all female teams?
- Thread starter SWEET N SOUR
- Start date
I understand exactly what you're saying and in theory it sounds like an extremely valid thing to say...probably because it is...however having being responsible for setting up, organizing and helping run an all girl team for 4 years I can tell you it doesn't happen.Originally posted by SWEET N SOUR
Thanks for the infor everyone.
I do agree with everything you've all been saying about playing in mixed or single sex teams, but I agree that if you want to get females into the sport, seeing all girls teams is a real motivation. But you know how it is when an girl outside of paintball sees a girl playing it, like at a local torni they probably think 'tom-boy' but seeing a group of seven girls playing it, is a bit more of an impression, attracts possibly more attention-this is to an outside girl.
A bloke is just amazed if they see one girl out there!
I hope that all made sense.
It's a lovely ideal but it doesn't work for several reasons. The 6E Chicks came about specifically because we had a group of girls who wanted to play and because they wanted to highlight that women can play paintball on an equal footing with the blokes. As far as I'm aware the Storm Birds were a creation by the ZAP organization, along with girls teams in several other countries, specifically for the promotion of women in paintball.
In their first year it was great, loads of novelty value, all the blokes having a laugh at the girlie teams and treating them as a bit of an oddity and not something to be taken seriously. They got a lot of attention in paintball for one reason and one reason only…the novelty value. In one game at the Campaign cup Gillie had a guy come round to mug her who stopped and said “I’m not gonna shoot you love cos you’re a girl”. Gillie actually turned round and shot him, which I think is fair enough because it was condescending as hell. Interestingly even though Gillie STILL hadn’t been shot at all and “Mr. Nice Guy” had a lovely big yellow splat in the middle of his chest the referee pulled Gillie and let him hang the flag. Now where in the Millennium rules does it say you pull a player because they COULD have been shot first?
The point being that both the players attitude and the Ref.’s was condescending BECAUSE it was an all girl team. On any other team with mixed men & women the ref. and the mugger probably wouldn’t have even noticed…mask+gun = player to be shot.
Something Gillie was always very aware of and actually felt quite bad about, was the fact there were girls already playing in mixed teams who didn’t receive the attention, good or bad, that the girls playing for all-girl teams were getting. In that respect it did appear that all girls teams did achieve a modicum of success for raising the profile of female players.
Only one year down the road however and the novelty factor had pretty much worn off. The girls were pretty much accepted as just another team and just another bunch of players. There was still some novelty value but nowhere near what it had been previously and in truth a significant number of male players and the industry still didn’t really take them seriously. Even their sponsors…
The second problem you come across is awareness. Who exactly are you aiming at when you say “a girl outside of paintball”? We can hardly get ANYONE outside of paintball to look at it never mind getting gender specific.
There’s been very active girls teams around for at least 4 years now and if it’s about “motivation to get into the sport” I’ll bet if you speak to any one of the girls playing for mixed teams now I’ll be very, very surprised if a single one of them says they were encouraged to get into paintball by watching or hearing about an all girlie team.
In my experience, in the long run an all girls team actually set women apart from their male counterparts rather than portraying them as being able to compete on an equal footing and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the best female players in the world play for mixed teams. I probably more than most, want to see more women in paintball, and I don’t mean some scantily clad bimbo pouting and caressing the latest model of electronic, 30-balls-a-second, paint-chucker.
After having invested a huge amount of time, effort and money into all girl teams I just know for a fact that all girl teams don’t work the way they should. I also know why they don’t work the way they should but that’s a whole other issue altogether.
Women in paintball? Yes. Definitely. All girl Teams? Invest your time and effort elsewhere. Wake up call, the novelty value has worn off… If you want to encourage more women to play paintball get in with a decent team, play to your full potential and be the best that you can be. Get noticed for your skill and talent and the fact that you can play alongside and hold your own with the blokes, not because you’re physiologically different.
Think I have to agree with Hatts on this one......
I KNOW that females will always wish to be treated the same on the field, but I think that there will always be different 'on field' treatment for females.
Example, female boxer wants to spa with a guy, would YOU (if your a guy) really smack her one without thought?????
About the muggin thing with the guy saying 'i'm not gonna shoot you 'coz your a girl', he was trying to be a gentleman........ but (before I get blasted) he was WRONG to do that. If he wished to show something, and he shouldn't, then just one shot would do instead of the normal 1-3 shots.
I KNOW that females will always wish to be treated the same on the field, but I think that there will always be different 'on field' treatment for females.
Example, female boxer wants to spa with a guy, would YOU (if your a guy) really smack her one without thought?????
About the muggin thing with the guy saying 'i'm not gonna shoot you 'coz your a girl', he was trying to be a gentleman........ but (before I get blasted) he was WRONG to do that. If he wished to show something, and he shouldn't, then just one shot would do instead of the normal 1-3 shots.
and...
whats the deal with guys apolgosing after they mug u...IF they mug you! Come on...i sure as hell wont be apologising if i mug ur sorry ass!!!
whats the deal with guys apolgosing after they mug u...IF they mug you! Come on...i sure as hell wont be apologising if i mug ur sorry ass!!!
Yes but how many times have you gone in to mug somebody and known exactly what player it is? At the end of the day all you see is another person with a marker, not a bloke or a woman.
And I've got to agree with hatts the novelty of an all female team is done and dusted. Mind you fat ladies charms are always a delight to see
And I've got to agree with hatts the novelty of an all female team is done and dusted. Mind you fat ladies charms are always a delight to see
In my opinion a woman will be more of a role model if she plays for a good established mixed team. Paintball is one of these sports were the out come of a game depends on planning, tactics, skill and luck. At the end of the day if the results of a game went according to your plan and both girls and boys did there part who cares what sex they are (not that it matters if all goes pear shape). Just my opinion.Originally posted by SWEET N SOUR
Thanks for the infor everyone.
I do agree with everything you've all been saying about playing in mixed or single sex teams, but I agree that if you want to get females into the sport, seeing all girls teams is a real motivation. But you know how it is when an girl outside of paintball sees a girl playing it, like at a local torni they probably think 'tom-boy' but seeing a group of seven girls playing it, is a bit more of an impression, attracts possibly more attention-this is to an outside girl.
A bloke is just amazed if they see one girl out there!
I hope that all made sense.
Thank you for your reply Hatts, I see your point maybe the novelty has worn off.
Me, personally I would like to play/guest with an all female team at some point for the experience, but thats because I've always played amoungst males.
Me, personally I would like to play/guest with an all female team at some point for the experience, but thats because I've always played amoungst males.
Hey Wingnut...wasn't you was it?
I actually believe that the guy was “trying to be a gentleman” or at least thought he was...what Gillie found so annoying was that he felt he had to treat her differently and not just as another player. Even worse for the ref. to pull her on the grounds that “well he could have shot you first” is derogatory in the extreme. Play the frikkin rules or don’t bother having them….I know what I’d say if a ref. told me to get off the field because the guy I’d just shot “could” have shot me first.
Chivalry? Possibly. Misplaced? Definitely! If the guy had opened a door for her or pulled out her chair in a bar great…in a serious competition though….?
Gillie has been playing paintball for a long as I have (she’s actually better at it than I am) and despite the fact that she's smaller than some 12 year olds she takes the lumps and accepts it as part of the game just like any (well most) of the men do. If someone over-shoots yes it’s bad or if you get mugged and take one to the back of the head it’s not pleasant and it shouldn't happen but it does. So you deal with it regardless of whether you're male or female.
It takes a lot to pi$$ off the boss but I’ve seen her get really angry to overhear Ref's say..."Take it easy guys...she's just a girl." Man I would love for some ref. to say to the opposition “hey take it easy on Hatts guys…he’s just a fat bloke”
(Not like anyone ever would…b@$t@rd$ )
If you get the chance then you should because it can be a lot of fun. Girlies definately have their own thing going which is way beyond anything I'll ever understand...hell just ask Liz....but I can understand you wanting to. After all girls talk about "stuff" that makes us blokes go queasy and blokes talk about "stuff" that most of the girls probably aren't interested. I can't recall ever hanging out with any girls team where they had a competition to see who had the hairiest arse...Originally posted by SWEET N SOUR
Me, personally I would like to play/guest with an all female team at some point for the experience, but thats because I've always played amoungst males.
These days the Chicks just re-group once a year for Simply the Best to raise money for charity and to have a bit of fun...there's pretty much an open invitation to any girls who want to come along and play...or any of the guys if they don't mind dressing up (Oh god..flashback to JWB in a skirt...those legs..Aggghhhh!!!)