I got asked recently what it is about paintball that i enjoy so much, how could I love a sport that much that i dedicate my every waking moment to it? It got me thinking as to what it is that is so addictive about the sport. Feel free to gun me down if you disagree.
For me paintball is an escape. Its that simple, its the place I go where all the stresses of the week, all the day to day nuisances are no longer something to worry about. You step onto the field and instantly smile, feeling your heart rate slowly crank up with adrenaline as you look at your opposing team and wonder which of you will fare better. You stand shoulder to shoulder with people that are as passionate about the sport as you are and you look across the field and see the exact same thing. At the end of the game/match/day it doesnt matter what team you were on or mistakes that you made because everyone around you is 'baller and theyve been through it too. There is no poor sportsmanship in paintball, no time wasting or faking of injuries and the money involved isnt important. Nowhere else would a member of another team be willing to loan you a £1000 piece of equipment or be willing to give you game advice, that phenomenon doesnt exist in football or rugby; it is solely a paintball thing. Things like this make me fiercely proud of our sport and proud of the people who make it what it is. Players are fat, thin, tall and small and all of it doesnt make a difference because paintballing is what we share in common, it is the bind we all have and its a stronger bind than ive found in any other sport.
So as you step onto that field with your team around you and adrenaline pumping round your body, the oppostion staring right back at you, you can smile and think "im home"
For me paintball is an escape. Its that simple, its the place I go where all the stresses of the week, all the day to day nuisances are no longer something to worry about. You step onto the field and instantly smile, feeling your heart rate slowly crank up with adrenaline as you look at your opposing team and wonder which of you will fare better. You stand shoulder to shoulder with people that are as passionate about the sport as you are and you look across the field and see the exact same thing. At the end of the game/match/day it doesnt matter what team you were on or mistakes that you made because everyone around you is 'baller and theyve been through it too. There is no poor sportsmanship in paintball, no time wasting or faking of injuries and the money involved isnt important. Nowhere else would a member of another team be willing to loan you a £1000 piece of equipment or be willing to give you game advice, that phenomenon doesnt exist in football or rugby; it is solely a paintball thing. Things like this make me fiercely proud of our sport and proud of the people who make it what it is. Players are fat, thin, tall and small and all of it doesnt make a difference because paintballing is what we share in common, it is the bind we all have and its a stronger bind than ive found in any other sport.
So as you step onto that field with your team around you and adrenaline pumping round your body, the oppostion staring right back at you, you can smile and think "im home"
