NCPA

What do you think?  Add your comments in WARPIG's Forums
 

500 Student-Athletes to Compete in College and High School Paintball National Championships, Sponsored by JT USA® Fox College Sports Signs Three-Year Deal to Televise Championships

DALLAS (April 19, 2007) – The National Collegiate Paintball Association today announced that a record 500 student-athletes are expected to participate in the JT USA College and High School Paintball National Championships, April 20 through 22 near Dallas.

The NCPA also announced execution of an agreement with Fox College Sports to televise the NCPA College Paintball National Championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009 throughout the United States and internationally.
JT USA® is the title sponsor of the eighth annual 2007 College Paintball National Championships and the inaugural High School Paintball National Championships, which will take place at Xdrenalin™ Zone Paintball on Lake Grapevine near Dallas. The competition will feature teams from more than 40 colleges and high schools. Event participants and spectators will also be treated to special player appearances by Team Dynasty’s Alex Fraige, Yosh Rau, and David Williams, and chances to win JT VLocity loaders, JT Flex8 goggle systems, and JT SUV Gearbags throughout Sunday’s College Class A Championship match.

Paintball is America’s fastest growing sport, with approximately 10.4 million people participating annually, including clubs and teams at more than 300 colleges, and it is the No. 1 team extreme sport. Paintball is a social, strategic, team-building sport with an adrenaline rush. In paintball, neither age nor physique factor into a player’s ability. The playing field is level. In fact, the college championships will include many co-ed teams.

“Paintball is the only true co-ed college sport,” NCPA President Chris Raehl said. “There are no rules regarding gender, so the women competing are not just the best female players, they are the best players – period.”
The sport’s adrenalin rush, level playing field, and increased awareness regarding being safe – with fewer injuries than jogging, bowling, or golfing – is helping fuel paintball’s growth in popularity and participation.

“We are excited to be a part of the College and High School Paintball National Championships and believe that high school, junior high, and middle school club teams are the next big growth areas for paintball,” said David Jones, Vice President of Marketing for JT Sports, parent company of JT USA.

JT Sports is partnering with the NCPA to award $5,000 in “Paintball in the Community” college scholarships this year, Jones added.

The NCPA National Championship tournament is unique to other college sports championships in that teams from small institutions have an equal and level playing field in competing against larger colleges and universities. Institutions with teams registered for the 2007 National Championships include: Arkansas, California-Irvine, California State, Clemson, Drexel, Illinois State, Iowa State, Kansas State, St. Mary’s (Minnesota), Ohio, Penn State, Temple, Texas State, Tennessee, and Wisconsin-Whitewater. Teams will compete for National Championships in College Class A, College Class AA, and High School divisions. College and high school teams interested in registering for the championships should visit the NCPA’s Web site – www.ncpapaintball.com.

Fox College Sports will broadcast the championships this summer on its national digital cable networks as well as in 91 territories throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East via Fox Sports International.

“The growth of the College Paintball National Championship and the creation of the inaugural High School Paintball Championship is validation that our sport is becoming more and more mainstream,” Raehl said. “Combine a paintball industry leader like JT USA with the reach of Fox College Sports and Fox Sports International, and I believe we are making a significant leap forward for our sport.”

About National Collegiate Paintball Association
The National Collegiate Paintball Association is an incorporated, non-profit organization comprised of college paintball clubs and teams across the country. The NCPA facilitates the creation and growth of college and high school paintball activity and national coordination amongst college and high school clubs and teams. These clubs and teams work in concert with the national organization to create and develop new athletes for the sport of paintball.

About JT Sports LLC and JT USA:
JT Sports LLC, a division of K2 Inc., is a leader in the paintball category worldwide, marketing a full complement of products under the Brass Eagle®, JT USA®, JT Tactical™, Stryker™, Viewloader®, and Worr Game Products® brands, and several products under license from Cybergun USA. The company, headquartered in Bentonville, AR, has operations in Carlsbad, CA, Neosho, MO, and Penzberg, Germany, and sells product on six continents and in over 45 countries.