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| Wildwoodz |
 Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:53 pm |
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Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 670
Location: Black Isle Nr Inverness
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Hello Everyone,
Been reading the committe thread and thought it best if i wade in with some info...
Before i start i'd like to make it clear that although i'm instrumental in helping get this off the ground, i'm keen to avoid a conflict of interest with my ownership of Wildwoodz. I didnt want to be on the committee if possible but obviously wer're at the stage where someone's got to take it on or it wont get going. As soon as HiTPA's standing on its feet it would be best for everyone if i came off the committee.
The Idea for HiTPA has been in mothballs for 3 years now - if any of you still have the old Wildwoodz forum address in you're favourites you'll see the address bar contains a HiTPA location. Nik can verify this if anyone thinks i'm bullshi**ing - he set the original forum up - not me! Its come to the fore for several reasons not the least of which being that now feels like the right people at the right time.
What are the goals? Quite simply to legitamise tournament paintball as a sport, bring more people to the sport and hopefully access funding to assist them in playing the game as a sport. We've all seen what shorty's managed to achieve with his forces funding - paintball utopia!
My feeling is that for paintball to get accepted by the mainstream it needs sport recognition. This has been the goal in the paintball community for many years and has become a bit of an urban legend - i think it can be done.
Ive been talking to many paintball and non-paintball people over the last year and with their help and agreement have drawn some simple conclusions..
1. Paintball needs to have a recognised coaching system. At the moment any Tom Dick or Harry can Claim to be qualified to teach paintball play. There's no way of telling who can and who cant - sure there's some talented individuals out there with great experience but the way it comes across isnt proffessional or structured with clear goals and standards.
2. Paintball needs to do more than pay lip service to the fitness aspect. It wont get sport status without that - guarantee it. The sports council people that have been to Wildwoodz are impressed with the skills based training but not the lack of fitness coaching. HiTPA already has a fitness coach - there's something no-one else new....
3. Once it's a sport - clubs are elidgible for funding.
Scuba Diving Clubs, Ultimate frisbee (suprisingly athletic) all get money in grants to help with training and attending events. The highlands has money available to help get over the logistical problems caused by where we live.
Hence the name Highland Tournament Paintball Association - not to piss anyone off or be grandoise but to make it easy for outsiders looking in. It'll be open to people from the Highlands. Could have called it Inverness but it doesnt cover half the people likely to be in it.
HiTPA is not looking to compete with UKPSF, the Aberdeen Paintball federation or anything else - its a members organisation for tournament players from the Highlands - get over it!
4. Supair paintball is by far the easiest vehicle to use in getting sport recognition.
No disrespect to woodsballers whatsoever here - i played in the woods for nearly 20 years at ALL levels of the game - its the grass roots of paintball and i make my living from it - i'm not looking to alienate woodsballers in any form.
Paintball in the woods is a game. Paintball on supair fields is sport (in the right context). i.e. camo clothing and rental gear on a supair field does not a sport make.
We have to address the image issues here before things get out of hand. Tournament paintball (supair) is more likely to succeed because like it or not its more PC than woodsball. Now i'm aware that not all woodsballers wear camo or use replica guns and even that woodsball tournaments exist (god know ive played enough in my time). HiTPA is aiming to use Tournament Paintball to achieve its goals. HiTPA is primarily aimed at supair players. Anyone that doesnt want to play on supair pitches should consider seting up their own organisation - its not what HiTPA's for quite simply.
However.....
Obviously Paintball the game is rooted in the woods - (as a sport it's moved on). HiTPA (and bear in mind i'm speaking from my own opinions here - not the other comittee members) obviously will not deter anyone from playing woodsball. We'll be using woodsball to help the natural progression of the tournament players - its just that our goals are centred around the tournament arena. There will be a natural division of people that try supair play and decide to stick to the woods so both 'camps' will benefit from new regular players whatever their preference. Maybe a precursor to Supair tournaments should be woodland tournaments for new teams?? Need some serious organising and loads of reffs 
If that's what the committee decides is the best way to achieve our goals then thats the way we'll try it.
Jesus - what am i saying? I dont want to give the impression of a great divide. Play wherever makes you happy and be proud of it. HiTPA goals will be centered around tournament paintball played on a supair pitch - i dont think we need to apologise for that.
Some people need to get off their high horses and stop taking everything so personally and literally. You dont need to publish personal justification on the net as to why you're not getting involved - an announcement by the Chairman that he's not happy with the uptake is just that - aimed at no-one in particular!
We're not expecting everyone from Aberdeen to join (is Aberdeen officially part of the Highlands?) We're not expecting the Lossie guys to join (they have it good with RAF funding) but if you're into supair based tournamentpaintball and you're from the highlands or play in the highlands - then you're more than welcome. |
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Dave Elliott - Playing Paintball since 1984! |
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| Sean Bean |
| Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 6:07 pm |
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Joined: 05 Aug 2008
Posts: 145
Location: Anywhere that get's me a good view of Richard's sister
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Thanks for getting it all in writing Dave dude, surely ti f**k that makes everything as clear as day!  |
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| Farquhar |
| Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 6:42 pm |
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Joined: 04 Aug 2008
Posts: 355
Location: Cowering behind a bunker somewhere...
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Well that explains a lot  |
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Like a pixie with a throat infection. |
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| Shorty |
| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:22 pm |
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Joined: 25 Mar 2009
Posts: 45
Location: Elgin
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| Daves right there is money available for sport, but to get it you have to prove your a sport, to do that you need a focus point. Iam having the same battle trying to make an RAF Paintball Association. Somebody has to do it, get behind these guys. Before i get flamed, yes I know there are other associations out there. |
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| The Machine Gun Whittock |
| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:25 pm |
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Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 21
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ya that clears things up cheers  |
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PREPARE TO MEET THY MARKER |
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| gambo |
| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:37 pm |
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Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 718
Location: Tomich,Ross-shire, Scotland, Earth
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| Well i have been giving this a lot of thought and I might be happy to be onboard after all.. Will have to chat to dave aboot it first.. |
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I'll play till I can't |
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