“Correction” is a gentle, non-threatening term for a brutal process that takes place every day in the financial markets. A “Correction” ‘corrects’ over exuberant behavior from investors who run the prices of stocks and commodities to unreasonably high levels. The dot.com and housing bubbles are prime examples of Corrections being made to stabilize and strengthen the markets. The brutal part comes in when people are losing their life’s savings and homes because they invested too much into an over-priced stock or house.

From a personal standpoint, the NPPL’s upcoming bankruptcy filing came as a rude shock to me. I freely admit to being an unabashed NPPL supporter. This is mainly a personal preference on my part…I simply liked what the NPPL was doing better than what the PSP was doing.

Now that the PSP is the last man standing, it’s obvious that they were doing something right…they’re still here, and the NPPL is on the way out the door.

What we’re seeing in Paintball right now is a microcosm of what’s happening in the Global Economy right now. Companies that didn’t invest their time and efforts wisely are now bearing the brunt of the correction that is afflicting a majority of the world economy.  Bear with me here, since I’m not an economics expert.

Rather than assessing blame, pointing and laughing at those who’s businesses are failing or are in deep trouble, the point of this editorial is to toss out some ideas and information to try and stop the free-fall that the sport and industry that supports it is currently falling victim to.

While it’s completely possible that during the course of the Bankruptcy proceedings someone or some group of somebodies will buy the NPPL’s intellectual and physical property and try and resurrect the league as a viable entity. However, my own personal preferences aside, I think it’s been proven that two national leagues simply won’t work. Like it or not the PSP won the war. They’re the national level face of tournament paintball now.

Now that that conflict has run its’ course, it’s time to repair the damage caused by the competition over a small, limited community. At any given time the number of players regularly playing at national level events is maybe 1-2%. Out of the millions that play the sport every year, 1-2% go to the big show and strut their stuff on the big stage.

A refocusing of marketing efforts is needed to recapture the base of the sport, which is the weekend player. You know, the guys who go to the commercial field 5-10 times a year to have fun. Getting and retaining these players should be a goal, if for self-preservation than anything. The days of tolerating the 12-24 month cycle of players coming in and out of the sport are over. Programs like KEE’s “Great day of Play” were a step in the right direction, but KEE is only one company. Programs like “Great Day of Play” should exist at every major company in the sport, or a collaborative effort across the industry, tournament and rec-ball/scenario communities and media communities to achieve the same goal.

The reason I’m writing this editorial is the result of the a butt-chewing I got from a friend in the Industry over in Europe. I was told that “you guys” in the media were part of the problem. Upon further reflection, I can see his point. Purely speculative pieces with no real underpinning to support the theories being espoused in the articles have the potential to enforce a perception that may or may not reflect reality. The old saying goes “Perception is reality”. If enough people high enough on the totem pole are saying the same thing, right or wrong, people have tendency to take this perception as reality.

As in the mainstream media, negative stories and reporting are a lot easier to do than the story or reporting that is positive. This can lead to an overall negative outlook by the media people reporting the news and coverage and the community reading or watching the final product of the media’s efforts. A fair and balanced approach to reporting and covering should be employed. While the sport of paintball isn’t a Disney World of peace and love, it’s not Kabul, Afghanistan either.

Finally, the playing community needs to take a more active role in preserving the sport as well. Talking to people who ask about the clothing you’re wearing in the convenience store in a positive way has a huge impact at the grassroots level with the non-playing public. Not shooting up the neighborhood or bunkering the boss’s cat into the next dimension is a great way to improve public perception of you as a paintballer, and calling for the severe punishment of those who do vandalize and destroy.

Support your local fields and stores by patronizing them on a regular basis. It’s the height of hypocrisy to go out and buy all your gear on the Internet, then complain because your local shop owner charges you to repair your marker. A lot of shop owners will either give cut a break for you on labor if you buy your stuff from them. If you’re not technically inclined, it might be worth it to spend the extra few bucks to buy from your local guy and catch a break on repairs when you inevitably destroy your gear and need it fixed up.

Shop owners and field owners, listen to your market base. The guys that come into your shop and out to your field are the people you need to listen to. They’re the ones who keep your business afloat. There’s a strong chance that your particular market may not like what ‘they’ are saying about what players want.

This sport is in a “Correction” now. It’s going to be a brutal, nasty process where a lot of people are going to lose their jobs and have to go and do something else. There won’t be a bailout for paintball. Whatever improvements we all can make together will decide the fate of the sport. One positive thing about Corrections is that the people, organizations and companies that survive the process are that much stronger for the experience.