and all my friends have decided to get back in it.
Keep the sport alive!
heres the thing, all of you people that are saying take your friends out and expose them to paintball are in the right and wrong mindset. Obviously thats one of the main things to do to get people into the sport, BUT, the main thing holding most of the people i talk to back is the cost. no one these days wants to blow aound 50 bucks to play. If paintball turned into a less expensive sport i think it would have a lot more people interested in it. Its not just getting more people to play, its doing something about it so they can play. less money to play=more exposure=more people playing=SAVE PAINTBALL
Actually now is the best time to play. Everything is so cheap. You can get great gear off of ebay. The only thing is you can’t run around with all those fancy full autos spending hundreds on paintballs, or just tone it back like i do. Wallmart by me is selling 20 oz tanks for 13 bucks, and visible impact paintballs for $30 for 2000ct. They are decent so everyone has fun. Paintball is not going anywhere. Maybe it’s better if all these pro people bite the dust. Thats what made it get too big too fast anyway. lets have it come back small again. Like the days when you carried a nelspot 007 or PGP and held a VM68 with a dye barrel. where the people who want to play can, and who cares what anyone else thinks. As long as there is beer and scuba diving, we will alway have a means to propell that paintball. And there are too many gel-encapsulating machines out there is the world to run out of paintballs. So we are set. Just sit back and enjoy the lower prices. better to be out of the lime light. This way no law will come out taking my fun away.