Team History
Philly Notorious was founded in 2004, or better described as the birth of a brotherhood. Following the fallout of team Philly Brawlerz,
James Schopen stepped up and took the younger members of the disbanded team under his wing, and this legacy began. The goal
was to rebuild and compete as a 7-man team. The team competed locally with moderate success and went toe to toe with teams such
as Arsenal Kidz. In 2007, James left the team in order to pursue other opportunities. Shortly after, the team disbanded due to lack of
dedication and sponsorship, and had essentially lost its spark. There was a brief resurrection of the team again in 2009, but it was
short lived. Throughout those formidable years, the team members still remained tight and in communication - and the brotherhood
remained. After a few years of playing on some well known teams like Infamy and Minions, James was looking to retire from the
paintball scene in 2010. In his own words, James stated ". . . I never really found the brotherhood that I had with Notorious". During
the winter of 2010, James was contacted about rebuilding the team, and the opportunity to again foster this brotherhood was
presented to him. Although initially hesitant at the notion, James decided to jump in to coach and see if the legacy could continue.
James challenged this current version of the team with the tenants of " you will only get what you put into it! " and "don't waste my
time!".
2011 was both a sobering experience and a triumphant year for the team. There were many challenges early on in the training and
the start of tournament season, but the team showed true perseverance. The team had a slow start in the EPL, with an 8th place
finish in the first event. After dropping the first three games in the second event, the team bounced back to take 2nd. Despite this
initial slow start, the team went on to never finish lower than third for the rest of the season ! The end result of this team persevering
under the diligent coaching of James Schopen, was Philly Notorious taking 2nd place in the East Coast Cup, and winning of the
2011 EPL series. Playing for pride is the priority of Philly Notorious, attributing their success to the teams roots. Although the EPL
series was a "race to" format, Coach James kept the team focused on the 7-man format, which taught the squad the importance of
teamwork and communication. 2012 will bring many new and exciting challenges. Philly Notorious will become a 2- team
organization, with the additions of some new faces and talent. As the year moves forward, the teams continuing success will be the
result of communication, discipline, teamwork, and above all, the continuing 'Brotherhood'.
2012 is bringing new challenges, with both the NPPL and EPL teams off to a great start !