A large segment of the paintball community is comprised by persons 16 to 25 years old. For many, the ages of 18 through 22 are spent attending a college or university in pursuit of higher education.
With the stress of classes and life away from home, one needs to hold tenaciously to recreation. As well, exercise does not hurt to ward off the scourge of the dorms: the "Freshman Fifteen."
Yet with the time requirements of school and the financial constraints facing all but the luckiest of students, how can an ardent paintball enthusiast continue to participate in their sport?
The answer may be membership in a college or university paintball club.
Diversity America is called a melting pot for its diversity of ethnic groups and rich cultural construction. This is obvious to anyone who attends a college or university of any size: foreign, ethnically diverse, and geographically scattered students are brought together to live in harmony. Many of these students, especially those from outside the U.S., may never have heard of paintball before college.
Invariably, colleges mix paintball enthusiasts with those who have no understanding of the sport and may be prone to "bash" our recreation. Paintball clubs open to all the student body at large bring the sport to those curious.
Love it, hate it, or simply misunderstand it, the presence of a college club affords the public a glimpse at our sport that popular TV and other mass media has been denying us for so long. College clubs also offer a great chance to try the game with friends.
The growth of college ball will help the general public understand our sport. Well-run college clubs will help ensure that, as the word spreads, the news of paintball will be good.
Funding Paintball clubs often receive at least partial funding from the schools themselves, often under the heading of "student activities" or "campus organizations." Schools may not give any money to the club, but official recognition is a major step in the right direction for establishment and growth.
In the cases of clubs that receive money, even a small grant of $500 (as received by some clubs) goes a long way. In the college world where quarters are worth their weight in gold and any bill above $50 is merely rumored to exist, money is tight. For 20 members of a medium sized club, a $500 grant works out to $25 a person. This $25 covers field marker rental and a bit of paint most everywhere. That is a day of very inexpensive play for club members, a key to attracting and maintaining a healthy group of college paintball aficionados.
Rewards By grouping paintball players together in a formal club, one finds the camaraderie inherent in our sport. Members may reap the rewards of associating with persons from many different backgrounds. Every club needs a player who is skilled at basic repairs, a player who is skilled at strategy, and many others to fill specific roles. If a member faces a challenge-tactics, how to change an o-ring, or any other sport-related challenge-the benefit of being in an association becomes obvious.
Get Started Check for your college or university's paintball club. If there isn't one, start one. Be aware that a
club or organization is not always easy to start. It is entirely possible with motivation and tenacity. Membership may be a few players, or a few dozen; the point is to represent paintball responsibly and respectably on campus, and play as much paintball as you can during your college years.
You may find the administration at your school not particularly receptive. Paintball players deserve to be treated with equal dignity and respect. When the school administration looks at paintball, foster positive relations by inviting authority figures such as a Dean to sit in on meetings and attend a play day. Starting any organization is work, but the rewards in the end are well worth it.
Challenges Many from the higher echelons of authority at colleges and universities, meaning Deans and Presidents, have only a basic knowledge of paintball, if any. Due to the traditionally anti-firearm and anti-violence stances often taken by such directors, paintball often gets unfairly classified as a "military" game or a "violent game or activity" and thus seen as detrimental to the safety and mental integrity of students.
The problem of misunderstanding that paintball runs into with the world population at large is only magnified within the ranks of the university directors. Organizers of clubs will find difficulties in proving to the powers that be that paintball is a healthy, character building activity for students.
You and your proposed club members do have the right to be treated equally, and fairly, the same as all other clubs. Go through the rules for clubs so you follow them carefully. If "violence" is an objection, have a list of all the other school clubs so you can point to clubs for other sports that involve far more "violence" or the potential for students to be harmed than paintball (soccer, football, lacrosse, polo, martial arts, wrestling, fencing, volleyball, etc.)
As well as negative pressures from the unenlightened (it is our job to enlighten them!), you may encounter opposition from fellow students. Among the ardent anti-firearm circles, to which some college activists belong, paintball is one of the ultimate evils: it is a "gun game" where people are shot at by other humans, and where it is encouraged to shoot openly at one another. Bear in mind that A) paintball markers are no more firearms than a remote controlled airplane is a house, and, B) of course we shoot AT each other; splatter does not count!
The point remains, though, that paintball players who are open about their sport may face ridicule at the mouths and hands of the unenlightened. Be prepared, and remember: education is the key to understanding. While no one of us may be realistically able to save the world, every one of us can make a difference in some way. We each can affect how paintball is received by the rest of the world: make sure the impressions are good.
Another challenge may be restrictions on having paintball markers and storing equipment on campus. Possession of firearms is forbidden on most all college campuses in America, even by those students legally allowed to own them. Paintball markers, looking like "guns," are also often banned from campus. Some fraternities and sororities may ban possession of a paintball marker from their residence houses. Some day, these restrictions need to be changed. For now, creative solutions must be invented.
Equipment like nitrogen or CO2 tanks, pods and harnesses, and other support gear, is generally allowed on campuses except in extreme cases. However, bear in mind that theft is prevalent at colleges and universities, and anything of value may be stolen. Your options include moving off campus away from these regulations, or finding a friend who lives off campus and will keep your gear. It may not seem right to give up your rights to attend college; keep that in mind when you vote, run for student office, and become leaders in the world of tomorrow.
Gear Some clubs have their own gear; some clubs rent, and some clubs boast members who own all their own equipment. Welcome people who don't own their gear. All paintball fields offer rental gear, or members can loan gear to newcomers.
Leagues With more college clubs, expect efforts at national or international organizing to continue. Organizations such as the NCPA (National Collegiate Paintball Association) are working toward organizing college ball. In 2002, World Cup week included the DraXXus Collegiate World Cup, using the X-Ball format. This year, even more college events are expected nationwide.
Paintball is played worldwide, gracing numerous countries and touching countless lives. College and university paintball clubs bring the sport even more mainstream, and keep players in the sport through their years of studies. Supporting college paintball is good for paintball.
University of Southern California
Sean Donner is the team captain for Identity, the school team at the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles. Sean said, "Because we are at a university, the hardest challenge we faced was finding the necessary time between our busy school schedules needed to refine our skills as a team. During our first local tournament we decided to sign up in the amateur bracket instead of the novice...[and] much to our surprise we placed 3rd in that tournament and left with a few sponsorships." |
Culinary Institute of America
Serge Nalywayko of the Culinary Institute of America was tasked by his fellow students to bring paintball to the CIA. This is his story: "The students at The Culinary Institute of America approached us and wanted us to try to organize a paintball program. First we tried it as a recreational activity and it was one of our most successful activities. After gaining approval from the administrative staff we formed our own club team. We now offer both programs: recreational and club level paintball." |
Dave "Landshark" Norman is a paintball ambassador to the world who divides his time between the plains of Columbia, Illinois, and the hills of Fulton, Missouri. He edits the APG eZine and is a frequent contributor to APG and Paintball magazines.
David Shaw’s photos are from the DraXXus Collegiate World Cup 2002. The individuals are among the hundreds of players representing their schools in the growing college paintball tournament presence.
