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

[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

you sure they said pros and not posers?

[OneUp]

you sure they said pros and not posers?

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.