Anything boys can do, girls can do better….and in this case I personally won’t argue as I have little doubt this baller would own the old cat in a heartbeat!
Having female’s hit the paintball field is always awesome, perhaps due to the fact that so few of the fair sex opt to play the game. What’s even better is when a female picks up a paintball marker and is really really good at it….enter Taylor Cormier, another female paintballer extraordinaire.
The following is The Catshack Reports indepth interview with Taylor Cormier of The Section 8/Woburn Monsters.
My early participation in the sport of paintball was rather random and unexpected. I picked up my first Tipmann 98 in July of 2008, a few friends of mine were having a pickup game of Woodsball and invited me to attend. Slightly curious, and slightly bored, I agreed. So my bestfriend Kim and I ventured down to our friends backyard and played a game consisting of a good amount of Tippmans and lots of camoflauge, we had a blast; so I continued to play in the woods on sundays for a month or so.
Shortly after my woodsball start I began to get bored with it, I had heard that “speedball was different” and I was curious. So wanting to learn more I started doing some research on local proshops, fields, and leagues around my New England area. The results I gathered from my research altered my future up until the present. I discovered the great late field of Monster Paintball in Woburn, MA; and D&D Paintball in Danvers, MA.
So I grabbed a few friends and we ventured down to Monster and played a pickup rotation using Tippmann’s and a Mini Invert. We got destroyed, but it was then that I fell in love with the sport. I started playing all the time, my interest sparked immediately. I played rec-ball and asked for help from some of the staff down at Monster. It was an amazing field, and I know I speak for all of the Monster kids when I say, “we wouldnt trade those times for anything.” I started to show some progress and dedication and was picked up by Monster Paintball Sabotage, yet with the closing of Monster, the team fell apart. I continued playing rec-ball and making friends, and thats when I was asked if I would like to play the 2009 NEPL 7-man intermediate with GSP Predators. I played Event 1 and 2 with the Predz and we had minimal success. Around the same time I began to take notice to the X-Ball format. I decided that I wanted to give it a shot so a few friends and I went to play some Xball points at Camelot Paintball in Chicopee, MA. It was different, but I took a strong liking to it. When the day was over I was approached by the owner of the field Chad Farnham. He proposed an offer involving playing the last 2009 AXBL/MXL for his team Worcester Legion. I gladly agreed. Still being an up and coming player with immense amounts to be learned; the best thing you can do for yourself is continually play as much as possible, and make progress everytime you step on a field. I played the MXL4 with Legion and we did well, but more importantly it was a learning experience.
Since the event, I started playing with another team, Section8/Woburn Monsters. We played the NEPL 4 Intermediate and took 4th place in the finals, we also were rostered and played The Best of New England (NEPL 5) in the Amateur division with a little harder time, while the Section8 boys (the big sister team) took 4th place in the Amateur division, once again making it into the finals. Since then I have been playing with Section 8/ Monsters and it has been the most fun I have ever had stepping out onto a field. I love all my boys and couldnt be happier with them 
Continuing on with the current team im playing with, Section8/Woburn Monsters, the recently passed 2009 season was very successful; they dominated in the MXL and in my opinion would do serious work in the AXBL division, which I personally look forward to seeing next season. The season highlights consist of the entire weekend of AXBL/MXL Event 3 in Rochester, New York. Including a set of bash brothers, a european swim suit, permanent marker facial hair, a few Rick Flairs, some Borat quotes and much much more. But on a serious note Section 8/ Monsters competed in the MXL/AXBL and the NEPL, they always play to win still have a blast while doing it. The group of misfits that I call home plays locally, considering we are a New England based team.
Our network of players is very large, but the roster consists of: Butchy Montoya
, Anthony “Twan” Montoya, Derek Salfity, Derek “Dank” Montalto, Greg “Radio” Lizotte his brother Jon Lizotte, along with the boys father Robbie Lizotte, Kevin Clarky, Brian Weeks, Matty Carignan, Evan Lumb, the eighth grade killer Reid “Neil” Gallant, Marc Davidson, Jordan Griener, Tony “TK” Kearney, Dan Meadows, Jon Sardina, and Kevin “Little Man” Ciara. The bonds and friendship that surrounds this team is what drives us. Its what separates us from the rest,we are a unique and slightly disfunctional family. We have a strong unity between the players, and that is what gives our team that synchronized playing style that allows us to wipe out the field like a machine. WANT SOME?! GET SOME BABY! <3 Still like a family, we have our moments. No one is perfect we know, yet we always will strive for perfection.
Paintball is a sport of many aspects and it takes a serious want, its not something that you can half ass and expect great results. It takes hard work, and more importantly dedication. I have been an athlete my entire life growing up and my competive nature will usually shine through. Still the first time I really stepped on a field and got that “feeling”, I didn’t panic; I absolutely loved it. The overwhelming feeling of accomplishment is unlike any other “rush” that I have gotten from playing other sports. I also like the fact that I’m doing work on attracting more and more females to the sport, it would be nice to gain more publicity toward girls. So, if there are any girls reading this interview I highly encourage you to step on a field and give it hell. Its obviously a male dominated sport, but any girl can leave her mark; I encourage all to try.
The fact that there is so few girls playing the sport is a problem, and every problem has a solution. I believe that female attraction involving the sport would increase greatly if the publicity and societal acceptance levels grew; and also if more focus was aimed at involving females. I mean, lets face it, not many girls really feel like getting shot up and down with paint “bullets” coming at you doing about 300 fps and in Xball, about 15.4 of those a second. Still after the initial shock of getting “shot” by something, its really not that bad. I actually had a girl in one of my classes this year see my bruises and ask me, “EW! Look at all your bruises! Why do you do that?” I told her, ‘they arent just bruises, they’re my battle wounds.” From that moment on she didnt ask many more paintball related questions and looked at me a little stranger, but its the fact that playing paintball takes a unique state of mind. Most girls today in society wouldnt even consider it, let alone the fact that it could possibly be fun. But to all the girls reading this, paintball is fun, its more than fun actually; its an effin blast . I strongly encourage any girl to pick up a gun and go out there and have some fun. Paintball is for anyone, any color, age, gender; yet there is one thing that all paintballers have in common, and thats love for the sport. For a victorious outcome filled with success every baller knows you need to have the dedication and more importantly the heart.
If given the opportunity to go pro I would have to say yes. If the time came around to where I was satisfied with my playing level and felt that I deserved it, then I would gladly accept. If I did go pro, I think that a main component for success is team unity; so If I went, I would want ALL my boys with me, sEc8/Monsters [all day <3]. Yet if I had to choose a team thats already competing in the pro-circuit then I would either choose Infamous, PB Vipers, or the All Americans. All their playing styles have appealed to me one way or another.
As stated earlier, I have played woodsball, and its fun. I still love going out into the woods every now and again to just mess around. Its a nice alternative to the seriousness of tournaments, competition, and the pressures that come with them.
I agree with the statement that paintball is hurting these days, well at least thats what it seems like in New England lately. A good friend of mine, Anthony D’ Ambrosio once told me a very smart theory that I strongly support, and that is; that the main focus for paintball should be on the up and coming kids. It should be on making sure that they are having fun, learning, and progressing all at the same time. I feel that paintball has become financially oriented and certain parts of the sport are altered due to those reasons; a shift in the point of focus needs to be brought back to the players. I have already seen slight progress been made in certain aspects and I look forward to seeing more. I’d like to take this time to thank my friend Anthony “T2″ D’ Ambrosio and others like him who support this cause and are doing what they can to make changes. We appreciate it.
I currently attend Salem State College for my Bachelors in Sports and Movement Science, and my ending goal is to recieve a Masters Degree in Athletic Training. In a perfect world I could incorporate that into paintball somehow and have that be a successful money making career, but as of now there is no definites. If paintballs publicity continues to grow and becomes like every other professional sport than possibly an onsite trainer would be required at events; yet thats only an idea in the works. I plan to work on researching and detecting early signs of knee problems in young athletes, and potentially do specific work on prevention mechanisms.
The 2010 season is going to be busy with lots on the agenda. As of now I believe there will be 3 Leagues I will be competing in, but nothing is set in stone. I look forward to the new challenges and awesome times to come, along with taking home some trophies
I would also like to thank the people that have watched me throughout the season and always been supportive with my playing, starting with the Brown Family, who owned the late field of Monster paintball. A former player of the New England Hurricanes who is also a good friend of mine, Dave Thibault Jr., from D&D Paintball, and his close friend who currently plays for the NE Canes, Tom Buckely. Whenever I had gun issues, strategy questions, or just moments where I needed some advice, they were always supportive and there to help. I also cant forget the amazing people I met throughout the season that made this new experience that more fun including Sean Valukis, John “Jewa” Vitale of Boston Paintball, Mike Cole, Chris Alt, Chris Beamon, Gabriel Ricard, Max Cohen, Harrisson Frye, Jon “Chip” Gomes, mi hermano hispanico Phil Velez, Lil Ant Vitale, Mike Brown, Aaron Kent, and many more from the NEPL and MXL. Thank you all for helping me grow as a player and having a great first season. I look forward to seeing you all soon. I also would like to give a small thanks and a wish of good luck to the industries that surround NE Paintball and make it possible for us players to grow including Moster Paintball (R.i.P), Fox4, Visually Implied, One Love, Phamous Media, PnL, Camelot Paintball, Cron Paintball, Friendly Fire, and the up and coming Youth Paintball League.
Sincerely,
Taylor Cormier
So there you have it, a few words and some thoughtful ideas and insights from young Taylor Cormier, up and coming baller…thanks for stopping by The Catshack Taylor and I hope those girls reading this article take your advice seriously and pick up a paintball marker and come on out to have some fun!
