Paintball has been played since its inception in the early 1980’s and has been attacked for just as long by the public as a game that promotes war, and glorifies violence. People have always looked upon paintball as a violent sport due to the reason that its primary purpose is to shoot people with guns. The guns, known as markers, are air powered, and gravity fed. The ammunition, known as paintballs, is made out of gelatin and food coloring, not only environmentally safe but actually edible. The paintballs are shot out of the markers at a target, more often another player, and when struck the shell breaks marking the intended target with a spot of dyed vegetable oil. With all the advancements in safety gear and way the game is played using terms like violent, deviant, dangerous, and unhealthy couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact healthy, teambuilding, safe, and fun are more accurate words to be used to describe the sport of paintball.
Paintball markers have been around since the 1970’s when they were used to mark cattle for slaughter and trees to be cut down for logging. The first paintball marker, the Nelspot 007, was sold in agricultural catalogues to be used as a tool for farmers and loggers. Before the invention it was up to a farm hand to walk around a field with a bucket of paint in one hand and a brush in the other and manually mark cows to be slaughtered. The loggers would do the same, sometimes walking around hundreds of acres of land painting trees; the Nelspot 007 streamlined this process by enabling the farmers and loggers to mark the animals and trees from tractors, horses, or some other form of transport.
In June of 1981 the first paintball game was played. “In 1981, twelve friends played the first recreational paintball game using these industrial paintball guns from the Nelson Paint Company on a field measuring over 100 acres (with no masks or safety equipment!).” (Keenen). Within six years the game grew explosively into a multinational sport with fields opening in Canada and England. The first outdoor playing field opened in Rochester, NY in 1982, the first indoor field followed opening in Buffalo, NY two years later. “Today, paintball is played by more than 10 million people in the United States. According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, more people play paintball than play baseball. It is the fastest growing of all sports and leisure activities.” (Braun 19) What started with 12 people in 1981 grew into one of the most played, popular sports today with millions of people playing every year.
One of the long term issues surrounding paintball since its inception is the stigmata of being a violent, deviant, and sometimes malicious sport. Many who have not played the sport may think this and as much as the players and industry try to fight this the actual terminology of the game can be misleading. Paintball markers are sometimes called guns, even though they are air powered. Many games take on military themes, sometimes even reenacting famous battles from previous wars, and when a person is hit some players add it to their “kill” count. This is more of an expression, similar to how comedians can “kill” you, hardly a metaphor for murder or some other deviant, malicious act.
Shooting other people with a gel encased paint that travels at three hundred feet per second might seem malicious, and it very well would be if not for the fact that the person getting shot at, ego aside, is expecting to get shot. In a personal interview with Mike “Blue” Hanse he stated when asked wether paintball is a violent sport or not. “No, that is ridiculous. We have numerous church and youth groups that play all the time. The pastors and minister love bringing the young people to play as it is a true team sport that reduces the stress of everyday living.” (Hanse). As Jerry Braun states “People talk about the game being violent. No doubt the images of adults brandishing guns look intimidating and suggest violence. The basic characteristics of violence—the use of force to destroy or hurt others and a chaotic lack of structure that promotes reckless and dangerous behavior—are simply nowhere to be found in paintball. The objectives never involve hurting people, and the rules are clear and enforced.” (31). It has also been seen to help people blow off steam, “psychologists have seen it to be a catharsis. It is a safe and healthy way to blow-off some of the everyday tensions in life. Violent tendencies? Most likely, players have absolutely no tendencies towards anything after a day of paintball other than tendencies towards a hot bath and a warm bed!” (Paintball).
Police departments and the military have been using paintball markers for training and simulation scenarios since paintball markers were made. These paintball markers are specifically designed for police and military training and are not readily available to the general paintball public. However some games and teams go for the military look with what are known as woodsball markers (markers designed for outdoor play), these teams are normally dressed in military looking attire from camouflage to throat radios, and night vision in some instances. The appearances of paintball have always played a major role in its public perception, and the military and police aspect of paintball especially have always had a major impact appearance.
Throughout the years the industry has been making huge strides to promote a safer game from the local field to the industry level. Originally safety equipment started out as a pair of shop glasses and sometimes a bandana tied around the face, the industry soon realized that the need for stricter safety guidelines. Though most people would believe that paintball has a high rate of injury it is quite the opposite actually. The latest insurance information on paintball rates it safer than football, bowling, and statistically safer than staying in your house. (Braun 112). One of the most important safety devices in the whole game would widely be agreed upon to be the paintball mask. It is a full face shield that covers the entire front half of the head and in some instances a whole head helmet. The lenses are designed to resist paintballs shot at over four hundred feet per second from less than a meter away repeatedly. Most eye injuries in paintball are caused when people pull off their mask for one reason or another during a game, mostly due to fogging or dislodgement of the mask itself. The industry upon learning this quickly remedied this by creating strategically placed vents and better fitting molds for the face. Paintball is very safe with an injury rate of only 0.2 injuries per 1000 exposures. (Peter). Some people believe that the industry could do more to promote paintball safety even with an injury rate that is statistically safer than fishing, bowling, golf, and even staying at home.
Paintball is one of the fastest growing sports in America with over ten million players each year. Events and games are held all over the country in growing popularity, even Walt Disney world has taken part in the growing paintball epidemic. It is a great way to build teamwork, leadership and friendship. Corporations have used paintball as a way to bring offices together, promote healthy competition within companies, and find leadership qualities in employees. Mike Hanse, owner of EMR Paintball Park, and one of the founders of modern day paintball put it best when asked about the benefits of paintball: “Promotes teamwork, brings out leadership abilities, camaraderie, stress release, and good exercise. Much better than people sitting in front of a screen playing video games or playing games on their phone.” At the end of the day paintball is a game, a sport, nothing more and nothing less. Remember that paintball is just a game and is not a simulation of warfare or anything negative, it is open to all ages and types. Paintball is an exciting sport and above all fun and rewarding. “Paintball is more than just a game. At its most exhilarating moments it is an intensified version of what people do everyday. With varying degrees of success, we’re all avoiding and confronting obstacles on our way to reaching goals. This is the case whether you’re in school or pursuing a career, a man or a woman, regardless of your beliefs or ethnicity.” (Braun 3). Paintball is fulfilling for any and all ages, numerous benefits, one of the fastest growing sports, and above all one of the safest sports in America.
Works Cited
Keenen, Estela. "The History of Paintball." Suite101.com. 02 Sept. 2007. 11 Nov. 2008
Braun, Jerry, and Rob Rubin. The Complete Guide to Paintball. New York: Hatherleigh P, 2007.
Paintball, Rogue. "What Paintball Is Not." What Paintball Isn't. 2005. 11 Nov. 2008
Hanse, Mike. E-mail interview. 27 Oct. 2008.
Peter. "Benefits of Paintball Sport." Recreation and sport. 08 June 2007. 11 Nov. 2008
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