When is a Pro a Pro???

[flying Dutchman]

A team just won one our indoor tourneys. It was a small event but they took home about $300.00 in cash. Does that make them "Professionals"????

They were paid money for their playing efforts???

Lets here your opinion yes or no and feel free to give a brief explaination.

[Old School 626]

Nope. Professional status infers that one's vocation is a specific activity for which they are remunerated for engaging in that activity regardless of outcome. Prize money would be specifically linked to the outcome.

My two coppers.

[luke]

It use to be when you chose to "turn pro" and play in that division.

[smilestyler]

The league that I used to play in only went up to "amateur" as the top level. "Pro" was left to those who play as a carrer (or in other words, quit their job and make annual income only playing pball)
But I have seen lots of teams call themselves Pro after they all bought timmies and got matching jerseys :tard:

[ObieJ30]

The league that I used to play in only went up to "amateur" as the top level. "Pro" was left to those who play as a carrer (or in other words, quit their job and make annual income only playing pball)
But I have seen lots of teams call themselves Pro after they all bought timmies and got matching jerseys :tard:


you sure they said pros and not posers?

[OneUp]

you sure they said pros and not posers?
:headbang:

The question is, when is a player Godlike.

And that's when you one-shot your pump at a "Pro."

[punkncat]

Winning a purse in a local tournament does not make you a pro.
I think that at some sustained and regular rate that "might" qualify you as semi pro?

I look at it like the above poster. If its what you do for a living then you are a pro. Taking into consideration for sponsorships, etc as well.
You could be sponsored and getting considerations for playing and still have an outside job paying the bills and be considered semi pro.

[50 cal]

When you learn to scream like a little girl when things don't go your way.....
When you throw your gun with an attached HPA tank........
When you can get a tournament director or Ultimate to change a call that was made against your team by jumping up and down (see 1st item) and threatening to never come to one of their tournaments again..........

You get the idea. ;)

[flying Dutchman]

So far you guys are right on the line I was thinking. I figured it had to be the way you made a living, I mean by playing the sport not being a sales agent for a company that might play in the odd event.

But you know so many folks really don't know where the line is.

Oh and I'm not really thinking "God like" or "Screaming like a little girl when things don't go you way" are quite on the money but Who knows!

[Chaos_Theory!]

Most pro players dont make a living playing paintball so id hardly consider that a qualification. Most of them work for a paintball company or are affiliated with one in some way or another. That or they have a real job and play paintball as well. Very few pro players actually make enough money playing paintball alone to survive. To be considered Pro you have to play in a national level tournament at the Pro level, and not just for like one event.

[rawbutter]

Most pro players dont make a living playing paintball so id hardly consider that a qualification. Most of them work for a paintball company or are affiliated with one in some way or another. That or they have a real job and play paintball as well. Very few pro players actually make enough money playing paintball alone to survive. To be considered Pro you have to play in a national level tournament at the Pro level, and not just for like one event.

I kinda get what you're saying, but I agree with the definition that a "pro" paintballer is one who makes his living from playing paintball (or maybe playing paintball + sponsorships/endorsements/etc). Think of every other sport. Pro football players make their living at playing football, pro golfers live off golf tournament money, etc.

I would say that it might be harder to be a pro paintball player than some other sports, and there are definitely less pro paintballers than, say, baseball. However, just because there's less of them doesn't mean that we should change the definition to incorporate more people. That just makes "going pro" that much less special.

[Lohman446]

I don't know... I played yesterdays tournament in a shirt and tie - does that make me a pro?


/Yeh, really

[flying Dutchman]

Hi Chaos,

I think your pretty much true in discribing the way it is. But I get a couple thousand little fellows a year going through my field and they need to be introduced to the truth.

One kid is picking his college by which one has the best paintball team!

Another I talked with about a month ago thinks there is 20,000 pro players in the U.S.

I think you're dead right We have many players who work in the industry that play alot. But their money comes from their job. When they fill out their tax form they probably list retail sales as occupation. Not paintball player.

So folks give me what you know to be true and what you think professional means. I knew what it ment for being a boxer! If you were working a job and boxing on the weekend you were a club fighter. Not a professional. A true professional should train and practice for their competition. Not be unloading trucks until 30 minutes before a fight or a game.

[luke]

The years I played, "Pro" was little more than a division, the supposed elite played in it. Professional Paintball Players really do not exist by the definition of "Pro" that is used in other sports.

[robnix]

The years I played, "Pro" was little more than a division, the supposed elite played in it. Professional Paintball Players really do not exist by the definition of "Pro" that is used in other sports.

Correct, they would be called Semi Pro's. Paid for their services, but not enough to really support themselves.

[Pneumagger]

A team just won one our indoor tourneys. It was a small event but they took home about $300.00 in cash. Does that make them "Professionals"????

They were paid money for their playing efforts???

Lets here your opinion yes or no and feel free to give a brief explaination.
In the realm of sports, Professional status legally infers that you are paid to play or recieve compenstaion for performance. If I for example, were paid $100/game to play on a baseball team in the summer I would be a "professional" ball playerand likewise barred from collegiate baseball. I'm not 100% sure about the stipulation for recieving money in a prize scenario, but I'm still pretty sure that would still constitute as compensation per performance. Money won as a result of gambling/bets does not qualify one as pro (ie - winning cash by betting over a round of golf doesn't technically make you "pro").

So to answer your question:

Legally they would be professionals... but in the context I gather you are speaking, no they are not "pro class".

[flying Dutchman]

I don't know... I played yesterdays tournament in a shirt and tie - does that make me a pro?


/Yeh, really

At worst it makes you stylish!!!

[smilestyler]

At worst it makes you stylish!!!
Only if it was an Armani. :cheers:

[MournBlade]

A person becomes a "PRO" when they are paid to play paintball be it from sponsors or actual employment.

[Scott Hudnall]

I have ALWAYS laughed out loud at the contention that there are "PRO" players, whether local, regional, national, etc. Certainly, there's teams who "appear" to be "PRO" on the national or international level. Perhaps there's even a few select players who make their living from sponsorships/endorsements. Perhaps it's just a "classification" for events.

BUT...let's give credit where credit is due in the paintball industry. The REAL PRO's are the many field owners and store owners who make either part or all of their living at paintball, who put in many hours of sweat equity to make their business work, who treat their customers with the greatest respect, who make the sport fun, who fill our air tanks, who dig through those boxes of old parts and obsoleted equipment to find that missing piece to restore your old marker, who provide good reffing for rec/walk on games.....who love and live this sport.

CHEERS!!!!! :cheers:

[Lohman446]

Heres a hint - if you are playing against groups of people who would readily consider themselves novices with very little experience in a competetive atmosphere, you are not a pro.

That being said, golf, and most other sports (and the NCAA) define pro very well, its too bad paintball does not. Its our obsession with money tournaments I think.

[wetwrks]

A team just won one our indoor tourneys. It was a small event but they took home about $300.00 in cash. Does that make them "Professionals"????

I would define them as Semi-Pro. If they did this on a regular basis then they "might" be pro.

Here is how I look to classify things:

Rec ball, no tourneys - typical player.

A few tourneys, maby small sponsorships - semi-pro

Regular tourneys, sponsorships - pro

[68magOwner]

Your pro when you play Pro division NPPL or NXL.

Thats the only way to be concidered pro in my book.

My equipment, paint, travel, food, entry fee, ect is all payed for me by sponsors, but, I do not concider myself a professional player, because I have yet to play in a pro division of nppl or psp.

[Ninjeff]

Your pro when you play Pro division NPPL or NXL.

Thats the only way to be concidered pro in my book.

My equipment, paint, travel, food, entry fee, ect is all payed for me by sponsors, but, I do not concider myself a professional player, because I have yet to play in a pro division of nppl or psp.


agreed.

Although i did just think of a new word.

"when the all get timmys and buy matching jerseys"

does that make them "prosers" pro-posers?

[gus13]

The only " true" pro's in our sport today, *IMO* (flame retardant suit on!) would be The Legion. The reason I say this is because they are literally paid to do nothing but play paintball, they train five days a week, have personal trainers and coaches for this that and another thing, and all the neat lil' trimmings one would expect from any other "professional" orginizations in the NFL,NBA, etc. half the other "pro" players are still in college and make jack except from sponsorships/ outside income, not specifically from a Team or club paying them to focus only on playing the sport. which is also (in part) why XSV failed the past year, they were supposed to get paid a really nice sum to play, it fell through on them, so all the players split. so yah, thats slight attempt at intelligence for the day. :tard:
gus

[flying Dutchman]

The only " true" pro's in our sport today, *IMO* (flame retardant suit on!) would be The Legion. The reason I say this is because they are literally paid to do nothing but play paintball, they train five days a week, have personal trainers and coaches for this that and another thing, and all the neat lil' trimmings one would expect from any other "professional" orginizations in the NFL,NBA, etc. half the other "pro" players are still in college and make jack except from sponsorships/ outside income, not specifically from a Team or club paying them to focus only on playing the sport. which is also (in part) why XSV failed the past year, they were supposed to get paid a really nice sum to play, it fell through on them, so all the players split. so yah, thats slight attempt at intelligence for the day. :tard:
gus
From what you say I'd agree the folks from Legion would be called professionals. Perhaps under paid but still professionals.

I see so many kids that have false hopes and dreams about their future in the sport as a pro. I've seen fields and shops sell these little guys all sorts of gear and always string them along by saying if you had only bought a little better marker!

SO far I see that the "pro" may exist. But they're few and far between. And even when paid to play it really isn't a living, Nothing you would buy a house or support a family from. So in short no player really makes a living PLAYING paintball?????

[Tassel Mask]

Just czz you pro dont make you a better player. ive seen some amazing fire and manouver formations by what pros call NOOBS. Ill stick with my amatures...

If you registered user for AO, it means your a pro dude. Everyone on this forum knows that.

:rofl:
TM

[cerrik]

From Wikipedia:

A professional can be either a person in a profession (certain types of skilled work requiring formal training/education) or in sports (a sportsman/sportwoman doing sports for payment). Sometimes it is also used to indicate a special level of quality of goods or tools, sometimes also called "commercial grade".

and the 13 entries from Dictionary.com:

1. following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain: a professional builder.
2. of, pertaining to, or connected with a profession: professional studies.
3. appropriate to a profession: professional objectivity.
4. engaged in one of the learned professions: A lawyer is a professional person.
5. following as a business an occupation ordinarily engaged in as a pastime: a professional golfer.
6. making a business or constant practice of something not properly to be regarded as a business: “A salesman,” he said, “is a professional optimist.”
7. undertaken or engaged in as a means of livelihood or for gain: professional baseball.
8. of or for a professional person or his or her place of business or work: a professional apartment; professional equipment.
9. done by a professional; expert: professional car repairs.
–noun
10. a person who belongs to one of the professions, esp. one of the learned professions.
11. a person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs: a golf professional.
12. an expert player, as of golf or tennis, serving as a teacher, consultant, performer, or contestant; pro.
13. a person who is expert at his or her work: You can tell by her comments that this editor is a real professional.

I think #7 would support that anyone who plays for money of any kind is a Pro... or another way of looking at it is anyone who plays paintball for gain is a Pro.

I gain fun and comraderie and a host of other things by playing paintball... so by that rationale, everyone who picks up a marker and plays more than once could be considered a pro. :headbang:

[dstud2000]

Pro paintballer? What is that? Seriously though, the tournament level pros, just don't seem to be very professional. Thats just my thought on it. To me the real pros are the guys who still play with honor and respect. Who can pick up any paintball gun go out to the field and be competitive.

[Chaos_Theory!]

As i said before, you cant base what a pro paintballer is on what pro players are in other sports. If paintball was on the same level as other sports like baseball and football, sure, itd be different. Pro paintballers are players who play in the pro division, period. The Legion is no more pro than anyone else. Why? They are backed by a very wealthy banker who seems to have nothing better to do than throw tons of money into a paintball team so he can tell everyone his team is amazing. They may just play paintball but its not under a normal circumstance. You guys need to get the comparison between paintball and other sports out of the picture, because its just not realistic.

[bakingwithpaintballs]

A team just won one our indoor tourneys. It was a small event but they took home about $300.00 in cash. Does that make them "Professionals"????

They were paid money for their playing efforts???

Lets here your opinion yes or no and feel free to give a brief explaination.

I do not think they would be considered a pro. However, a friend of mine likes to fish in bass tournaments. He tells me that he can write off most of his equipment and gas for fishing trips for the year as long as he wins money in one tournament that year.

[flying Dutchman]

I do not think they would be considered a pro. However, a friend of mine likes to fish in bass tournaments. He tells me that he can write off most of his equipment and gas for fishing trips for the year as long as he wins money in one tournament that year.

You know that's a very good point.I know a few bass fisherman and your right. They do write off entry fees and gear to offset any winnings they have to report. But these guys don't call themselves professional. They haven't reached that level, but in bass fishing that level does exist. Some folks are good enough to make a nice living doing what they love. Must be nice!!!

[shartley]

For me it is not about the amount won, earned, but about the percentage used to LIVE off of.

I would consider a PRO a player one who's major percentage of income comes from PLAYING the game of paintball. If they work at another job and use that to live off of for the most part, they would be semi-pro at best. But if the majority of their income comes from playing paintball, they would be considered Pro (no matter how little that total amount was).

And I don't consider winning a tournament as a criteria for being Pro or not.... again, unless winning those tournaments constitutes the majority of your income. Billiard players are like this. You can win a local tournament from time to time and NOT be a Pro player. You can compete at that level, but if you still turn wrenches at the local garage to pay your bills you are not really a Professional Billiards Player. But once you start making a LIVING from paying Billiards.... you become a Pro,

But that is just how I see it. :cheers:

[fflamingmoe]

A pro is someone who drinks a stiff drink before he plays because of pressure and ive been there and done it.10 years of it too plaaaaaaaa