College and Paintball
When I go to the field I always see a lot of kids (typically Junior High to High School) and then some older players in their mid-twenties to early thirties. I do meet a number of college-age players, but few are actually attending college.
College hurts paintball players because, for the first time, kids have to step out into the real world and manage their own affairs. Not only do players often leave their hometowns and completely lose their paintball social base, they have to fit paintball in between their study time, work time and social time. Plus, they have to figure out how to pay for the sport while still managing to eat. In a new city, you typically have to balance making new "normal" friends with making "paintball" friends and these groups rarely overlap. There is the NCPA which focuses on college paintball, but college players seem to be more the exception than the rule.
After falling away from the sport for a few years, I picked paintball back up during a summer home from college. After playing 2-3 times a week and establishing a solid group of paintball friends, I headed back to school. Not only was it hard to fit paintball into my schedule, it took massive amounts of effort to create a solid group of paintball buddies who had the time to play the sport. While I did manage to play on a pretty regular basis, it was a pain to make it happen. If I didn't spend my classes dreaming about my weekend's games, I would have given up the sport. After finishing undergrad and heading off to grad school, I've had to go through the process all over again, and it doesn't get any easier.
Too bad advanced education often means retirement from the sport.
Comments
It’s true that moving away to college makes it extremely difficult to play paintball the way you are used to. For me I was never faced with retirement, but rather variation. Before college I played exclusively woodsball. I moved to a college town where speedball was more popular. This allowed me to branch out and try a new game and develop a new set of skills; not to mention make a new group of friends. Also because finances were tight, I chose to save money on paint by playing pump all the time. This gave me a new love for the sport that I had not known before. If you want a challenge try playing speedball with a pump. So if are having difficulty finding your place in a new paintball community, consider variation instead of termination.
Dave,
You never noted that a lot of times, schools already have paintball clubs and teams in place which makes it a lot easier for someone trying to work it into their schedule.
Plus, many NCPA teams have significant sponsors as well as money from their university which helps make it easier to afford.
That said, I agree with the previous poster as I’m starting to play college ball but I just can’t afford to use a UL’d PM7 anymore and have picked up a CCI Phantom VSC instead.
College??? I am 55, a college grad, a business owner and a huband and father of a 15 year old son(who plays paintball with me) and I still find time to play!
I am usually the oldest guy on the field. I always freak the kids out when I take off my mask at the end of the game where I am the last guy out.
No matter your age, GET OUT AND PLAY!
I used to run a paintball field on the side while I was at college and agree entirely with what you are saying. After a while everyone gave up on paintball due to homework and work, but in the end I found that 95% gave up paintball because they spent all their money on alcohol.