Bloomburg Teen Youngest Member of Paintball’s ‘Team Legendary’

Lewis’ adventurous personality lands him a flattering invitation

By Miranda Johnson
Special to the Journal

Seventeen-year-old Bloomburg High School junior, Jerek Lewis, is a kid who likes to stay active. For the last two years, Lewis has played for Bloomburg’s six-man football team, and he is also a long- time member of the Student Council. In addition to his school involvement, Jerek spends his time practicing and competing with area paintball team, LEGENDARY.
Team Legendary was founded by Marshall and Jaclyn Gooding, the owners of Legendary Shooting Sports Paintball Park, in Nash, Texas. Lewis accepted a flattering invitation to become the youngest member of Team Legendary, after his first visit to the park. He explains, “Since the first day I went up there, the team treated me like part of the family. I got out on the field and just played how I always have, and at the end of the day, they offered me a spot to play regularly as their snake player.”
When asked about any signature moves, Jerek said, “As the snake player I just try to get to my position on the field and move up the field as aggressively as possible to get those critical shots.”
Team Legendary is somewhat unique in that they have a female team member, Jaclyn Gooding. Jerek says, about Gooding, “I don’t find it any different than if she was just another one of the guys. We are one of the only teams that have a female teammate, but it doesn’t effect how the team performs. She plays the same as any one of us.”
Team Legendary definitely does perform, finishing in the top of several regional tournaments in Dallas, Little Rock and Shreveport.
Lewis offers words of encouragement for those who have never tried paintball, “It’s a great sport to play. It allows you to get outside and stay active. It combines strategic thinking with team building skills, and it doesn’t matter how old you are. Anybody can get out there and play. Being with Team Legendary has brought the way I play paintball to a whole new level.”  
To learn more, visit www.legendarypaintball.com, and keep up with Jerek and Team Legendary on their Facebook page, “Team Legendary.”