Paintball Digest. Richard Sapp

      Why would anyone want to play paintball? It can be hot and sticky or cold outside and there are mosquitoes; and if you play hard, you can get sweaty and dirty and very, very tired. And when you get hit with one of the balls, regardless of what some people will tell you, it stings, and if someone isn’t too far away when they shoot you, you are going to wake up with a bruise. A busting ball can certainly leave a big stain on your shirt or worse, on your mask (stay calm – inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale …). Plus, it’s kind of expensive to buy or rent all that gear, those boxes of paint. So, what’s the big deal anyway?

       What’s the big deal?

      The big deal is that even in the 21st century, when men have walked on the moon, the lion still stalks the antelope and the cat still toys with the lizard before it kills it. Puppies still growl and bite each other’s ears and hide behind the grocery bags to pounce on one another. Even in the 21st century, we play tag when the lightning bugs come out and shout “Marco Polo” down at the pool and hide under the bed from big sister or our roommate and then reach out and grab their ankle and scream to scare them. The big deal is running away from someone who wants to tag you and make you “It.” That’s the big deal. That’s the very big deal and that’s what paintball is all about.

      Did you know that nearly 10 million people play paintball? Did you know that paintball is a billion dollar industry? Did you know that you can play in dozens of foreign countries and that the rules are about the same in France and Russia and Japan as they are in your very own neighborhood? Did you know that a survey of players around the world – no matter what language they speak or what kind of job they have or how much money their family makes – reports that people play paintball for the very same reasons, because it’s exciting and it’s huge fun.

      Now, some of this may not interest you, but it does mean that you are not alone and you’re not weird because you may want to “splaat” someone. It means that you are part of a worldwide community of people who enjoy doing the same kind of things as you and for the same reasons.

      “So what?” you may ask. “What does all this mean to me? All I like to do is run and throw paint and have a good time. I don’t care about all that other stuff.”

      That’s okay, too. Those are the same feelings that Egyptian players have, or Brazilian players. It means you are somebody and your feelings are important on a really global scale. It is like being part of a brotherhood in a way, or a sisterhood. This “paintball fever” sets you apart … in a good way. It isn’t school, though. You don’t have to care about the history of paintball or the National Professional Paintball League or even how your marker works. Go out. Have fun.

      Paintball is not just fun, with the running and dodging and shooting at your buddies. Paintball is wonderful exercise. Paintball teaches teamwork and sportsmanship, competition and tactics; things you will need in business later in life. Every good team, whether it is a scenario team like Michael Hanse ’s Blue’s Crew or a hot pro tournament favorite like the Brass Eagle All Stars, wins because they work together and respect the fact that whatever their personal financial, educational or employment circumstances, they can get out and play.

      So, here’s a thought. We expect to have a good time when we play. Are we sure it is okay for our dad or mom to have a good time like this though? And if it’s okay for us or the parents, how about grandpa? Hey, why not!

      Sometimes, the older that people become, the more they want to hide their enthusiasm, the simple joy of having fun and laughing out loud. It’s supposedly “grown up” to be serious and more concerned about paying the bills and saving for college, or politics or hog futures or saving for your retirement. Well, all of those things are important, but religious leaders, philosophers, medical doctors, therapists and psychiatrists of all sorts tell us continually that putting “fun” as well as work and exercise into our daily drama is crucial to a long and healthy life.

      Would you rather play a 24-hour scenario game with a huge new group of best friends (many of them dressed like it’s Halloween) or would you rather run a 26-mile marathon? Either way it’s 110 calories per mile, but one of them is actually fun.

      Would you rather scream through a 5-man tournament with cash and prizes at the end or go to the gym and lift dumbbells? Either way, your muscles are going to get a huge workout.

      While we’re talking about what makes paintball tick, let’s talk teamwork. There’s Worr Games Executive Director Sonny Lopez (certainly a responsible corporate position) screaming out movements and shooting like a mad dog for the top-ranked pro team Naughty Dogs in Huntington Beach. There go General Blue and his friends Mother and Pac Man leading a team through the woods to attack General Ben Torricelli ’s red team at the International Amateur Open’s 8-hour scenario game .

       The Captain, our own William Shatner from the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, is a huge paintball promoter.

      Sure, paintball is competitive, and it is a whole lot better to observe the Golden Rule and give paint rather than receive it; but within the big world of competing alliances, backstabbing and cutthroat business practices, there is enormous cooperation. You could say that it is the cooperation and the teamwork that makes the competition possible. Otherwise, you’re back in the woods 20 years ago playing the original survival game, alone with something like a Nelspot 007 single-shot marker powered by a 12-gram CO₂ cartridge and shooting oil-based paint. After the game, your clothes are going to be such a mess that you may throw them away rather than take them home. Long-time player Steve Davidson has said that in those days some of his clothes were so disgusting that burning them was the only way to safely get rid of them after a game. And who likes that?

       You will see all kinds of gear and get-ups on a typical paintball field, from ninja to hand-me-downs. What every player has in common are goggles, markers, balls, barrel plugs and a smile that says, “Game on!”

      It is because they work together to accomplish a

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