Help. Highschool Paintball Club.

[Down the Line]

My freinds and I are starting a paintball club at our highschool and need any advice we can get. What should we say when we talk to the administration? Any general advice?

[thebluenu]

yes, when you talk to them, look professional, and not in camo!!!

[PaintballerX]

Yes. Don't say "me and my friends", say "my friends and I". That way they won't tell you to screw yourself because of your obvious lack of attention to their teachers' incessant ramblings. :)

[DeFauLt]

be sure you tell them it's safer than ballet.

[Down the Line]

Ok, um, thanks guys. Can anyone actually give me some advice :P

[Mrfxiitxx]

Ok heres some questions I'm sure will be on the schools mind before they decided. Having some if not all of the questions answered first should at least show them your serious and hopefully get them to at least take your proposal for real.

1. Where would practices be? At the school or at a local paintball field? If on school property you need to look into things like saftey issues, setup costs etc...

2. How would this club be funded? Would it be self or parent funded or would you want/need the school to chip in?

3. Find out if there are any teachers that would support this idea. Most shcools dont like supporting sports that are not taught by a facalty member.

4. What type of paintball club is it going to be? Just go out and have fun, or are you looking to play tourneys?

Honestly if your just looking to go out to your local field with a bunch of kids from you school you might just want to put up a flyer or something mentioning it and then setup and e-mail list for thoose interested. Schools probably wont be big on the idea unless your competing in tournaments. THey like being able to show something like a trophy etc...

Just my $.02

Mr.Fixit

[Down the Line]

Mr. fix, thats what I'm looking for. BTW we are planning on being serious, going to tournies etc... Anyone else?

[Jaster]

They might also want to know more about the sport. How is it played, what are the rules, safety issues. Especially go over safety. Make that your main point. Goes back to the safety rules, safety equipment used, and Bring it with you to show them. Let them look at all of this stuff. Let them try it if they want. Also a way to get the grown up on your side. You know at least one of the teachers or parents are going to want to try this. Looking and playing with this stuff is going to get someone curious. Invite them to play a game. MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE TIME OF THEIR LIFE!! How many teachers wouldn't want to zap that one pain in the a** kid from class? Make sure that kid plays and make sure he gets hit by the teachers!! They will love it. Bring info with you to show them. Injury statistics and compare them to stats of other sports. More people got hurt bowling last year then playing paintball. Bring your schools injury report and compare it to paintball. (unless your school has a bunch of prettyboys that don't get hurt) DO NOT CALL THEM "GUNS" CALL THEM "MARKERS". Don't say things like "When some one gets shot...." It's "..when some one gets splattered...". You want to make it sound like Mother Teresa would enjoy playing and wouldn't get hurt. Most important. Be serious, be professional, know what you are going to say, KNOW the info, be ready to answer questions allot of them with out having to flip through tons of papers. When they see how much effort you have put into this they will be more apt to take you seriously. Good luck

[Cadet2005]

Okay, for starters, let me say on the record that this plan will fail. GUARANTEED, but I will offer some advice nonetheless.

For starters, don't bother hiding the fact that it is a gun. In fact, push that as far as you can if you don't mind having off campus practices. They will find out the rules and titles one way or another and make their own decision so it really means nothing about what you say. Offer them a list of safety requirements that will be required of the participants, such as safety on until game begins, control of the firearm, so on. Showing a mature level of handling the gun will go a long way to endorsing repsonsibility, but if you insist on calling ti a marker over a gun, they are think you are thinking of it as a toy, not a good call.

Also, find some data online and print up enough copies for all who are listening that shows the average force expelled on the body by a paintball, along with bodily injuries. Show that is safer than football and baseball and you will get by.

Get a video of some GOOD team tactics: communication, movement, good sportsmanship, so on. They love to see the teamwork ethic because teamwork builds character and the school loves character because in the end it brings in students and money.

Bring in an official copy of the rule book for tournaments, highlighting passages concerning safety and conduct to reinforce the idea of fair and safe play.

Be prepared to get shot down. Don't go down in a fiery blaze, bail out and conduct yourself calmly if they turn you down. You get aggressive they will consider paintball an aggressive sport that causes undue anger in young children and then you are sunk. Even if they say no, ask them to consider the issue at lengths and ask them if you could have an extension to proivde further evidence.

USE WRITTEN EVIDENCE. You bring it off the top of your head they will think you are making crap up. No stories, no patronizing, nothing short of the hard facts of what the game is about and what it will provide to studnets and how you will run it. FACTS ONLY. You start telling stories, you remind them that you are a kid and they are going to discount you. Don't hesistate to shuffle through papers to point out statistics. SHOWS EFFORT AND KNOWLEDGE.

Don't offer to take them out there nor point out that studnets and teachers cna participate. Creates a sort of combative role for an authority figure and you don't want that on the minds fo the administration. If they ask if they may see one up close, arrange it, but if you point it out to them then you look like you're reaching for straws.

Don't sit long. Walk, use hand movement. Why do Italians make good business deals? Hey use their hands to emphasize key points. Enthusiasm is good, keep it in check though, shows you are committed. Offer points where there is room for negotiation and negotiate. You're not the MLB here so you don't have a reason to go on strike. Keep them looking at you, actively following you with their eyes, make them feel like they are actually part of something big. You let them sit, make it boring and mondane, poof, you're out the window because if it doesn't earn your energy, it sure as heck hasn't earned theirs.

Again, I think that this will falter. They will probably say no so be prepared for that and to let it go. Don't start a riot, you might end up biting off more than you can chew. It is a decent idea, with potential, but I think America is still too paranoid about the idea of paintball being an accurate combat simulation and a repeat of Columbine and so forth to go for it (that stupid fear will pretty much keep anything involving the slightest of violence out). Good luck with it, and if I can be of any more help, feel free to e-mail me at Cadet2005@msn.com. I have been there before for many things and have won some and lost some so I know the process and the political subtlties that go on and know how crpa like that works. I still am an advocate for one of the teachers in the high school so I am pretty versed in what the administration is looking for. I don't think you should forget it just because I think they'll say no, and I would be glad to help you in any way you need. I just want you to be aware of that fact that might say no so as to not get angry and shoot any future chance down. Good luck.