Why is there...

[Lucky]

Well apart from the points made previously, there is one more to be considered.................the fact that i wouldn't have to explain our "sport" to someone with a completely blank expession, who then automaticaly doesn't get it and thinks that i actually am part of an Al Quida terrorist group?
Maybe just maybe, one day we could get paintball to the same status as fishing, indoor bowls,and other pointless minority sports.
We are never gonna be a mainsteam sport but maybe just a little outside acceptance and funding would be good..............Just think of the benefit of having say "the millenium series" sponsored by Nokia, pepsi or nike?

 

[Rosie]

I can't have the right perspective on it, being on the inside...but it's kinda sad that we recieve less media attention than indoor bowls and curling...

 

[HERMITT]

Indoor bowls as a participation sport is hugely popular. As a televised sport it is second only to football in viewing figures in relation to its audience share.

 

[Matski]

Paintball is a toddler compared to those games in terms of how long they have been around. They have been growing for many more years.....
Paintballers are blinkered by their love for the game they play, they want it to be accepted as a sport for obvious reasons. If you look at where MLT's like the NPPL are at now compared to how tournaments looked about a decade ago much progress has been made. The same goes for equipment, skill etc etc
The fact is a sport does not grow 'overnight', certainly not to a level that paintballers all wish it was seen at anyway. It's more likely to happen incrementally then in a sudden boom. I think THE main issue is that of start-up costs and continuing costs after that and they will only get lower as the market grows....and again that aint gonna happen overnight either.

The irony is that paintballers winge about how paintball is so unrecognised yet sponge everything they can from the industry and promoters, and then there are the ones who act like brats...some on or off the field, some both.

 

[ali t]

For many Uni clubs it'd mean a hell of alot more funding. If paintball was recognised as a sport and BUSA recognised the uni clubs would prob be looking at getting £5000+ funding a year.



-EDD

students+five big ones=P>A>R>T>Y....

 

[Tartan Blaster]

I don't see why you actually need a reason you may not believe getting paintball offically recognised as a sport will do as much as people claim but it will still definately not hurt.
Ofiical recognition would mean that we could gain both government and lottery funding and would attract many outside sponsers (for the before mentioned reason of a more stable investment) which could very well allow people to start playing it as a hobby instead of either a person who plays once every 2 months at the a punter site or is in a proper team. This would clearly lead to more people being attracted to the sport as it is not only the cost of paintball gear but also the lack of time they get out of it that is turning people away.
Also due to the strict guidelines required it would lower insurance costs for sites which would lead to the expansion of the punter/stag weekend paintball industry which would equal a larger catchment.

curling is officially a sport, i dont know anyone other than the scottish () who play curling.

I resent that as although curling is only played in a few northern countries were it is played it is hugely populour. Nearly every town in scotland has a curling Ice rink and My personal club in Stirling has around 350 members yet nearly all of those have only come since curling was recognised as a "real" sport (about 15 years ago I think) and the royal bank of scotland also became a major sponsor because of this recognition.