Thread of the Week: What are the Big Heads looking for?

J. Stein · 10-01-2009, 12:38 PM

I'd love to finish the season off with a bang... but I just don't have the balls to post something really incindiary. But I'm thinking it....

So, instead, I thought I'd go for some lighter fare:

This is a question for team owners and captains of teams in NE (primarily, but not limited to that group). I don't care if it is NEPL, NEXL, AXBL, Fox4, whatever. Local team owners/captains/managers.

"What are you looking for when you look at players? What matters to you? What doesn't? What turns you on or turns you off?"

Let's see if anyone gives up some info without my having to email them.

ctpaintballa42 · 10-01-2009, 12:58 PM

Well I am in no way a captain, but when we are looking for talent for our team or our other mxl/rxl teams I look for:
1. Raw skill- some people have it and it will progress as you work with it. Athleticism to some extent.
2. Dedication- Is he there every sunday? does he come up with excuses why he missed practice?
3. Attitude- will he bring my team up? is he a leader for our younger programs?

What does not matter to me, what you wear, as long as your shooting people and being committed, it does not matter.

bmoney003 · 10-01-2009, 01:34 PM

coachability

Seekey · 10-01-2009, 01:39 PM

Availabilty:
Does the player have the ability or opertunity to keep up with the program we run. Some players cant practice 2 times a week like we do. School/Work/Family whatever usually rules out a lot of players.

Attitude:
A drama queen, sour puss, lazy, crybaby whatever wont be playing with a Lobsters jersey on. We keep things chill and focused. Joke around and have a good time. If sombodys a buzz kill because they go ballistic every time they thing sombody cheated against them they dont work. Also as Brian posted above me. They have to be willing to learn. Keep and open mind. Nobody is the best at everything. If you get pissed everytime sombody corrects you youll have a hard time getting better.

Work Ethic:
It really bothers me when people dont pull their weight. With a divisional team you gotta work for it. If you want somthing and you dont want to pay for it your gonna be working or somthing. If it comes to cleaning fields or hanging nets. If you got a guy dragging *** or just a chatty kathy not doing **** it murders your team. However if you get a guy who busts his *** it inspires the whole team. You have to work harder to keep up with him because you dont want to look like a chump.

Skill:
Somthing I feel can be developed especially in our program. We run a pretty aggresive practice sched. If sombody has great ability then it gives them a leg up however I wont sacrifice the others just to get some phemon because it just screws up the rest of the team. Im sure I will run into next year where we will be in a higher division and it will be much more dificult to keep up without more expierence.

Equipment:
I just want the guy to be able to throw a lane and not have his stuff break down. I dont care if its a Ion and a $25 used halo and a 72/3k steely. If he can play with it and do his job great. I hate it when sombody doesnt know how to fix their own ****. We dont have a traveling tech with us (well I guess thats me >_<")

What are the big things you look for Jeff?

trogdor444 · 10-01-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmoney003

coachability

that is truly a tough find these days, but you couldnt be more correct

cjlovi · 10-01-2009, 04:03 PM

What Seeky Posted.

Coachability

Players that listen and not think they know better than you. If they do I sure as hell listen. That's a two way street. Just as much a Coach/Managers responsibility as it is the players.

Don't need wannabe All Stars. If one player is better than others I expect him to share and teach their skills to the others.

No attitude issues. No room for it. You lose a match you learn from it and move on to the next. No temper tantrums with the reffs. No throwing equipment. No arguing.

Honesty/Integrity and the Will to adapt, overcome and learn.

Xaerak · 10-10-2009, 09:44 AM

Cuteness, I look for cuteness

NECanes Coach · 10-10-2009, 07:57 PM

Desire
Proper Attitude (Connected to coach-ability)
Potential
Talent
Ability/Skill (Wild-card)

Desire, attitude, and potential will draw attention.

Talent can get you looked at thought you are lacking in the first three, but you may not be able to hold it together mentally.

The ability to compete at the highest level will get you on some teams, though you are a total pain in the ***.

Finding a player with all of these is almost a pipe dream, but you should always aim high.

danbob1088 · 10-11-2009, 11:25 PM

D.A.,

What do you define as the difference between talent and ability/skill? Talent being your potential, ability/skill your current level?

J. Stein · 10-12-2009, 05:50 AM

Well, if that's the case, what then would be the difference between Talent and Potential?

danbob1088 · 10-12-2009, 08:15 AM

I don't know, thats why I am curious. Talent can go to either side of that.

cjlovi · 10-12-2009, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NECanes Coach

Desire
Proper Attitude (Connected to coach-ability)
Potential
Talent
Ability/Skill (Wild-card)

Desire, attitude, and potential will draw attention.

Finding a player with all of these is almost a pipe dream, but you should always aim high.

The "Pipe Dream" is in front of you! Open your mind and your "Field" of view and you'll find "Vicious" players amongst the lower ranks! Their there. They just need someone to say "You Have Potential."

Their the ones that will bring NEH back to #01!

painter4life05 · 10-12-2009, 10:18 PM

I am not a team captain but one thing I ask or look into is past team relations. Like did you leave your team because the fell apart (no control over) or get kicked off (fighting, stealing, all around jerk).

J. Stein · 10-13-2009, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjlovi

The "Pipe Dream" is in front of you! Open your mind and your "Field" of view and you'll find "Vicious" players amongst the lower ranks! Their there. They just need someone to say "You Have Potential."

Their the ones that will bring NEH back to #01!

I'm sorry, I'm a bit of a ******* when it comes to innuendo and implied statements.

When you put words in quotes above (Field, Vicious) is that because there's some double entendre (and for the record, I did go back to that other thread to see how to sepll entendre) or were you just, like, trying out different keys and ****? Cause if it's the first, I don't get it. PM me or something.

(Reminds me of way back when Rico used to do the "quote / unquote" thing with his fingers when he spoke without really knowing what it was for. So he'd be like, "well, the other "day" Brian said he meant to call you about rides to practice". And I'd be thinking "why the hell did you quote/unquote day? I can see "meant" maybe even "rides to practice", although that's a stretch, but "day"? Wtf...")

Devastation · 10-14-2009, 06:08 PM

i think new england paintball has potential to have alot of top teams but we dont see that at all....the talent is there but it seems everyone is very clicky...everyone seems to be in with there own group of buddys and want it to stay that way even if it means not being as good as a team can be...if your a decent team but have maybe 2-3 guys who could be replaced with better guys you arent willing to do that because you are friends with those 3 guys....in the end paintball is just a game and most of us do it for fun but we will never be at the level of the west coast teams...they do things much differently out there then we do here...just my .02

J. Stein · 10-14-2009, 07:25 PM

Why do you think they are so different out west?

NECanes Coach · 10-14-2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danbob1088

D.A.,

What do you define as the difference between talent and ability/skill? Talent being your potential, ability/skill your current level?

When I say Talent, I mean a player who can do amazing things on the field.

Shoot the wings off a fly at 50 ft with his eyes closed = Talent.

Ability is different. There are players who just don't really do anything amazing, but they have the "ability" to get G's. They play paintball at a very high level.

My point was to break down the parts of a player. If you only fit one category then I would not want you. I am sure we can think of very talented players, or very solid players who can play, but you wouldn't want any of them on your team.

I hope that is not too confusing.

danbob1088 · 10-14-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NECanes Coach

When I say Talent, I mean a player who can do amazing things on the field.

Shoot the wings off a fly at 50 ft with his eyes closed = Talent.

Ability is different. There are players who just don't really do anything amazing, but they have the "ability" to get G's. They play paintball at a very high level.

My point was to break down the parts of a player. If you only fit one category then I would not want you. I am sure we can think of very talented players, or very solid players who can play, but you wouldn't want any of them on your team.

I hope that is not too confusing.

Not too confusing at all. Thanks for the clarification.

**sumorai** · 10-14-2009, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Stein

Why do you think they are so different out west?

I think it's primarily these two items:

1. Plenty of high caliber teams to practice.

2. Better weather / ability to practice outdoors year-round.

Devastation · 10-14-2009, 08:15 PM

I think they are more serious about paintball out west... They treat it like a buisness not just a social fun thing to do as it seems most do here.. They drill constantly, I barely see teams drill at all here.. That is how you bring players up. Having someone who has been around the game a long time showing these kids how to play tight, snap shoot, run an gun, lane. These kids are mostly learning these skills based off what they see on YouTube. There just isn't much structure. The patriots for example spend 10x more time practicing/doing drills then acctually playing... It's all about preparation and all the teams do around here is play.. Just playing paintball isn't enough to be the best.. It's called hard god damn work and doing things that at times don't seem to be Fun at all.. But then it comes down to desire and wanting the be the absolute best which I also believe teams lack around here... The I play paintball just cause it's fun mentality will never breed a top notch team but I guess at the end of the day if you can say I had a great time then that's good too... I just feel teams out west have the I want to be the best in the world mentality and that's why they are the best.. Again this is only my opinion.

MT_BlueReign8 · 10-14-2009, 10:54 PM

Pretty much what everyone else has said is what I want in players on my team.

Coachable, Ability to do what is needed/ or learn to do it, BUT I also want them to have the desire to win. If you are not on the field to win or learn from our losses we will never get to the level we all want to be at.