NPPL PRO TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD- SF EXPLICIT Don’t Stop Till You Hit the Top
As the day goes on he just can’t take it. Just standing around while his son and friends play around is tiresome. He starts to wonder if maybe just maybe I could do this. It went from just a drop off to the start of a great journey and an inspiring captain. The rise of Explicit and the future that lies ahead of them.
Robert Montiero was just another father at the field learning the sport. Making sure his son had fun and supporting him in whatever he does. He has a family and runs a logistics company but today he takes on one of the greatest challenges, “Paintball”. As his son plays for the first time his mind starts to wonder and impulse kicks in. He buys everything: marker, hopper, tank and all the apparel you could think of. Once you begin playing there is something that just over comes’ you. Adrenaline starts pumping and you want more. Paintball had already grabbed him before he started playing. Here’s where it all was set in motion. Paintball had turned this father and son duo into weekend warriors. They continued this every weekend streak of practice for two months before meeting friends that loved the sport too. As they grew together so did their knowledge of the game. A couple young gun tournaments here and there and they were ready. Explicit set out to their first big tournament with a team of 9. XPSL is one of the many leagues that were around for the experienced players. This introduced Explicit to 7-man style of play. XPSL Vegas ’06 was the unveiling of Team Explicit. Although they finished 23rd out of 74 teams they held their heads high. Rob was determined to make this team a top contender. Practice schedules came soon after this tournament. Explicit started practicing non-stop against the best teams around. Rob had a saying that “You only get better by practicing the best.
Tournament after tournament they missed the cut just barely to make the day that everyone hopes for, Sunday. This only made Rob train the team harder and harder. This led to practicing both Saturday and Sunday. They began trying out new things and different players. One thing you have to learn is that players come and go. Rob only wanted players that have the hunger to win and play for Explicit. As things came together and they had a few wins under their belt Rob made a promise no one would forget. “We will go pro in two years no matter how we do it.” This resonated in the boys mind for months to follow.
With the ’08 year coming to an end and only the NPPL Commanders Cup left Explicit went in guns blazing. They ended up placing 7th but had learned a lot.
A couple weekends had passed and Rob got a call that would change Explicit forever. With the NPPL going under and new leagues emerging they were offered a once in a lifetime opportunity. With USPL coming into play as the new 7-man league they had met and made a huge decision. Every pro team manager had met and chose to bring a select few divisional teams up into the big leagues. Rob was offered a spot to become a professional paintball team. As the entire team had learned of the news it was unanimous. Explicit would be a newand upcoming pro team. This was a dream come true to every one of our players. We all play to get better and one day get to the level of pro. Having Robert as a coach you learn that he aims high and never misses. Becoming pro came a little faster then he had expected but he got them there.
Through out their journey from the bottom up they had settled down with a set squad and would go into their first pro tournament ready for anything. Family, friends and the players of Explicit weren’t ready for the fan base they were about to witness. The grand stands announced their first game on center court and the crowd went wild. Roars from every corner came in and gave the boys the confidence they needed to win. Ending the tournament with only missing Sunday by 20 points made Explicit proud of their first pro event. They had gained experience and more important the respect.
To most, paintball is a way of life and your team turns into your family. To know that when you step on the field that everyone wants what you want. It’s a feeling that you never want to give up. Practice every weekend, lots of running, and a whole book of drills. They strive to get better at every turn and won’t stop till they reach the top. Explicit couldn’t have gone this far without the drive and determination of Rob Montiero at the reins.
San Francisco EXPLICIT
As the day goes on he just can’t take it. Just standing around while his son and friends play around is tiresome. He starts to wonder if maybe just maybe I could do this. It went from just a drop off to the start of a great journey and an inspiring captain. The rise of Explicit and the future that lies ahead of them.
Robert Montiero was just another father at the field learning the sport. Making sure his son had fun and supporting him in whatever he does. He has a family and runs a logistics company but today he takes on one of the greatest challenges, “Paintball”. As his son plays for the first time his mind starts to wonder and impulse kicks in. He buys everything: marker, hopper, tank and all the apparel you could think of. Once you begin playing there is something that just over comes’ you. Adrenaline starts pumping and you want more. Paintball had already grabbed him before he started playing. Here’s where it all was set in motion. Paintball had turned this father and son duo into weekend warriors. They continued this every weekend streak of practice for two months before meeting friends that loved the sport too. As they grew together so did their knowledge of the game. A couple young gun tournaments here and there and they were ready. Explicit set out to their first big tournament with a team of 9. XPSL is one of the many leagues that were around for the experienced players. This introduced Explicit to 7-man style of play. XPSL Vegas ’06 was the unveiling of Team Explicit. Although they finished 23rd out of 74 teams they held their heads high. Rob was determined to make this team a top contender. Practice schedules came soon after this tournament. Explicit started practicing non-stop against the best teams around. Rob had a saying that “You only get better by practicing the best.
Tournament after tournament they missed the cut just barely to make the day that everyone hopes for, Sunday. This only made Rob train the team harder and harder. This led to practicing both Saturday and Sunday. They began trying out new things and different players. One thing you have to learn is that players come and go. Rob only wanted players that have the hunger to win and play for Explicit. As things came together and they had a few wins under their belt Rob made a promise no one would forget. “We will go pro in two years no matter how we do it.” This resonated in the boys mind for months to follow.
With the ’08 year coming to an end and only the NPPL Commanders Cup left Explicit went in guns blazing. They ended up placing 7th but had learned a lot.
A couple weekends had passed and Rob got a call that would change Explicit forever. With the NPPL going under and new leagues emerging they were offered a once in a lifetime opportunity. With USPL coming into play as the new 7-man league they had met and made a huge decision. Every pro team manager had met and chose to bring a select few divisional teams up into the big leagues. Rob was offered a spot to become a professional paintball team. As the entire team had learned of the news it was unanimous. Explicit would be a newand upcoming pro team. This was a dream come true to every one of our players. We all play to get better and one day get to the level of pro. Having Robert as a coach you learn that he aims high and never misses. Becoming pro came a little faster then he had expected but he got them there.
Through out their journey from the bottom up they had settled down with a set squad and would go into their first pro tournament ready for anything. Family, friends and the players of Explicit weren’t ready for the fan base they were about to witness. The grand stands announced their first game on center court and the crowd went wild. Roars from every corner came in and gave the boys the confidence they needed to win. Ending the tournament with only missing Sunday by 20 points made Explicit proud of their first pro event. They had gained experience and more important the respect.
To most, paintball is a way of life and your team turns into your family. To know that when you step on the field that everyone wants what you want. It’s a feeling that you never want to give up. Practice every weekend, lots of running, and a whole book of drills. They strive to get better at every turn and won’t stop till they reach the top. Explicit couldn’t have gone this far without the drive and determination of Rob Montiero at the reins.
San Francisco EXPLICIT
source from Explicit web page.
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