Thursday, January 29, 2009

NPPL go, USPL come

"By Players, For Players"


With the NPPL gone, a new league has been set up to take its place. Said to be owned by pro players themselves, the league is an aim to keep the paintball scene alive. Several measures have been taken in order to draw in more new talents and to make the game more affordable.

Below is an article i got from PaintballX3.com. Have a read...

(Huntington Beach, CA) – Sixteen Professional Teams have invested heavily in forming the US Paintball League (USPL) – your paintball league. The player-owned league is dedicated to growing the sport of paintball across the United States by offering 7-man play from Division 3 to the Professional level in addition to a division of 5-man.

Season Opener Confirmed: Huntington Beach, CA April 3 - 5 2009

The 2009 season will consist of six events held across the United States. The following teams will be competing in the 2009 Pro Division:

Chicago Legend

D.C. Arsenal

Edmonton Impact

Indianapolis Mutiny

Los Angeles Infamous

Miami Rage

Oakland Blast

O.C. Bushwackers

Phoenix United

Sacramento XSV

San Antonio X-Factor

San Diego Dynasty

San Jose Explicit

Scottsdale Elevation

St. Louis Avalanche

Tampa Bay Damage

The 16 teams have formed a five-member Board of Directors to oversee the league. The USPL has recruited some of the most experienced promoters in tournament paintball; Chuck Hendsch, Camille Lemanski and Tom Cole.

Hendsch, former president of the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL) has been named Commissioner of the USPL. The Commissioner will handle executive decisions and report to the Board of Directors. Lemanski, former Vice President of Media and Marketing for Pacific Paintball, will be handling the day-to-day operations of the league as the General Manager. Tom Cole, also a former President of the NPPL, will be the Ultimate Official.

Alex Fraige of San Diego Dynasty said “although this league is owned by the pros, the mission is to make it your paintball league.”

The 16 owners have already discussed many changes to satisfy all players interested in playing the 7-man format. Rich Telford of Sacramento Excessive went on to explain that “much emphasis has been placed on catering the events toward the lower divisional teams and making the series as affordable as possible. Highlights include lowering entry fees, adjusting the schedule to reduce time away from school for younger players, streamlining the registration process to make it easier and more enjoyable for teams to check-in and walk the fields, introducing an exciting, faster-paced schedule of games and setting up a Steering Committee with representatives from all divisions so everyone’s voice can be heard.”

Individuals interested in serving as a representative on the Steering Committee should email info@uspaintballleague.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with his/her team name, division and phone number.

More details on the league and the 2009 season, including the registration opening date for Huntington Beach, will be released in the days to come. In the meantime, please email info@uspaintballleague.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information.

US Paintball League is a player run organization that governs Paintball tournaments and play. The USPL in conjunction with the Pro Team Association will host 6 events in the US where Paintball teams compete and are awarded points in four divisions Professional, Division I, Division II and Division III to determine an overall Paintball champion in each division. The USPL is committed to setting rules, standards and guidelines for safe, competitive, fair Paintball competitions worldwide. For more information call 714 858 1923.

Where is Los Angeles Ironmen, i wonder...

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