When I was in middle school, my dad told me there was a men’s day of paintball happening at a local field with my church, and he wanted to take me with him.

Honestly…I was scared.

But my father said, “I’m paying for it, so you’re going.”

“Well,” I thought, “here goes nothing!”

I’m not sure exactly what grabbed me about that first game of paintball, but something definitely did…

Maybe it was the intensity of it, or being aggressive and not being myself for a little while on the field.

Regardless, I’ve been playing ever since!

Then when I found out that playing competitively was a possibility, I started looking into it right away.

I went to my first World Cup as a spectator.

It was incredible to see the pros I’d been watching in videos or reading about in magazines in person.

I found my first team by searching around on old forums – which you’d probably just find on Instagram nowadays.

And then the beginning of my professional road got its big push when I moved to Tampa, Florida to play semi-pro.

I played competitively there for a couple years continuing to make the changes and improvements necessary to make the last leap to see my dream come true.

I prayed, drilled, worked out, and continually spoke with anyone I could to get my foot in the door.

The drills were all fundamental, and I asked for help with workouts from fitness friends and mobile workout apps.

I tried to get in front of as many pro paintball squads as I could.

Then, my big break finally came with the MLKings. I was brought on the team under the condition that I earn my spot.

I didn’t play much during the very first event.

But I continued to practice and drill, practice and drill, practice and…you get the idea.

And eventually, I began playing more and more on the pro field.

By the end of that first season, the owner finally said that I had made it.

My dream came true.

But looking back on my experience, I didn’t have anyone to take me under their wing to teach me anything!

I didn’t know much about using a marker, drills, basic tactics, strategy, communication, or how to stay calm when I first started playing.

I wish I had had someone to teach me the very basics of the game that would have made me the player I am now.

As with any other sport, these fundamental skills are vital to your success and confidence on the field.

Now that I’ve played pro, I want to make sure that anyone else interested in paintball gets the help I never had.

So that’s why I made Ready, Aim, Fun: Mastering Paintball Basics.