BKiT: New Generation
Much has changed since I started playing this incredible sport of paintball. I have traveled the world, met interesting people from all walks of life and shared memories with my teammates that will last a lifetime. However, being from Texas offers an uphill battle for those that choose to compete at the highest level. We do not have several different pro teams to practice against, our player base is significantly lower compared to the states where paintball has flourished in times past, and god didn’t set our thermostat to 75 degrees and always sunny. Collectively, this is what makes the BKiT stand out from the rest. We take what we are given and don’t take shit from anyone. We live the dream and put in all the work at the same time. With that being said, I know we did not have such a great 2009 season, except a 3rd place finish in the West Coast Open. I think the reason for the not so stellar overall performance was due in large part to a lack of heart, drive, and determination. Nevertheless, I do think we showed we still had what it takes to be a top-level team at that event. We don’t have a 7man field nor did we have any sort of practice on the layout, yet we went in there and handled business against some of the best teams like Blast (who won the series title), Dynasty (who are always a favorite to win any event), and other organizations whose sole focus is that style of play. Overall we let ourselves as a team slip. Drew Templeton of team VICIOUS said it best, “ You can’t lie to the grind. The grind can be your worst enemy or your best friend.” Needless to say, the grind was not our best friend last year and we certainly paid for it.
After the season, I thought a lot about what we could have done differently and how we could improve for the upcoming year. What it came down to is going back to our roots. We also lost a couple players to life (shit sucks, but it happens) and had a little fat trimming. We were left with 5 players from the original roster, 6 now that Alex “Big Poppa” Martinez is back in the game after some real life situations forced him to take the majority of the season off. This forced us to consider picking up other players. For the most part, I have been very hesitant to welcome anyone with open arms into our program. I always felt that the guys we had were capable of accomplishing our goals and we did not need any extra help, however, in times like these we must learn to adapt and shift focus. This off-season we picked up 15 kids from around the State who are going to be giving the business to people soon. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be able to play for this team, but also being apart of this family is very special to me. A couple years ago the same thing happened: a bunch of no named kids came onto the pro scene and started kicking the “old guard” right in the face. These up and coming players remind me a bunch of ourselves at that age- hungry, competitive, and always willing to do whatever it takes. I now look at these kids as the future of Texas paintball, and with just due, they will become the new generation of BKiT.
