TEAM PR1ME: How It All Began

The team now known as PR1ME was never a guarantee. Most of the current members were teammates on a team called Red NRG for Division 3 X-ball in 2008. Red NRG was a union of members from the previous season as well as teammates from Mississippi and three former members of team Godspeed (a long-standing team from Alabama probably most known for its misguided pro-level venture).

The 2008 season saw Red NRG make steady improvement throughout the year, only to be halted by the then deep and successful Cross-Eyed Paintball program. Red NRG introduced many of the players to professional drilling regimens and incite courtesy of several professional players, including the Ironmen’s Mike Paxson for two events and Naughty Dogs members Kevin Fillers (now coach CEP Div1) and Adam Smith (now Aftermath) Many friendships were formed with teams like N10CDX and many of the CFOA staff. However, for various reasons, the team was not able to continue into the following season leaving many players unable or unwilling to start from scratch. This left nearly the entire roster off the field for almost the entire 2009 season. Some players still carried on enjoying the game, throwing lines together at local tournaments. Then World Cup happened.

World Cup motivated the team to “get suited up” and “bring the band back together again.” Many questions were asked that winter: Who’s still willing to play? Will all of those individuals be prepared to “do it right” this go around? Then, finally, where would we play? These conversations took place for the most part between Mike McGowan (current captain) and Mike Bianca. This new team would need a home.

A home it found in a beautiful 40acre property outside of Birmingham, Alabama. The McGowan family ranch or “the farm” as it is now affectionately called. On the property was built a level, sodded field equipped with drainage and sprinkler systems creating turf on par with most people’s front lawns much less paintball fields.

Most members knew this team would be the final chapter of most players’ paintball careers. Most had been on every team and hosted by every field in Alabama, Mississippi, and even Georgia. Mike Bianca, even ran his own field, Legends, in Mississippi. With all the sacrifices that had been made over a decade of tournament experience there would be no more dallying, no more settling, over-zealous or profit-seeking management, and no more tolerance for mediocrity. A unified desire to learn, win, and prove to the paintball world that grassroots teams can be built and flourish in the Southeast would be the foundation of the team.

This new team would now just need a name that could fit the bill.