Message to new people

[Dillon Barker]

Im just getting out of paintball due to time restrictions etc. i didnt have the time to get to a field and enjoy a truly great sport, i was just going to ask if anyone else has got this and say to new people that they should definitely take into account how much time they have to play eg. when not doing school work.

 

[Spittlez]

Some people have left school, drive, and do this on weekends with their friends. I make time for paintballing.

 

[Tom]

Commitments (time & money), priorities, other interests, disposable income, travel / transport

If you can get these balanced then you can play.

In a persons life their ability to have disposable income varies.
A 'child/youth' can have income from parents, part time jobs etc. As long as they are not destitute then the majority or all of this is disposable income.
(The 'supported' youth has their accommodation and food available, and does not have commitments to support others, and can target one interest if they like)
They can commit to paintball while they have the financial support (job or parent money), free time (part time jobs, homework, course work & exam preparation heavily eats into this), and transport.
Youngsters tend to go all or nothing, and will commit to paintball 100% while they can, or until they go onto the next hobby.

An 'older youth' gets less support handed to them from family and get pointed towards jobs (or as they get older the applicable minimum wage and legal working hours rise) This results in a bigger disposable income, but can also coincide with the potential of independant travel - a moped, car etc. They may get their own transport, or just a licence and get named on the insurance of the family car. (Or one of their friends does)
Independant transport is a double edged sword - it opens up freedom but costs money.
They can commit to paintball if they have the money, time and transport. These will dry up at times, but they can drop in out of paintball

Then later in life a person establishes themselves with a regular job. They have commitments - even if they don't have a family they still need accommodation, food, and unless they live where they work - transport.

The schoolchild is in danger of going for all or nothing - discovering paintball, buying everything, then losing the balance of all the factors and ending up moving on

If you cannot play at the moment then consider hanging on to all or some if your gear - even just goggles mean you can rent a gun and have the right goggles for you.
The difficulties of time will change, and if you've still got the gear it will be easier to drop back in
But if it realy has got in your blood then don't worry - you will get back one day

 

[Gee Tee]

I' didn't start playing until I was 25, by which time I had been working for 9 years

My paper round money wouldn't have paid for much paintball... plus the game didn't exist in 1979

 

[digitalman]

When I had the most disposable income paintball didn't exist either, but as previously posted I make sure there is a balance between what I can afford to spend on playing and what I can put towards the other things in life.
I only started playing after I was forty and still have most of the gear I originally bought all those years ago, not worth much in cash value, but handy to keep hold of as it lets me invite mates to walk on days and kit them out with decent kit for the day.

 

[Tom]

Kids today don't know they were born.
My first paintball experience was in the 80s when among us we had one splatmaster and took it out to Salisbury plain. We didn't always have paint, we mostly did our shooting with airguns
Interesting times!

Back when I was young, I never did without, was in an army family so I never knew poverty, but I was never flush with money.

Got into paintball properly again when I was probably 40 - 7 years ago sounds right

Now I know a kid who managed to buy his own Alienware laptop when he was 12 by ebaying old toys, doing odd jobs etc. well over £1000 raised in cash in a few months, and was the lazy one. His younger brother runs his own sweet stall! The little one is too young at the moment (but I did take him for a taster day with .50" not long ago. He will be a future paintballer

 

[Redd]

ever since i started playing paintball, i loved it and try to make time for it even if it means not playing for a couple months occasionally.

i understand what you mean but you don't need to play every week to enjoy it, id be perfectly happy playing once a month which is easy to cater for as it tends to be a Sunday when there's not much else to do.

 

[Gavin Capper]

I tend to play once a month as long as I've got spare cash! so if I don't have the money I wait until the next month! I still enjoy it!

 

[Spookls]

I play once a month @ £50 a go

 

[scotty1987]

its a great additive sport and I had to stop playing for a bit due to funds but then recently joined Warped sports club witch gives discounts if ur a member they are really good if ur close to cosford and due to this im able to get back into the sport