November Theatre
November 5, 2007
Daniel Rodrigue, Sr.
November 7, 2007
Jonathan Richard gives new meaning to the term “weekend warrior.”
During the week, the Nicholls State University junior works on completing his business management courses.
On Saturdays, however, he can often be found meandering across local paintball courses as captain of Team Backdraft, a paintball team based in Terrebonne Parish.
The Sports Net chatted with Richard about his favorite sport, which continues to gain popularity in southern Louisiana.
Sports Net: First things first. How many times have you been shot by a paintball in your lifetime?
Jonathan Richard: Wow. Too many to count.
SN: Describe the pain?
JR: At first it takes a while to get used to, but once your adrenaline starts going it really takes some of the pain away from it.
SN: On a scale of one to 10, how bad?
JR: For a first-time person, I’d say a six or a seven. It all depends on where you get shot at, too, and how close it is.
SN: Any embarrassing injuries?
JR: Not really.
SN: At least not yet, right?
JR: (laughs) Yeah.
SN: So what can you tell me about Team Backdraft. How many years has it been around?
JR: We’ve been around since 2003, so about four years. The only core members we have left from that original team are pretty much me and Doug Lagendyk (owner of Backdraft). We started off kind of small and just kept taking it further.
We played in a couple of national tournaments our first year – our first one was in Orlando and we followed that up with a trip to Chicago, where we took fourth in another tournament. That really gave us a boost.
From there, it took off.
SN: What types of players do you get on Team Backdraft?
JR: Right now, we’re really getting a lot of younger guys, actually between the ages of 15 and 18. And it’s really good because they really have a lot of enthusiasm for the game and they’re really starting to develop a passion for it. They’re willing to learn and take constructive criticism and get out there and do it better each and every time.
SN: Does paintball require a lot of athleticism?
JR: Somewhat, yeah it does. It requires a lot of stamina and it’s just as much mental as it is physical. Strategically, you have to have a good awareness of the field and a good working knowledge of what’s happening around you and how to adapt to it. In the game, you really have to think on your toes and take whatever is given to you and make the best out of it.
SN: Has the team made the best out of it with successful showings at tournaments?
JR: We’ve had a good bit of success at regional tournaments around the Mississippi-Alabama-Louisiana-Florida region. We do play national tournaments and have struggled a little there, but we definitely make up for it with our showing in tournaments that are closer to this area.
At the national tournaments, the level of competition is so high. When we go to Chicago, we play against 50 to 100 teams versus competing in regional tournaments where it will be around 15 to 20. So there’s definitely a lot more competition at nationals, as you’ll note.
SN: Any recent first-place performances?
JR: Yeah, we had some first-place finishes in Biloxi (Miss.) in a series they have. We actually took second place overall in the series but actually came in first place in two of the events.
SN: Does paintball’s popularity continue to grow in southern Louisiana?
JR: Definitely. It’s definitely gotten into the mainstream a lot more. At first, people didn’t really know what paintball really was, but now it’s compared to skateboarding and every other extreme sport out there.
(Photo courtesy of choppapb.com.) Jonathan Richard takes aim during a tournament in Ocean Springs, Miss. As captain of Team Backdraft, a paintball team based in Terrebonne Parish, the Nicholls State junior travels to various tournaments throughout the United States.
