Miami Effect & NXL featured in newspaper article



The Sentinel Standard did a feature article on a recent Miami Effect tryout for the NXL. Even though they repeatedly referred to a paintball gun as a "rifle" we think it's still a pretty good portrayal of the sport.

Original Article Here

At first glance, 16-year-old Chris Wireman is like any other boy his age -- with trendy clothes, a cell phone and finely-tuned haircut.

But on the paintball field, Wireman is a warrior, and he hopes to take his skills to an elite arena.

Wireman, who lives on Ingalls Road in Otisco Township, has been playing paintball for approximately five years. He is now one of seven finalists trying out for three spots on a 15-member professional paintball team based in Miami, Fla.

The team, Miami Effect, is part of the NXL, the most elite paintball league in America.



Wireman was one of 100 kids to take part in tryouts Jan. 23 in Orlando, Fla. There, he competed with members of two NXL teams during a series of exhibition matches.

Wireman's team easily beat the opposing team nine times in a row.

He was surprised at how easy the level of play was at his tryout. Playing against some of the best players in the world, Wireman expected a stiff challenge -- but didn't find it.

"We actually spanked 'em. We really rolled 'em," he said. "They got pretty mad and thought we were cheating."

Wireman impressed scouts enough that he was called back for a second round of tryouts last weekend. However, the event was canceled due to an ice storm in Georgia. He will go back in late-February for the second round.

"I think I'm going to get it," Wireman said.

If he wins a spot on the Effect, Wireman would be one of the youngest players in the NXL. Another team has a 14-year-old player, but most competitors are between 19 and 25-years-old.

Wireman would sign a one-year contract with the Effect and be paid a "six figure" salary, he said.

As a member of the team, he would travel the United States playing against six other teams coast to coast from Los Angeles, Calif. to New York City.

That's a huge leap from his beginnings in the sport at Woodland Paintball, located about one-mile from Wireman's house on Ingalls Road. He began playing there as a hobby when he was 11-years-old using a rifle that cost $79.

"We were skeptical at first. We didn't think he would stay in it for a week," Wireman's dad Ron said. "We thought it was just one of those fads."



But Chris stuck with it. With the help of Woodland owner Ross Krick, he learned tactics and strategies used in paintball. He honed his skills playing at least two or three times a week.

"If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be where I am today," Wireman said of his mentor, Krick.

Wireman also began working for Krick at the business and coaching youth and beginner's teams.

As he got better, Wireman joined traveling teams, playing in tournaments in Las Vegas, Florida, Chicago and all over Michigan. He eventually worked his way up to playing in the National Professional Paintball League's Super 7 Tournament in Las Vegas.

Wireman's team finished 17th out of 60 teams.

It was then that Wireman decided to "go really big into" the sport because he enjoyed playing in front of a large audience.

He initially traveled to Florida earlier this year to practice with a group of NXL players. While there, players told him about the Miami tryouts, so he decided to give it a shot.

No matter what happens with the tryout, Krick said it has been fun to watch Wireman develop from being a novice player into playing at a "phenomenal level."

"It's nice to see him get some national recognition," Krick said. "I'm just really proud of him."

Wireman credits speed and accuracy with elevating his game to the professional level, along with a thorough understanding of team strategies.

"If you can guess what the other team will do, you will win," he said.

The object of a paintball match is to position players behind a number of inflatable obstacles placed strategically around the course so they can advance to the opponents' side, grab a flag and run it back to their side without getting hit.

With the skill level of players today, Wireman said teams can very rarely capture their opponent's flag without being hit. The game is usually won by the team that hits every player on the opposing side.

Playing paintball professionally is a costly proposition. Wireman owns approximately $3,000 to $4,000 worth of equipment, including a brand new $1,700 rifle that can shoot 30 balls per second, and $75 cleats made specifically for paintball.

Over the years, Wireman estimates he's spent $6,000 buying and trading rifles. He usually only has one at a time, but had three once before. He tries to keep top-of-the-line rifles, so he trades his gun in when a more advanced model becomes available.

His parents have not financed much of his equipment.

"He has done this himself," Wireman's mom Karen said. "He paid for this himself and earned his own money."

Sponsorships from Woodland, TC Paintball, Competitive Home Repair and American Eagle Superstore also helped.

Despite having thousands of paintballs whiz past his head and body over the past five years, Wireman has sustained very few injuries. He often gets minor bruises and cuts common in the sport.

However, he recently visited the hospital to have pieces of an exploded paintball removed from his ear.

An opposing player was using a rifle which was shooting balls too hard. A ball struck Wireman in the side of his head, penetrating his facemask and helmet, and exploded into his ear. Doctors had to extract pieces of horse hoof material, which makes up the outer skin of paintballs.

"Basically, it's a pretty safe sport," Ron said. "But if you don't have safety gear on, you should never play."