Been a while!

Well, it's been a few years since I've posted here. My paintball days have come and gone. At least on a professional level. It was too much on the family, and my team, where I was in my life. So I made the decision to retire.

The other day someone pointed this blog out to me. It has been so long that I figured I needed to make a decision. Let the blog die by the wayside? Or start it up again?

"If I'm retired how can I start a blog about paintball again?" you ask. Well...I've come to the decision that I'm going to keep this blog open. The cool thing is I'm going to blog about my history in the game of paintball.

Why is this cool you ask? Because I figured it would be fun to go over subjects that were forbidden while I was playing. Here are some of the things you'll hear about over the next couple of months:

• Cheating...or raher...."playing within the rules of the game". What role did/does it play in professional paintball.
• My history and how I became a pro paintball player.
• What it takes to be a pro.
• and more...

Basically the plan is to talk about anything and everything. The stuff I was unable to talk about while I was playing. Mostly because of sponsors, but also due to pride, morals, etc.

I'll hit back soon. Stay tuned.

The Chicago PSP Heat Experience

Just got back from the Chicago PSP event. We won one against Miami...lost to the Russians and Trauma...then tied the Ironmen in the final day (Sunday). This event was big for us though...we started playing as a team with more confidence.

I have to say I'm finally starting to get my stamina back. In that type of heat it usually gets worse as the weekend progresses, but this past weekend was the opposite.

It's a beat or be beat game. It took a bit but I feel I'm starting to get that agreesiveness back in my game...and it feels good.

Playing the Russians was a fun experience. I honestly have never played a team who was so polished on the little/big things. Their snap-shooting skills were pretty impressive. I found the more I stayed in a lane waiting on a player the better opportunity they had to snap shoot me out. They never stayed in the lane waiting....well I guess their front guys never did. Anyways it was a good learning experience. One more thing...we did bounce their players every game...this is a fact told to us by the refs after the game. I know the score would have been different had we selected our paint better. Live and learn...

As for Trauma they were a tight team who capitalized on our mistakes. They forced us into their game and we seemed to tired to respond. However it was a good learning experience as well because the next day we forced our game upon the Ironmen and it worked for us. Playing our old agreesive style.

Anyways thanks for reading...I'll post more soon. PS: This photo is from www.paintballstar.com Hopefully they don't mind. Great site!

Rough Comebacks

We (NYX) just came back from the PSP Xball event in Los Angeles this past week. We didn't get much practice the weeks/months before and it showed. We lost all four matches. The first 3 were not so bad...but the last match, although one of my better ones, we got destroyed by the Russian Legion. This being my first tournament back, and in the NXL for that matter, it was a great time and experience.

Getting the Rust Out
It took me about 3 or 4 games to really get digged into the mental aspect of the game. I realized I was out there just to go through the motions and not TAKE the game from my opponents. So...having realized this I took a few minutes to re-prepare my mental attitude and it helped. I reminded myself that I need to be the one to control the movement on the field. Not to let my opponent take the field from me, but me from them. I needed to be the agreesor...the cat not the mouse. It definitely helped as I started to move around and up the field with much more determination and smarts.

There were some ugly games for me as well. Moments where my gun was down while moving when it should have been up protecting me like a bunker. Ah well..live and learn. I have to say I learned alot again on how to play the game in this 4 day span. It was awesome.

The Atmosphere
When I retired from paintball back in 2002 I knew I would miss the game. I started playing Hockey locally to keep my sports in check. I used to think about the game and use the mental skills I've learned playing paintball in hockey when I needed a boost. In doing so I would reminise about the game I love. I missed it.

When I started practicing again early this year it came to be like I got hit by a truck...this is the best game I have ever played. The adrenaline, skill, mental abilities, and just plain bad ass fun that paintball is hit me so hard. I love this game.

Being back on the tournament scene was awesome. Seeing all my old friends like (in no particular order) Maximus, Nicky Cubam, Adam & Billy Gardner, Gary Shows, Chris Lasoya, Daryl Trent, Opie, Jimmy (strange), Frank Connel, Matt Marshall, Ronin, and more....IT WAS AMAZING. One of the best things about Paintball is the friends and people you meet. There is nothing like it.

Anyways....The event was awesome. Although it rained the whole time it was an awesome experience. I can't wait for the next one.

My first Blog Post Ever - Jim's Intoduction

This will be my first blog post ever. My name is James Murray but my friends call me Jim. I'm a 29 year old man happily married with 2 children named Marisa & Keegan. Oh and the best dog (person) in the world named Studly who is a Pug. I'm a partner in a software company called Bedrock Intellectual Properties in New York. Lastly I play professional paintball for the NXL (National Xball League) team "New York Xtreme".

This blog will most likely cover all of the above items: My family, my work, my interests, and Paintball.