Distancing Paintball From Violence
Woodsball is the huge majority of played paintball today. This comes with the “rifle-esque” markers, the camouflaged players, the military feel of the sport that we have to distance ourselves from.
As Evan’s post makes evident, as long as we continue to propagate our sport as something like this, it will continue to receive bad publicity like the show he mentioned on CNN. Violence and militarism characterize the public view of paintball. The only way to change this is by shifting the focus to the speedball venue, in events like those put on by PSP, NPPL, CFOA etc. etc.
I’m not saying eliminate woodsball or mil-sim. I enjoy playing this format of paintball immensely and anything to hinder or alter it would greatly sadden me. However, the general public can no longer go on in ignorance of our sport! Paintball is not a sport of inherent violence! And while people might have trouble seeing that aspect in paintball played in the woods by a bunch of kids wearing camo and waving guns around, I think they’d have a lot easier time of it watching paintball played in a large venue format.
You’d be surprised at how much difference flashy bunkers, teams, and guns can make to an inexperienced person.
April 18th, 2007 at 10:23 am
I agree, but I think this kind of view is adding to the political correctness gone mad times which could add harm to the popularity of paintball.
The members of the public that would take this kind of view about paintball would not play any kind of paintball, so if the paintball media continue to push this minority side of the sport (sup-air) into the forefront of the publics impression of paintball. This will only alienate potential new players, who in the majority do it fact want to; “run around in the woods”.
April 18th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
This minority is quickly becoming more popular with the masses. While there will always be purists on either side of the “Speedball vs. Woodsball” debate, many people are coming to realize that both formats have their own virtues.
I don’t necessarily think that showing paintball in its Speedball format will alienate potential new players. Speedball looked pretty awesome to me, but I knew that paintball in the woods was a fine starting point, and I played rec-ball in the woods for several years before ever setting foot on a speed ball field. I don’t think that promoting speedball is all we should do, but it does soften the militaristic views of the non-playing public on the sport.
December 17th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Wow. I can’t believe people actually think this is a huge problem. Woodsball players try to achieve an honest and fair game; for one. Good character always seems to be a virtue. Maybe people are getting tired of speedball for varous reasons, unruly conduct, cheating…
I get the impression you may have tried woodsball, but you don’t understand those who play. The people I see on the field are very patriotic and respectful to everyone.
December 17th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
I’m not talking about insiders who play woodsball. I’ve played plenty in the woods and I LOVE woodsball. However, people OUTSIDE of the sport would look at woodsball and see a much more militaristic game than those who look at the speedball of today.
You misunderstand this post completely if you believe that I’m trying to put down woodsball. I’m just trying to see both facets from a perspective outside of the sport.