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Post by Trapper on Jul 14, 2008 9:42:39 GMT -5
Wow, I really want to thank Ronn and Donn for inviting me to instruct at the Ronn Stern's Paintball Camps at Skirmish this past week. It was truly an honor and I had a fantastic time.
It was truly amazing though to watch the young men (and one old guy (sorry Ken ;D) ) take the skills that we taught them and put them to use at Skirmish's "Invasion of Normandy" game on Saturday and Sunday.
I watched several young men who arrived on Wednesday with average paintball skills and no real leadership ability, absolutely kick butt on Saturday. Moving up and breaking stalemates between the Allies and the Germans to gain mission completes. And motivating older players to move when they didn't think they could.
What a wonderful time we had. Though exhausted, hurting in every muscle I have, got bruises in places that you don't want bruises, and with a lack of sleep, it was truly one of the best paintball weeks that I have ever had.
Final count was 3,180 persons participated in the game. The Germans held the entire woodsline against the Allies at the beaches of Normandy on Saturday (2hour initial battle !) We didn't let a single beachhead get taken. We then proceeded to beat the Allies with a final score of 108 to 80. We estimated with known mission completes, that 25% of the points earned by the germans, came from our campers.
Ronn and Donn, thank you. I had a blast.
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Post by Coyote on Jul 14, 2008 12:19:43 GMT -5
Passing all that knowledge along to the next generation of scenario players...awesome feeling isn't it
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Post by Trapper on Jul 14, 2008 12:53:54 GMT -5
Oh Yes it is. Particularly when you get to see them use it and the lightbulb goes off and they come back and it is like "Holy Crap .. this really works!!" the old man isn't full of .... afterall ... and Yote, both yourself and Little Jon were dearly missed ... Next Year?
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Post by Coyote on Jul 14, 2008 15:11:51 GMT -5
Hopefully...
They did tend to listen to us more after we did the 'Defend tippmann castle' game...
6 instructors vs 40+ campers...and we whupped their tail !!!
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Post by Trapper on Jul 14, 2008 15:23:33 GMT -5
We won also ... 1 hour long game, and at one point about halfway through, we had ALL of the campers back at the deadbox awaiting their re-insertion ... this was following a spectacular sweep completely around the castle by one instructor, eliminating all the stragglers from the mowing that everybody else was doing from the parapets. That instructor by the way, promptly went back inside, collapsed and sucked on Oxygen for 15 minutes. ;D
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Post by ducttape on Jul 14, 2008 17:25:56 GMT -5
was it RONN!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Twister on Jul 14, 2008 17:41:11 GMT -5
It is always Ronn when it comes to wheezing...
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Post by VooDoo on Jul 15, 2008 3:18:08 GMT -5
Sounds like everyone had a GREAT time.....Im seriously thinking of hooking up for the next year trip!
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Post by Coyote on Jul 15, 2008 9:31:32 GMT -5
Teaching at the paintball camps was one of the uber highlights of Coyote's paintball career.
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Post by jmdeastpa on Jul 18, 2008 8:38:51 GMT -5
Ronn & Don,
Kyle and I would also like to Thank You guys once again for letting us come up and assisting with the classes.
What a great surprise it was for the one class learning how to clear the house's when they realized that there were people IN the buildings that they wern't expecting. Kyle says that was his favorite part of the weekend!!!!
The campers were a great bunch and Kyle and I really enjoyed running and gunning with them all.
As always it is great to see both of you (and yes you too Trapper) whenever possible it's just unfortunate that I can't make that happen more often.
Thanks Again and hopefully Kyle and I can come up and help you again next year.
Kyle Davis John M Davis
AKA - -As one of your campers said -- OH CRA! they are Trappers Family
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Post by noneck on Jul 18, 2008 12:24:06 GMT -5
What a great surprise it was for the one class learning how to clear the house's when they realized that there were people IN the buildings that they wern't expecting. Kyle says that was his favorite part of the weekend!!!! LOL, I got a message from someone who attended the camp.... I had told this person to Tell Trapper and Ronn&Don that "NoNeck and Tonto said hey".... but anyway... You post about the "room clearing reminded me to post "his experience". Following is from "Nick - the camper with the mini that had a popet problem" -- my thoughts are in italicsHey NoNeck, the camp was insane. I learned so much but learning under trapper was the best . - I think Trapper worked some of his "Scenario Bribery" to get him to say that.I was put on rear guard during and I did not realize it and we got into a fire fight and he shot me because I never looked backwards. - YUP, that's TrapperWhen we were learning how to clear rooms, Trapper sent me and a friend to clear a building and he put 2 people in there and we did not know so we run in, I shoot the guy in the thigh but it bounced and he got me in the grill of my mask and i fell to get out of the way of the fire and my friend never looked were he was told to and turned towards me and the other guy hiding shot him in the hand and he sprinted out side to Trapper and says "Trapper there's people in there" Trapper just said, "yea, that was the point" - Again.. a man of FEW words.. but IMPORTANT words they tend to beTrapper shot me again because i wasn't keeping my gun posted - Do I really need to comment?The camp was crazy fun During the allied assault (opening match) ronn stern camp did so well they stopped inserting guys through sword after 45 min I learned so much I was able to help push the allied line back to the hood without ammo (all i did was hold the line and move up and get others to move up{at one point i was the furthest German up in the woods and i'm only 13}) If you see Trapper.... tell him I said hi. -Nick And THAT is what it's all about folks.... the NEXT generation of players. Even though it is a "written" message... you can sense the pride this young man had as he wrote it. And I'm sure no one has been able to remove the smile from his face since the moment he left camp. WELL DONE ..... WELL DONE indeed!!!!
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Post by Trapper on Jul 18, 2008 15:35:33 GMT -5
Just so folks don't think that we were mean to our campers, when he says that I shot him, it was all during training and done solely to emphasize a point in the training, or a severe weakness in their execution of what they were practicing.
In one instance they were performing squad maneuvers and the person who was supposed to be watching their back trail didn't look back at all ... not once ... so they got ambushed.
In another instance, someone fell behind the person who was responsible to watch the back trail, and the new safety man never looked backwards ... so they got ambushed.
In one instance the right flank wasn't paying attention to his sector, and was distracted when 1st contact was made, so ... they got ambushed.
When Nick's squad took down the first floor of a building, then stopped, and everyone lowered their markers instead of keeping them posted on the stairs, doors, windows, etc ... they got ambushed.
When a squad got stalled on the stairs or at a choke point and didn't push through or follow through, they may have gotten ambushed.
But he is right about one thing, ... the camp was crazy fun ... ;D
Matt, if you PM him back, tell him I say hey, right back atcha ...
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Post by Twister on Jul 18, 2008 20:53:03 GMT -5
Yeah Matt - Nick came up and told me that you had said to say yo... I am glad that he had a great time... See Camps are a good thing...
-Twister
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Post by mistaken on Jul 19, 2008 21:08:08 GMT -5
I had 42+ welts and bruises and a few extra nipples when I counted sunday evening. I am sure two thirds to three quarters were from training. Realistic and fun simple but very effective the best camp yet and I am looking forward to next year.
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Post by paintballnick on Jul 20, 2008 17:10:35 GMT -5
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