Paintball is a Sport. Please support.

[john251282]

This is the criteria for how a sport can become officially recognised by Sport England.

Essential Purpose
The purpose of the activity must be sporting and not a means to another purpose.
The Council of Europe’s European Sports Charter 1993 definition of sport
The sporting activity must meet the definition of sport contained in the Council of Europe’s
European Sports Charter 1993, which is:
“Sport means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation
aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being forming social
relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.”
Rules and Organisation
The sporting activity must have an established structure, defined by rules, and where appropriate,
organised national or international competition.
Uniqueness
The sporting activity must be physically or culturally unique, and not a variation of an already
recognised sport. Where an activity is similar or closely aligned to a sporting activity that is already
recognised, the Sports Councils reserve the right to consult with the body that manages that
sporting activity.
Sustainability
The sporting activity must demonstrate that it is here to stay, through levels of sustained
participation or a relationship to significant international participation.
Risk
The Sports Councils reserve the right to defer an application for recognition of a sporting activity
until its is made in conjunction with a governing body application, where a sporting activity involves
a level of risk requiring management by a suitably positioned National Governing Body.
Other Considerations
Political, moral, ethical and legal considerations will be taken into account when assessing the
application for recognition of a sporting activity. A sport must also demonstrate that there are no
barriers to participation that could be viewed as creating inequity of access.


For paintball, we have no recognised governing body nationally or internationally, it could easily be argued that paintball is not sustainable at the highest levels and finally there are no definitive rules that everyone plays by. There are different gun settings for different tournys, no set criteria for bunker arrangements, timings etc.

 

[Talfryn]

Your talking waffles again.

You can't label a paintballer as a 'pro' just because he trains and plays every weekend. Professional footballers are called professionals because football is their profession.

Paintball is not a sport, everybody would like it to be a sprort, but nobody really sees it happening.

I clearly explained what I meant by the term 'pro' and you are just chosing to ignore that.

After watching this video there is no way that you or anyone can argue that pro paintballers do not exist.

- Fact - because they do exist.

You seem determined to try and prove paintball to not be a sport without giving any in-depth backing. You say 'nobody really sees it happening' well I do see it happening. I make it my business day in day out to educate as many people I can as to the sport of paintball and I feel significantly rewarded if just so much as one person out of 100 I tell about paintball get into it and begin to frequently play.

I do not personally care if it is called a sport or not. If no language existed and so there were no means by which to say 'sport' then there would be no debate of this and that. Nobody should actually care as the word 'sport' is just a label and whether it is a 'sport' or not makes no difference to the game as long as you get what you want out of it - you may just want to have fun but I want to compete at the highest posible level I can and eventually, if possible, be the very best even to the point of which I no longer enjoy playing as long as I and my team are number one!

My mates will go out on a sunday and play football (and hence are doing a sport), I will chose not to go with them and instead go play paintball with my team who are like family. I have the choice between football (which is a 'sport') and paintball; I chose to do paintball in place of the other sport, hence it is my sport just as hockey is the sport of a hockey player who chose not to play football. You, who may only play once in a while, might not view it as a sport as you don't do it instead of something else that you would call a sport.

One can not say 'professional footballers are called professionals because football is their profession'. Whilst this seems like an obvious fact which a lot of the time it is the case it is not by any means set in stone. The Korean football team which appeared in the recent football world cup were deffinately not professional footballers, they were just random members from the army who got selected to represent their country. Whilst professional does of course mean payed in general terms, I would argue that for the duration of this world cup, these Korean soldiers were professional footballers as they were competing in a professional level event.

Finally, many, if not all, the teams who compete in the CPL division of the millenium series are classed as pro. The teams who compete in the SPL are classed as semi pro which implies that pro must exist in order for semi pro to exist! Other than DYNAST and MAYBE a couple of others, none of the teams in the CPL have paid players, yet it is an outragous and insulting idea to suggest that member of teams such as Nexus and TonTons, whilst not payed, are not professional. After training against Nexus and other similar teams I can tell you that these people are professionals. Their whole lives revolve around paintball, as does mine, and they deserve the recognition that a professional footballer would recieve and I try to give this to them.

Mate I've got nothing against you and respect your view and right to an opinion but I think that sometimes you have to just say 'scr3w what the rest of the world thinks' and 'Well I didn't appoint this english sports body thing so what right do they have to judge the sport that has become my way of life' and just get out there and play paintball and through your dedication, my dedication and the whole of the paintball comunities' dedication we will push paintball into the eyes of the world and all live happily ever after.

 

[Bambulus]

Just to put this into a context:

Cheesewheeling is a sport. As is Shin-kicking, and competitive walking. Not to mention Extreme ironing. Go to Korea and you can watch competitive Excercise-Cycling, now that's cool.

Hell, by some of the definitions being thrown around in this thread, Operation and Hungry-Hungry-Hippos would be considered sports. Fun ones, at that.

So, even if we are considered a sport (and who really cares if we are - I mean, big whoop), it's not exactly like we have some prestigious company or any bragging rights. There's no 'Hoorah!' and parade thrown in our honour, we just get to seem like bigger idiots when we're dressed up as Power Rangers bragging about our 'athleticism' and 'Pro-ness'.

And Talfryn, never, ever, ever work in research. Even if it was a joke, it was just downright cringeworthy.

 

[Talfryn]

J
And Talfryn, never, ever, ever work in research. Even if it was a joke, it was just downright cringeworthy.

Wouldn't personally say there is much to research about it, paintball is obviously a sport

:focus:

 

[john251282]

Sport England is the government agency responsible for building the foundations of sporting success, by creating a world-leading community sport environment of clubs, coaches, facilities and volunteers. They are accountable to Parliament through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. By their definition as quoted above, paintball is not a sport. I cannot think of a more suitable body to use to define what a sport is.

After watching this video there is no way that you or anyone can argue that pro paintballers do not exist.

- Fact - because they do exist.

Quite bold claiming "Fact" when nothing in the evidence you submitted actually shows that. In a sporting context this means an athlete must receive monetary compensation for participation. I did not see anywhere in the video anyone having cash given to them.

My mates will go out on a sunday and play football (and hence are doing a sport), I will chose not to go with them and instead go play paintball with my team who are like family. I have the choice between football (which is a 'sport') and paintball; I chose to do paintball in place of the other sport, hence it is my sport just as hockey is the sport of a hockey player who chose not to play football. You, who may only play once in a while, might not view it as a sport as you don't do it instead of something else that you would call a sport.

By that logic, if someone who could go to play football instead went to sunbath then sunbathing should then be called a sport.

One can not say 'professional footballers are called professionals because football is their profession'. Whilst this seems like an obvious fact which a lot of the time it is the case it is not by any means set in stone. The Korean football team which appeared in the recent football world cup were deffinately not professional footballers, they were just random members from the army who got selected to represent their country. Whilst professional does of course mean payed in general terms, I would argue that for the duration of this world cup, these Korean soldiers were professional footballers as they were competing in a professional level event.

It does not make any difference if they played in a professional level event, or if they were soldiers, unless they were paid they are not professional athletes.

Finally, many, if not all, the teams who compete in the CPL division of the millenium series are classed as pro. The teams who compete in the SPL are classed as semi pro which implies that pro must exist in order for semi pro to exist! Other than DYNAST and MAYBE a couple of others, none of the teams in the CPL have paid players, yet it is an outragous and insulting idea to suggest that member of teams such as Nexus and TonTons, whilst not payed, are not professional. After training against Nexus and other similar teams I can tell you that these people are professionals. Their whole lives revolve around paintball, as does mine, and they deserve the recognition that a professional footballer would recieve and I try to give this to them.

In this example "Pro" is just an indication of the highest level of play, and semi pro being the second highest. Again, unless they are being paid with money, i.e. not just free gear, then they are not professional athlete.


I am not sure why you have such an issue with people who act professionally and are dedicated to the activity they enjoy are not professionals. These type of people are sometimes classified as Pro- Ams(Amateur professionalism), they are people who do an activity to professional standards.

 

[Soul Doubt]

Sport England is the government agency responsible for building the foundations of sporting success, by creating a world-leading community sport environment of clubs, coaches, facilities and volunteers. They are accountable to Parliament through the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. By their definition as quoted above, paintball is not a sport. I canot think of a more suitable body to use to define what a sport is.

Doesnt paintball have a "world-leading community sport environment of clubs, coaches, facilities and volunteers" ?? without this english government agency?

If these people have the same mind set as you, then there verdict would be the same, i havent yet read a decent "not a sport" argument for paintball, these insitutions dont have the capacity to discuss the dynamics of humanity and sporting acitivities. These people are coming from a western sporting perspective.

Do you play much? it would be interesting to see the range of "not a sport" supporter and how they play paintball, if these people play once a month at a walk-on then i can understand there view point. but you cant honestly tell the players of Legion, Dynasty etc etc that what they have done alll their lives isnt a sport? they train as hard and as much as footballers etc even more so an darts players! lol

So no im my eyes these people dont have the right to tell me or anyone what can or cant be a sport.

Id like some actual facts or opnions other that "its not a sport" because these people or this body has a list of what a sport is, when quite clearly as ive and others here have stated, "sport" is a far more diverse subject than a list of requirements, and sporting acitivites encompass far far more than those said requirements.

(this is all helping my dissertation btw, so thanks everyone )

 

[Talfryn]

Quite bold claiming "Fact" when nothing in the evidence you submitted actually shows that. In a sporting context this means an athlete must receive monetary compensation for participation. I did not see anywhere in the video anyone having cash given to them.

Maybe if you watched the video you would see that at five minutes and eight seconds in it is quite clearly stated that RL players are paid a salary to play professional paintball.

By that logic, if someone who could go to play football instead went to sunbath then sunbathing should then be called a sport.

Clearly not. That is just a stupid thing to say.

It does not make any difference if they played in a professional level event, or if they were soldiers, unless they were paid they are not professional athletes.

I would argue that they were paid. The reason paid footballers came about was because in order to play to a high enough level players would have to take time of work and so not get paid. So the first paid footballers were paid to make up for the money they lost by not going to their normal job. The Korean football team were paid for the days that they were at world cup, just not millions like English footballers and only their normal rate of pay.

In this example "Pro" is just an indication of the highest level of play, and semi pro being the second highest. Again, unless they are being paid with money, i.e. not just free gear, then they are not professional athlete.

Some (admittedly very few) or the players are payed. Also you have just used the world athlete. An athlete is someone who does sport. So even if these people not profesional you have just admitted that they are athletes and thus paintball is a sport.


Once again I am not attacking you I am just trying to argue my corner

 

[john251282]

Maybe if you watched the video you would see that at five minutes and eight seconds in it is quite clearly stated that RL players are paid a salary to play professional paintball.

Fair enough I missed that.

Clearly not. That is just a stupid thing to say.

How, you said I could have done one thing which is a sport but decided to do something else, therefore something else is a sport.

I would argue that they were paid. The reason paid footballers came about was because in order to play to a high enough level players would have to take time of work and so not get paid. So the first paid footballers were paid to make up for the money they lost by not going to their normal job. The Korean football team were paid for the days that they were at world cup, just not millions like English footballers and only their normal rate of pay.

A hard one for me as I do not know exactly what happened.

Some (admittedly very few) or the players are payed. Also you have just used the world athlete. An athlete is someone who does sport. So even if these people not profesional you have just admitted that they are athletes and thus paintball is a sport.

I used the word athlete to say they were were not professional athletes.


Once again I am not attacking you I am just trying to argue my corner [/QUOTE] Ditto.

Soul Doubt, there are numerous definitions for sport and if you want you can even create your own definition. If it is just a subjective argument then there is no point in continuing, I am trying to use some of the most widely accept definitions of sport that are used to determine what a sport is for the purposes of recognition by the main sport governing body in the UK. Can you give a definition by a respected sporting governing body that would cover paintball as a sport?

 

[Talfryn]

How, you said I could have done one thing which is a sport but decided to do something else, therefore something else is a sport.

Fair, I see what you're getting at but you really have to use some common sense on this one. Using your definition of a sport I would say that paintball deffinately meets most (and I would argue that it does infact meet all) of the criteria to be classed as a sport whilst sunbathing obviously meets pretty much none of the critea. I know with sunbathing you're just talking extremes but seriously it is rediculous to even suggest that sunbathing could ever, in any way, be considered a sport.

Another thing is, assuming that a solid organization were the only thing paintball were lacking, if paintball were to suddenly get the required organization it would become a sport. This is just silly because it means that the exact same activity as what is now a sport due to it having an organization were not a sport when it was exactly the same just without an organization!!!!

I used the word athlete to say they were were not professional athletes.

There is no way that you can argue that the Russian Legion are not athletes after watching how intense their training and fitness program is

 

[Soul Doubt]

Soul Doubt, there are numerous definitions for sport and if you want you can even create your own definition. If it is just a subjective argument then there is no point in continuing, I am trying to use some of the most widely accept definitions of sport that are used to determine what a sport is for the purposes of recognition by the main sport governing body in the UK. Can you give a definition by a respected sporting governing body that would cover paintball as a sport?

Thats the message im trying to get across to you, why does there need to be a "governing sporting body" to define the notion of a sport? As ive stated earlier in my posts, that "sport" is to complex a subject to label by giving it a list of requirements.

Im not trying to create definitons and fit paintball into them to justify my postion, wether or not paintball has the label of a "sport" by some governing body ditached from the world of paintball, it wont change the current climate in paintball. im saying that in a sociological context, paintball economical, socially and culturally all fit into the same development patterns as other sports.