Oh Pawlak is a professional paintball player (again!) and a World Champion as a member of Bob Long's Ironmen!

For more info; feel free to contact Oh via his website, Predator-paintball.com or Paintballgame.com 24 hours a day.

How to find success
on the paintball field
by Oh Pawlak

One of the most widely asked questions for me is from players who want to learn how to properly practice and train for paintball. Before you go out and rent the next " how to video"; keep these time tested "truths" in mind: true success arrives on the ship of hard work and more hard work. It isn't pretty and it isn't flashy; but the answer to those who seek out the golden grail of perfection can be found on the landscape of perseverance and determination. No matter how many LCD Angels you purchase; you will never succeed in paintball until you are willing to work on the non-equipment aspect of paintball.

Along with the will and desire to work hard; you must be wise enough to develop a "smart" game plan with a clear and concise purpose and direction. Your first stop on the plan should be the development of a physical workout routine that is geared towards making you a healthier person with a core direction pointed towards increasing your cardiovascular strength. Simply put; the stronger your heart is; the less likelihood your exhaustion will intice laziness and lack of focus to creep onto the playing field. As you become stronger; you should also become quicker which will help you make the necessary moves in the game.

In addition to the game plan that must go into project; you must take a step back from the mental landscape and see the answers through the trees of peer pressure and self doubt. You must be willing to move beyond your own personal fears and weaknesses. This is achieved when you are willing to try things on the game field without "worrying" about what others may say about you and without having a single care about the outdated scoreboard that most closed minded people carry with them when they track how many times they have eliminated someone or how many times they have been eliminated. The mother of success doesn't care about this number; but rather how many times you are willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team goal(winning the game). Don't worry about the snickering that travels between games that may sound like, " how many times did you get shot today or how many people did you shoot?". These are statements made by small minded people who don't understand the true concept of team work and working towards a greater goal.

Not only must you align your body with your mind; but you also have to surround yourself with drills that get the most of your skills. Picking up a paintball gun and shooting it at players on a field will only get you so far. The stairway to perfection can only be climbed properly when each step is covered by drills that get you into the best position to succeed. One drill that has been overlooked by some is the "run and shoot". I first learned the importance of this drill by Tom Cole of Bad Company many years ago. To make this test work; you need to set up several stationary targets on a 30 to 40 yard patch of land. Each target should range in size and position to test our ability to shoot players during a run on the field. A timer is needed also to measure your improvement during a 3 month schedule.

Another successful drill is the "bunker" drill which requires a few volunteers. Put yourself in a bunker and practice a few important matters that most people don't even take a second out of their day to ponder about. First, mentally practice while somone is shooting at you "what" you want to do when you peek around the bunker. Decide mentally if you are coming to shoot, look, or bait. Numerious players blindly poke and prod around bunkers and trees without first mentally deciding what they are trying to do(sneek a peek, bait the other shooter, or shoot the player). If you can mentally know what you are doing; it will reduce the likelihood of getting caught off guard.

While you are in the bunker; practice your off hand shooting tactic. Work on using the left hand when you on the left side of the bunker and vice versa. Keep in mind that your footwork is most important. Your front leg should be the "opposite" of the side you are playing(i.e. the left leg should be front when you are on the right side and vice versa).

These are a few points that will help you get the most from your skills and abilities. No matter what anyone says to you; don't let them limit your dreams or desires. You can achieve anything you set your mind to and anyone who tries to hold you back is only doing it because they are a weak minded person. " You can't measure the size of a person's heart and an ounce of determination with perserevance will overcome a pound of natural ability any day. "

How to gain sponsorship.
by Oh Pawlak

Throughout my career as a professional paintball player; one question that seems to pop up constantly is; " how do we get sponsors ?". The answer lies in the bedrock of hard work and honesty. Sponsorship dollars are difficult to come by for any mainstreem sport much less paintball which doesn't enjoy the public spotlight of football, baseball or basketball; thus it is important to take the task of gaining sponsorships with the same seriousness as any other salary position.

The first fallacy in gaining sponsorship dwells in the player's point of view that somehow somebody owes them something. Coporate America turns away from the green face of greed and envy that may harbor within some of the minds of those who seek the support and dollars of these giant companies. Make a mental note. Nothing is owed to you. You must "earn" what you seek.

Once you realize that sponsorship is something "earned" and not given; you have begun the correct path to the promise land of sponsorship. You must now inventory what you have to offer to these potential partners(I use the term partners because sponsorship is a two way street with partners who both seek some sort of benefit). List what you can "do" for a sponsor. Everybody can promote or advertise; but try to find a unique "angle" for yourself. Maybe you might be able to move their product in your local market via a store, field, or other personal contacts. Maybe you can assist them in expanding their position on the international level. Think of ways which you can "help" them.

Once you have compiled a working list of what you can offer to pontential sponsors; develop an agenda of who you want to target for sponsorships. Keep in mind that every "paintball" company reads hundreds and hundreds of letters requesting some sort of support thus you should go into this venture with the mind set that you are in competition with thousands upon thousands of people. It won't be easy.

The next step is to gather your resources. A sponsorship letter is easy and doesn't break your piggy bank. Make sure to clean up spelling and grammar problems before shipping out your letter. It should be a "reflection" of who you are and what type of person you represent. The letter should also include the reasons why you can "help" them(the potential sponsor) and what benefits they will derive should they seek to form some sort of partnership with you. Your letter or resume should be given the same care and thought that goes into preparing your first job interview. Bear in mind that 99% of the requests are turned down on the first attempt. Don't give up or feel hopeless. Try and try again because it make take 10 letters to the same company officer to finally open that "door" to a potential sponsor. Don't overlook the companies who have an open door policy for sponsorship/support. Some companies have websites or programs which allow you to submit a resume/letter with the eventual reward of a discount/support/sponsorship. These are chances which can't be overlooked.

As you are working towards hitting the motherload of a deal; look around for assistance from your immediate area. Your local store will be more than open to working some sort of "discount" program/support/sponsorship detail. This may not be the million dollar contract you wanted; but it will help reduce your costs and improve your chances with other larger companies. Try contacting your local field also. They can provide the same level of support and assistance.

In addition to your local field and store, try targeting outside sponsors by contacting non-paintball companies. Printing companies, banner companies, soda companies, and local restaurants are all decent and viable places to start. You may only begin by getting discounts or coupons; but these all help into gathering strenght for your cofer when you begin the long road uphill towards getting the magical sponsorship treasure.

The journey towards sponsorship is a tough road; but as long as you are honest and as long as you keep your nose to the grindstone; you will reep the dividens in the long run.