#57: The man who holds the NXL together. ft. Roderick Mitchell

Step behind the curtain of tournament paintball with Roderick Mitchell, the man who quietly holds the sport together. You’ve probably seen him walking vendor row, fixing problems before anyone notices, or managing chaos on the pro field… but today you get to hear the story you never knew.

We dive into what it’s like to work 30+ events per season, build and tear down entire venues in a matter of days, switch between five different “jobs” every hour, and manage the pressure that comes with being the person everyone depends on.

Rod gets vulnerable about burnout, anxiety, depression, and even past addiction, and how paintball became the place that saved him. He shares how he protects his energy, how he shows up for players and vendors even on empty, why he sees himself as “big energy,” and how he made the pro field in his own way.

This conversation is raw, honest, funny, and incredibly important for anyone who loves this sport, whether you’re a player, vendor, ref, media, or just part of the community.