When Life Takes Over

[Jim Jam]

I know of many people who use to play Paintball at a Competitive Level who have had to give up because of problems within their personal lives, sometimes the players keep some of their kit in hope to play again but most end up not playing ever again.
So I wondered at what point for you does Paintball take a backseat and your personal Life Takes Over?
For me it's been ever since I've got to pay for things such as Repairs, Petrol, Bike Training/License, etc. and haven't had the spare money to pay for any 'Balling bits or days.
I've sold my marker and Hopper, but I still have the rest of the kit hoping that I'll be back on the field soon enough, but in my spare time (In-between work) I help out at my Local Walk On site (Holmbush (Link in my Sig)).
So I wanted to know where it stops for you guys? And what you'd do to keep playing?

 

[Dskize]

Kid number 2.

 

[Dusty]

Everyone has to make a choice. You either want to push and be the best you can be and give up everything to play ball or you don't, I know Bolter once brought a suitcase full of pot noodles or super noodles with him to a tourney so he could save money on food.

I had a good time playing a few tourneys round europe, I never played higher than the old Div 1 Millenniums but i'm not sorry. I have a wife, three kids, dog, 2.5 jobs, mortgage and not a whole pile of time. There's nothing happening locally here except for a few training days which are usually on a Saturday and I'm working most times so can't make them.

Obviously not everyone can make it to the top, no matter how hard they try because real life doesn't allow it. You can be the most dedicated player at each session, turn up to every practice, every tourney and still just be a sh*t player. Equally, you can be the best player on the squad and a natural talent but if you have the wrong attitude you'll never make it. The top spots are ridiculously limited, I simply realised I would never make a pro player because I wanted a life, house etc etc.

Take into account the time off work needed to play away, I know my job would not have accomodated it for me. "Pro" paintball player doesn't really fit into their category of reasons I MUST be away from work on unpaid leave. I have to allow time for family holidays, half days off for parent teacher meetings and school plays, days off for birthdays and I only get so much holiday allowance each year.

Now I'm coming up to a point in life where things are stable and I have a few extra quid again to spend on things like paintball so next year I'll hit up an event or two for sh*ts and giggles. I don't like being away from the kids, I miss them, being the soppy sentimental type that I am. Having to explain to a crying 3 year old why Daddy isn't going to be home to kiss them night night tonight isn't a fun day out. Having to explain to a wife that you're off to have fun for a few days while she's left home with the kids (a job in itsself) isn't exactly fair either but paintball isn't family orientated either.

The way I see it, paintball will still be there when I'm ready to play again and have time and money on my side. If I had done it the other way round and put paintball first and tried to make a pro/semipro spot, I wouldn't have my 3 kids, I wouldn't have the standard of life that I do and the nice toys that I can afford to buy. I wouldn't like to be starting out saving at his stage trying to get a mortgage and sorting out a life. Life costs money, paintball don't exactly pay a wage.

 

[Gadget]

Only thing that stopped me from playing competitively was that it stopped being fun. Played on a fantastic amateur/young gun team with friends and loved every minute of it, but had an opportunity to move to a pro team and did so. Fewer friends and more pressure to win sucked all the enjoyment out of it and I walked away from playing for 4 years. Play far less that I used to now and tend to avoid competitive play still as I don't enjoy it as much.

Getting married and having a child didn't really cramp my style as I only play half a dozen times a year anyway and my wife is very understanding! Biggest change was my wife giving up a well paid job which meant that I can't splurge on equipment quite as liberally (I enjoy buying and fannying around with pb kit as much, if not more, than I do playing!), but that's probably a good thing otherwise I'd be knee-deep in Egos and Geos.

 

[phil-boy]

Gadget, you are almost as much a whore as me !! When did the loss of the wifes job stop you buying stuff ??

I love the Game and being "cough 41 cough", have played since I was 18. Earlier as a rental punter and then joining with Gadget and some other friends a team in the early nineties. Have played since with a gap of approx 3/4 years about 10 years ago. I too now have the pressures of life being wife, mortgage, a kid and 2 stepdaughters. I only play maybe 10 times a year and spend far too much money on "stuff" and too much time on the forums whilst at work (like now !!).

For me now its more about the friendship and relationships I have with my team mates. I joined the Redskins 10 years ago and one team mate is someone I met 20 odd years ago and is a good friend. Theres also a few other guys who are now good friends and win lose or draw we always have a good laugh. My mate Gadget (above) is someone that I have known for 22 odd years and we still socialize and play scenario together with a couple of other guys. My son is now coming up to 14 and has played a couple of times so introducing him to PB means its got a little dearer for me, however thwe fact that I'm taking my boy out means I dont get as much grief form the wife - although this then means she can spend more time shopping without and ramp up the credit card.

I wish I had been able to play at perhaps a higher level, but I must be honest and admit that I dont think I could have done - the times gone now so I will never know.

Do I regret paintball - No
Would I change anything - No
Would I change my spending habits and not buy shiney stuff and bits I dont need - Hell Yeah !!

Paintball rocks and every time I think about chucking it in, I always think better of it !!

 

[Jim Jam]

Thanks for the Responses guys!
I see many of you have Families and other things to pay for but still manage to play a bit, which is great!

I love the sport, and wish I could afford to play more especially on days like today!
I'm lucky in the fact I have very little to pay for as I don't pay many bills etc. but the little I do have to pay for takes near enough all my money. So I would like to add, how do you budget so you can go 'Balling?
Working Overtime? Pre-Planning for certain events only? Or just saving a bit then spending it on Paintball when you have enough?

 

[alexunder]

So I would like to add, how do you budget so you can go 'Balling?
Working Overtime? Pre-Planning for certain events only? Or just saving a bit then spending it on Paintball when you have enough?

I am a father of two and at times it gets tough to make the ends meet. To fund painballing I gave up on good coffee and drink only the one provided by my employer - £2.50 per day gives me just about £50 per month. Enough for a walk-on. If I have any extra income then I invest it in paintball.

 

[Bolter]

For me, I slowed down a bit when it suddenly dawned on me one day that I wasnt that good any more. It got frustrating, things at 30 dont work quite as sharp as they do when you are 21, thats for sure, and playing in the top leagues in Europe, spending £500 a month at least on paintball, playing the best guys/teams, I just wasnt performing. And ducked out. A little depressing to say the least. All that work, all that training, and the closest I got to a win was 4th place Pro 2003 (dont get me wrong, its also my proudest moment )

But about a year in the abyss, I suddenly realised I didnt need to take it seriously, and could actually go and have a laugh, so for the last 6 years, thats what ive been doing. I play half a dozen times a year, for a laugh

 

[Canon Fodder]

It can be tough but like alexunder says save up £50 and you've got a walk-on. Drink a couple of pints less at the weekend, make some toast when you get home instead of getting a kebab, put the money you would have spent in a jar.

If spending on paint when you play is a problem only take out a hopper and a pod instead of a pack full.

 

[hipjaw]

I'm a bit of a dreamer and as much as people hate it and as much as I pretend I'm saying it ironically, I'm currently applying YOLO to the situation. I packed in paintball when I was 15ish as I wanted to spend my weekends with a girl (believe it or not) and then as time went on I started playing drums as a hobby and so spent the weekends working, playing drums and banging chicks.. Okay, one chick.
Paintball was expensive at that time and my only income was from a paintball site. I could have made it work if I wanted to sacrifice having money and performing, but honestly it would have been a struggle.

Cue 19 years old, all my band mates went to university, I got a full time job and I'm bored, uninteresting and I'm over drinking all the time. I pick up a gun again and then just like that paintball takes over. Since then I've been playing at every available opportunity; at first I travelled around from Bristol to Hereford, Stafford or St Albans just to train anywhere that was open, even if I was alone. Luckily my local paintball site at Cribbs opened up and I have been there every single Sunday unless I've been at tournaments elsewhere or the site had to be closed. Every Saturday available to me I've been there too and there has even been times where I've gone there to train with just myself, 1 bunker, a cone and a case of paint.

This year I've dedicated my 21 days holiday to playing paintball. I'm playing the CPS with my team and considering hitting the states to play a couple events just for the experience and the atmosphere. At the moment I'm very much 'when paintball takes over' as opposed to 'when life takes over'. I don't see the end of this from where I am right now.. but watch this space!