Paintball Journal

I’ve already voiced my opinion on paintball magazines before, and how they usually just…suck. They take their advertisers and write bs-articles about the gear (that’s just advertising), and then they never get to the real in-depth stuff about the sport. Paintball2Xtremes does, and this remains the true voice of paintball in the magazine world for me.

I was reading through the June 2007 issue yesterday when I read the opening passage from the Editor, John Amodea. It’s always my favorite part to read, and this one was titled “Be More Than Just A Paintball Player�. It goes hand in hand exactly with what we are doing here at PBJ. It was all about the attitude we must portray, the image we give to non-paintballers no matter where we are. No matter what the public sees on TV or in the media, the voice of paintball comes directly from its participants and how they act. Here is a small excerpt that captures exactly what I’m talking about.

“The change means we are now all paintball ambassadors. How we act while in our sponsored gear and what we talk about concerning the sport only further increases the positive image of paintball.”

PB2X 2007, John Amodea.

Nothing is going to help the sport like its players can. Sure, companies can spend billions on advertising, big events, etc. but it is the people, the players that make the difference. Every paintballer out there, like Mr. Amodea said, is an ambassador to the sport, and it is our duty to play and promote the sport in a positive way that will benefit all of us for years to come.

He went on to talk about his plane rides, and how the conversations with those next to him inexorably lead to paintball. He’s noted how things have changed over the last twenty years of the sport, and how the people respond today with interest rather than “Pinball, what’s that?� or “Oh, those war games�.

I’ve had people respond many of times today with those types of questions, but I take the time to explain to them the basics of the sport. Hopefully by the end of the conversation they are somewhat interested, or feel that they have learned something new. Maybe if they’re young enough they’ll even take an interest in it. No matter what though, our goal is to get paintball a fresh, new image, and this is our ultimate duty and responsibility.