Then and Now

In a way it's like a fresh start. I didn't even bother to write anything about league last week because it was barely worth talking about. But this week, for the first time, we had a full team and it's the team I would choose to play with any day. I was reminded of when I first started playing laser tag with some of these guys. It's cool to think back on when we first started playing tag together (when doing tournaments and such was just a kernel of an idea) to where we have gotten to along the way with growth, improved skills, several tournament experiences under our belt and new additions to our tag family. This is the Jim Jim Squad, then and now...

Now:

Then:

As for how the squad held up in the league...well, Tyler injured his hand at work so he was pretty much out after the first game. I think the rest of us gained some insight (and an ego check) from playing the Z game in a Force arena. For me it was a good reminder of the stuff we have let go of practicing since it isn't relevant in our home arena. Since our standings are moot at this point I viewed it as a good opportunity for some different experience. I think I know what things we need to work on before July. We also had a chance to play a couple of rounds of SM5, which will be relevant again even sooner. This was the first night in awhile that the league was thoroughly enjoyable and seemed to be beneficial as well. Plus, it was great to have a team properly assembled again. Thanks guys!

Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com
Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

Reunion in the Arena

Ok, casual Saturday night laser tag isn't exactly battle, but it's even less so when in the middle of the "battle" you run into a friend from high school you haven't seen in years and you stop mid-game for hugs and reminiscing right in the middle of the arena. I couldn't believe it when I ran into my friend Kristie who I hadn't seen in ages, but in the middle of a game I rounded a base and deactivated her. Then she comes back around to take a revenge shot, to which I responded with "touché" before firing back, when she said "I know you" and we recognized each other and we started catching up right on the spot.

It's funny what a small world it is. We both live a fair distance away and yet ran into each other out in Syracuse. It was nice to see her, especially on a night when I was playing alone. I told her I had started playing competitively and was preparing for an upcoming tournament which really surprised her. No wonder...I was never into athletic activities back in the day. However, I've always been competitive, which she does know about me. And as such I took the opportunity for a solid night of practice...largely focusing on keeping my shoulder sensors down since stuns are being taken out of the Battle For The Fort event.

During the last game something cute happened. A teen girl got a shot on me from behind and she excitedly ran off yelling "I got the lady!" I replied back that "the lady" has a name, but I liked the formality of it. Like "the lady will have the chicken tonight" only in this case when another player said something like "are you serious?" for the rest of the night I went around talking about myself in the third person replying with stuff like "yes, the lady is serious", So cheesy, but fun. The new game master called me the laser tag queen. If only there were a real crown for that! :)

So all in all, it was a fun night out for tag, great to play and even better to see an old friend.

Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com
Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

Victory with the Hoops

Thursday night the Salt City Hoops hosted a fundraiser tournament at the local Laserforce Center and it was a really enjoyable event that raised money in support of their youth basketball program. Six teams participated in multiple rounds of Team Supercharge competition and our team was on our game all night. I was proud to be the top scorer in the majority of rounds as our team was 6-0 going into the finals.

All six teams played a semi-final round to determine the top three teams moving forward. However, from there the final round had each of those three teams going against each other in one last game. I remember thinking as I walked out of the arena that I knew I had done well, but I was not 100 percent sure of the result. Sometimes I know for certain how a game has gone before I even see the scores, but everyone played well and this time I was really interested to see how things had turned out. I looked up at the board and smiled... Team Four (that was us) had won. :)

That meant we got to play one more game to determine the grand champion. All the players on my team went in for a free for all against each other. Top player was the grand champion of the event. And let me say, kudos to some tough competition in this round! Mickey and Grace especially were definitely gunning for me in particular this round. It was awesome to play with them all night and against them in this final challenge. In the end...

I pulled the top score and they awarded me as grand champion and I was given two trophies. One for being on the winning team and the other for winning the free for all. This is actually my first tag hardware. :)

I must say, considering the way the last couple of weeks have gone, it felt good to be affirmed for my laser tag skills. I feel like in a way I skipped over an important step in my tag journey. I think most people probably play some public tag and if they like it they start to get into small local events like this one and then move on to more serious competitions and mini-geddons before being ready to play against the best at something like Armageddon. I totally skipped that local level step. I went straight from playing casually at my home centers to "let's play an Armageddon" with nothing in between. I'm backing up now and enjoying the results of smaller social tag competitions like this one and my last tournament in Canada. Even in the league my team is going up against players who are preparing for Nats. I've been at an advanced intermediate level banging my head against the walls of the serious competition and just being happy to keep up. But tonight, I got to celebrate playing well and just enjoying everything about it. And it was cool to know that by being there I was also supporting a great cause because there were lots of young athletes there who are excelling in their chosen sport and I was glad to be part of something that will benefit their program. And when all was said and done I got to take a fun photo with the Salt City Hoops players.

And to me that one just takes the cake!

Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com

Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

Showing Up Is Half The Battle

I've told this to my pageant girls for years, but I've never seen it proven so clearly (and irritatingly so) as last night when my three man team showed up for a little local tournament only to find ourselves the only ones there. Unbelievable. Technically another group of three showed up fifteen minutes after the tourney was supposed to start, but at that point with a whopping two teams...cancelled. Sheesh. But to my point, we showed up. So thanks to the guys who were on board, reliable and ready to do this laser tag event with me...and then be good sports about the distance we had to drive just to find we wouldn't have a competition after all.

Yeah, I took a selfie of our would-be team. Don't know what we would have called ourselves. In an attempt to organically develop a team name using all our initials we independently threw out some words mad libs style and this group would have likely been either Team Tantalizing Lemonade by the Sea or Team Speaking of Legendary Tables. :)

Well, regardless of my frustration with this in general (and timing...this probably has to do in part with it being spring break week) I do want to thank Beanz for trying to get something going here. Effort is being made to get activity going and I really hope the people who play at this center can see and appreciate that. And once we were there other things kicked in which allowed us to play, albeit quite differently than expected.

First off, the three of us went in just for a free for all against each other. I've got to say, that was just plain fun for the sake of fun. I need that in my laser tag. :) Just running around and shooting with friends is cathartic and worthwhile. Then the tone changed a bit as a children's birthday party showed up (with REALLY little kids). And a few other kids on break arrived just for public play, which apparently they would have alternated against the tournament games. First off, no, we did not come to play against kids or be big meanies, but once they were there we all turned into mentors of sort. We went in with them, showed them how to get bases, took a few of them around in groups and helped them when they got scared or confused. In one game where the groups blended Tyler played the round out and then told a mom with a more tentative child to tell the little girl the name on his pack was hers. That little girl beamed with joy and was so excited as she believed her name was near the top. And there were a couple other nice teaching moments and fun with the unexpected infusion of kids and a couple of the parents who joined in. OK, this was NOT the night I expected, but I will say it felt good to be youthful and just have fun and see the kids enjoying laser tag. And the frustration over the lack of having a tournament is tempered because I knew there was another one (a fundraiser being put together by an outside group) happening the next day, so we will return ready to rock. :)

Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com

Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

Astonishing

Perhaps what is most astonishing to me is that this post is NOT titled "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things"...like a league. I swear that on Friday I was convinced that the league would be over and I would be figuring out how to explain "tag credit" as a good thing. Knowing in advance that two players were away on vacation I had made arrangements for Tyler and Spencer to fill in. However, I couldn't account for three more people on our team not showing up for one reason or another. And there were other teams in that same boat also. I definitely believe that if this team wasn't bringing new people into the center to be part of this that they would have scrapped it after week three. And yet...astonishingly...we continue. :)

With two first time subs and three random rotators, no two games had the team look the same twice. Actually, that would be accurate to say about every session so far. I am pretty much chalking up the night to an opportunity for experience. I view it as practice for the two "tiny tournaments" coming up this week. We played Masters this week. It felt…ironic.

Something else I find astonishing is that considering how good I feel about my playing in a lot of circumstances (and certainly more so in other arenas) that I keep subjecting myself to situations that tend to slap that right out of me. I must always bear in mind that, like with many things, there are growing pains and a learning curve for almost all of this. While it is humbling, that is probably a good thing in the long run towards making me a more prepared player...but, damn, that is a tough pill to swallow some days! But we persevere, we play and we have a good time or else there is no point. After all, it is only laser tag. :)

Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com

Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

A Low Key Night

There was a really low key atmosphere last night... REALLY low key. I brought my coworker Spencer to tag to learn the ropes in preparation to sub on our league team. He did well. Although the competition was limited to the handful of people who showed up on this incredibly quiet night, that might have been for the best for learning the system.

A younger player who is clearly on fire for tag was playing as well. At one point when we crossed paths he shouted "Get her! Get her! Not me!" I teased him that this was a warrior battle call I was unfamiliar with. :) However, I was heartened by his enthusiasm. He is gaining skill and proud of his level five accomplishment and was a good reminder of what tag here could be like when it isn't all about...other stuff. I remember the feeling of ascendance (yes, pun intended) that I had not too long ago and somewhere along the lines that has started to slip. But playing, not to be competitive, but just to enjoy the game with some new blood was really nice and made it worth sticking around.

Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com

Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

Ummm.....

So, someone I know recently unlocked this achievement at our local Laserforce center...

I have no idea what was required to get this. Congrats on whatever the accomplishment, but...do any other Photon warriors take issue with anything here?

Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com

Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com