507 Paintball League – Road to First Place in Panama
Winning first place in the 507 Paintball League in Panama wasn’t easy, we arrived on Friday, and right after landing we went out to eat and celebrate, not just my birthday, but also a teammate’s birthday. Good vibes, good food, and a bit of partying. But when we were leaving the club, three women robbed me. I turned around, tried to get my phone back, but by then it was gone. My teammates helped me check them, but there was nothing we could do.
I went to bed sad, angry, and trying not to spiral. But I knew I had to mentally reset and lock in for Saturday.
Saturday – No Time to Waste
I woke up at 6 a.m., grabbed my gear, and headed to the field alone. Official practice wasn’t until 2 p.m., but I wanted a head start. From 6:30 to 9:30, I did slides, movement drills, attacks, and walked the field. It was more than training, it was therapy. I needed to keep my mind off the phone and back in the game.
After breakfast and a quick rest, I got an unexpected invite from Ramon, who was playing for Piratas Panamá PTY. He asked if I wanted to jump into a practice match with them. I said yes immediately. I’m super grateful to the Piratas crew, special shoutout to Ramon, Sergio, and Eddie, for letting me be a part of that session.
Later, I linked back up with my team AWOL (Another Way of Life) to walk the field. We discussed roles, possible matchups, and how we wanted to approach Sunday. We also had Harrison Frye on our side, my second time playing with him. Having his experience with us was a huge boost. We wrapped the day with dinner and hit the bed. We knew Sunday was going to be a grind.
Sunday – Xball, Heat, and Heart
With only five teams, the event used Xball format with only 2-minute breaks between points, and trust me, the Panamanian humidity didn’t make it any easier.
Match 1: Smoke Patrol 507
We were down with under a minute left, but we tied the game with just 4 seconds on the clock. I almost missed it.
Match 2: Selección Panameña de Paintball
We came out strong with a 3-0 lead, but let them climb back. We held on and closed it 5-3. They made us sweat but gave us some great lessons in the process.
Match 3: Umbrella Academy
Let’s just say there was friendly beef on the field. We brought the energy and played one of our best games. I even think it was one of my top performances ever. Final score: 6-4.
Match 4: Piratas Panama
The same team that helped me train the day before. We were tired. But I reminded the guys: Win this, and we go straight to finals. And they responded. The Piratas squad played smart and strong, but we locked in a mercy win 6-2 and got to rest while Smoke and Umbrella played semis.
Finals – Never Let Up
We faced Smoke Patrol in the finals, and they came for blood. We were down 1-3, and they were getting chippy with some overshooting. But we didn’t let it get in our heads.
With 2 minutes left, we tied it up. Then we pushed ahead for the lead. Final 33 seconds, we locked it down. We won. Securing first place at the 507 Paintball League in Panama meant a lot to out team.
Thank You, Familia
Huge thanks to Dakota and Kam for bringing me here and letting me be part of this. My first Open win, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys.
Thank you Harrison—for the encouragement, for the calm, and for telling me to keep going.
Thank you to the rest of the guys Alex and Alexis for believing and pushing through the pain.
I didn’t sit a single point. Played all 43.
And finally…
Báilalo, Rocky.
