David's Paintball Blog

As the weather warms across the country, current players and paintball neophytes are getting their gear together and heading to the fields to play some paintball.   Many players will be heading out to their favorite fields and will get back with their paintball buddies and be ready for the fun summer ahead.  With the new season approaching, though, rather than sticking to just the same tried-and-true games, I recommend trying out something new.

Paintball is not just elimination and capture the flag.  In addition to countless different game variations, there are whole genres of paintball to try.  If you haven't ever tried speedball or woodsball, give them a go.  If you've never played with anything but a semi-automatic gun, try out a pump with whatever game you want.

Paintball is one of the most flexible and varied sports on the planet.  It's time to experience more of what it has to offer.

It's a topic that continues to come up at fields and in forums: some people believe that paintball is a dying sport.  They claim that more people are leaving than coming, that fields are closing and that the sport is going to decrease to the point of irrelevancy.

I disagree.

Paintball is not dying.  It is changing.  The past decade and even the past five years have lead to significant changes in the sport.  I've seen a greater split between the tournament crowd and the recreation/woodsball crowd.  I've seen the end of established fields and the focus on smaller fields or outlaw play.  I've seen many small stores close and purchasing moved, almost completely, to the internet and big box stores.  I've seen a decreased emphasis on the newest equipment and more focus on learning to use existing equipment.  I've seen greater mainstream acceptance of the sport while it still remains on the fringe of traditional pass times.

Paintball is not the same as it was a decade ago.  I would agree that the paintball world from a decade ago is dying if it is not already dead.  The sport, though, is continuing to grow, adapt and expand as new players are introduced to it all over the world.  Paintball is not dying because, at its base, it is an extremely fun activity that can be enjoyed by millions.  Nothing is going to stop that.

Everyone was a beginner once.

The first time anyone played paintball they really didn't know what to expect.  They had lots of questions.  They were a little scared of getting hit.  They didn't know anything about the difference between different types of guns.  They had no idea what the safety or game rules were.  But they learned the answers to all these questions.

The problem with some experienced players it that they forgot what it was like to be a beginner.  Rather than educating and helping, some players gloat by picking on noobs in games and laugh at their confusion.  Even those that don't actively intimidate the new players don't put in the effort to help them understand the game.  Not only does this lead to general frustration for the players, but it decreases the chance of them coming back.  If everyone focused on actively helping the new players, the sport will continue to grow.  If not, the sport will never be enjoyed by as many people and remain a somewhat fringe sport.

Many players do a good job at helping the new players enter the sport, but I've seen too many that don't.  Just remember, you were a beginner once to.

When you're playing paintball as a beginner, you need every advantage you can get.  If you're going to play on a field in the woods, make sure that you dress the part.  While you may not have camouflage, at least wear dark colors so you can blend into the background as well as possible.  Many beginners are worried about getting shot so they layer up with t-shirts, but it's better to wear a black shirt than grey hoodie that signals to the world to shoot you.

Paintball players love to be the hero.  Whether it's the race to the flag, the long sniper shot or single-handedly eliminating the entire opposing team, it's a natural inclination to go big or go home.  Of course, the end result is that many players tend to go home, or at least spend more time sitting in the dead area than on the field.  Whether it's an attempt to be the lone wolf as part of some strategic offensive or to be the runner who actually completes a mad dash, the results are generally failure.  Sometimes in epic proportions.

Every once in a while, though, these long-shot risks pay off and players succeed at being the star for one game.  I know it's happened to me, because I, like all other paintball players, remember the stories of these games and tell them for years to come.  I can tell you all about the time I was the last player on my team and ran for the flag and three people shooting as fast as they could missed me or the time I snuck, all alone, behind the opposing team's base and shot up the entire defense.  There were many more times when I was quickly eliminated, but I don't remember those stories nearly as well.  In paintball, if you've been the star, you don't remember the times you came up short.

Most new players are initially introduced to the sport of paintball by playing woodsball - the original form of the sport that takes place outdoors in a natural environment.  Paintball, though, is a very diverse sport that lends itself to countless variations and different types of fields to play on.  One of the most popular variations of paintball is known as speedball.  This fast-paced variation of the sport is an exciting blend of team-based play, strategy and movement.  If you haven't given it a try, I highly recommend you try it out.

Paintball is not a singular word - there are countless variations to the sport subsumed in this one word.  If you are a beginner and have never played paintball or only played classic games such as elimination or capture the flag, it's time to try out something new.  There are countless variations of paintball games and you can figure out which ones you like and which ones you'd prefer to avoid.  Better, yet, you can invent your own games to play.

Paintball is as varied and exciting as you want to make it.

Paintball is a team sport.  It's all about spending time together and working towards a common goal.  While there are good times to be had while playing with the same people every week, the same camaraderie can be had with the people you meet up with on the local field.  Even better, spend a little time and strategize with your team before you play.  This team interaction will make the team that much better.

Like anything in life, if you want to excel, you need to practice.  Paintball is no different in that you need to put in the hours to become as good as you can be.  This means that you have to improve your individual skills and your team skills.  You have to know your capabilities and your limitations.  You need to think on the same page as your team and you need to use your strengths to complement your teammates'.

Practice doesn't have to be hard and painful.  Paintball is a sport to be enjoyed and you can practice hard while still having lots of fun with it.  If you really want to excel, take the time you need to improve your skill set so that you can compete in top form.  Practicing doesn't assure victory, but it does help you play at the top of your game.

Twenty years ago, nobody would have thought about batteries when they decided it was time to play paintball.  They just popped on a 12 gram CO2 tank and headed out to play.  Now, though, basic maintenance typically requires changing your batteries, and not just for high-end guns.  If you want to stay on the field, make sure you have extra batteries in your bag.