First Time Out
In the mid '90s I went with my dad and brothers to the local indoor paintball field - a converted skating rink. We rented our pump guns and soon entered a game with almost no preparation other than a warning not to shoot the refs. I played in a number of games over the next few hours in a poorly-lit, muggy environment coated with aging paint. I'm not sure how many kills I got, but I know I got shot many more times than I got someone else. Was it fun? Sure. Was I super excited to go again? Not really, but I still went there again during the next few years if the occasion presented itself.
Fast forward a few years. As a sophomore in high school I went with a group of people who had their own equipment, taught me how to use it and actually employed tactics and strategy. Plus, I played for the first time outside. My introduction to woodsball changed my perception of the sport. Not only was the game everything I had imagined, but to this day, I can still remember the exact sequence of some games we played. From that moment onward, I was hooked.
Needless to say, every time I take a new person out to play for their first time (and I've taken dozens), I try to convey the experience of my first "real" time playing the sport. Spending a few hours hiding in the dark behind oily-plywood won't bring them back for more.
Comments
The worst thing about playing as a first-timer in such circumstances is the intense feeling of being trapped inside. Woodsball allows you to feel free, even if the playing area is smaller. Also, those rental pump guns are frustrating because the chamber randomly opens, leaving you without a shot when you think you have one. I got shot a couple times because my gun wouldn’t shoot and the other guy’s would!
I remember that first game too, it was intense!
I found a 8 minute orientation tape shot in florida and bought it for my son to show him what it was about. He wanted to try it, and it took us about a month to find a functioning paintball location. Though I dropped $50 for two kids to waste 400 shots at each other, it was worth it as they got a taste of it and how quickly it could be over. Also, only one had a chest protector, and the wealt that he experienced taught him alot about safety, gear and what was at risk. we haven’t been back since, but they kids both enjoyed it. Now, they have a sense of what armed warfare is all about, for discussions of WWII anniversary movies, etc.