#273 - Josh Taylor

·1 hr 16 min·5 clips

Facing potential relegation, Josh Taylor says New York Extreme is now 'the most dangerous animal back into a corner.'

The episode begins with ads for sponsors Lone Wolf Paintball, HK Army, and Andrew Lopez Law. Hosts Tyler Harmon and Marcello Margott introduce guest Josh Taylor from New York Extreme, setting the stage for a discussion about the team's challenging season heading into the NXL World Cup. Taylor reports from the Hudson Valley, describing the team's recent break and a productive practice with the Houston Heat. He discusses the coaching dynamic between Rich Telford and Dan Holliday, praising their analytical, detail-oriented approach. The core of the interview explores NYX's season struggles, which Taylor attributes largely to a cascade of injuries, starting with the loss of core communicator and steady player Corey Hall just before the first event. This forced the team to 'run lean' with a small roster, and further injuries to players like Pat and Jerry exacerbated their problems. Taylor describes the team culture as 'herding cats,' with individually talented players still working on full-field connectivity. He outlines the team's structured practice program, fitness accountability, and a manual that sets clear expectations. The conversation shifts to Taylor's personal journey into paintball, sparked by a Daria episode and a birthday party, leading to local play, reffing an NPPL pro final, and eventually joining NYX around 2015-2016. He discusses his life outside paintball, working as a flexible insurance adjuster and raising a three-year-old. A significant portion is dedicated to Taylor's coaching philosophy at Hornet's Nest, where he runs 'dojo-style' drill nights focused on fundamentals like step-backs, snake snaps, and the 'hard-to-kill' two-target drill learned from Russian Legion. The hosts take questions from their Discord community, covering topics like his writing for Great American Paintball, favorite foods (Caribbean, grilling for the team), the mindset facing relegation ('a dangerous animal back into a corner'), other hobbies (live music, snowboarding), and nutritional strategies for tournaments, emphasizing electrolyte balance and front-loading calories. The episode concludes with well-wishes for World Cup, where NYX must perform well to stay in the pro league.

As heard by us

A grounded look at how local access, free paint, and lasting relationships carried Josh Taylor into national competition.

Josh Taylor's route into national paintball comes through as loose, local, and earned. A field 15 minutes from home gave Yukon Paintball players access to stronger competition, while Ken Rusterholz's invitation turned extra field time and free paint into something closer to an…

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Why you'd press play

You want to know how living 15 minutes from the right field can turn local practice into a national paintball path.

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