Why Can't They All Be Like This?

After a couple of quiet Friday nights I was very happy to see a good crowd out for laser tag last night. With the tournament a couple of weeks away we wanted to practice as much as possible and it is of course much better with a full house and quality players. Only two out of three of us from the local arm of the team made it out, but Joe and I took the opportunity to employ some practice strategy and rotation between offense, defense and upper level that I think was really beneficial. We also put a lot more emphasis on playing like we will in the event and following the rules regardless of what everyone else was doing. It's a little frustrating in some ways for example to be the only one evacuating a base when everyone else is playing in there regardless of whether they have been tagged out. And various other things like that. But we were not there to worry about what others were doing. Instead last night was about getting ready and I felt really good about how we practiced together and communicated. More often than not when Joe and I are both at the arena we land on different teams to make for stronger competition, but working on teaming up will be very beneficial.

Tonight it seemed I had gotten my game back. The top score went to either Joe or to me every time. This time out I took the majority of the games, but we were always neck and neck for the first or second placement, so between us we had a lock on the night.

Most of the games were very well populated. I took note during one game I overheard an interesting conversation between members of the other team who were talking about us. It went like this...

"How are they so good?"

" They're Iike professionals."

"I don't think there's such a thing as professional laser tag."

"Yeah there is, I asked the guy."

It makes you feel good to hear something like that. Of course in the bigger picture of the tournament we are still little fish, but it was a nice sentiment nonetheless. And that game I had to prove my worth in offense. This game was fairly challenging for base cracking. In a game with 32 players, no less than 20 of them were all on one base...that I needed...and because everyone was there that was good for a lot of easy points, but also a difficult base to crack because I was the only one following the evacuation rules and also, just the math with that many in one spot...if I got ten of them out there were still ten active and aiming at me...but I did it. :)

By then it was getting later in the evening and a good number of people called it a night. Then it was just me with the handful of teens who stuck it out for the duration. Around this point I got the least satisfying win of all because half my team stood in a corner singing show tunes throughout the game. I am not kidding...did not play, sang a medley from Sweeney Todd...sigh. So I played it out pretty much alone against the other teams, but you can tell when the enthusiasm for the evening has dwindled and it was about time to call it a night. Still, the majority of the night was excellent practice and I wish that they could all be like this!

Comments or questions? Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com

Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com