The Kids Aren’t Allright

[gfgjester]

From Paintball.com...

This is an interesting piece. He makes some good points.

The Kids Aren’t Allright

By Jason Casebolt

As an “Extreme” sport, Paintball has sought to both break away from ordinary sports such as baseball and basketball, but still hold the prestige of being called a sport. At the same time, cheaper prices and wider notoriety has given way to more young gun players participating than ever before. While ESPN coverage, franchise teams and recurring appearances on television indicate that the sport of paintball has arrived, kids growing up in paintball’s hyper-competitive environment are lacking fundamentals that traditional sports teach. Let’s take a look what is happening and how it can be resolved.

Traditional sports have rooted themselves in the fabric of American society. Back in my day, youth sports introduced middle school age kids to sports. Today it is common for children to start participating at early elementary school age. I have even known children to “burn out” of a specific sport before high school age due to summer leagues, winter leagues, select programs and all star games.

With all this sporting going around, many kids have broadened their horizons and branched into adrenaline-based activities such as skateboarding and paintball. While many traditional sports participants are able to balance multiple sports together, the cost and weekend commitment of pursuing paintball competitions makes it difficult for young paintball players to balance traditional sports and the paintball lifestyle.

As these kids specialize in paintball, they lose many of the fundamentals that traditional sports teach. The first of these is respect for the game. In traditional sports, youth leagues emphasize the old saying “its not if you win or lose, but how you play the game”. Children are encouraged to have fun playing sports. At the completion of a match or game opponents typically shake each others hands or even provide the other team oranges or soda. Even in competitive programs, the goals of winning and fair play are not offset by encouraging rule breaking and cheating.

Paintball has traveled a different path. Pro paintball videos have provided role models that use fowl language toward their opponents. I was shocked the first time I heard a pre-pubescent high pitched voice scream “hey reff get that guy the F*$% out of there”. In fact, many paintball children, either from each other or from coaches are encouraged to hide hits, play on until caught by the reffs or even wipe hits to win at all costs. The respect for the game has been trampled on.

Traditional sports encourage respect for the opponent. At the earliest levels, teams that are short handed are provided a player from the opposite team. In about every traditional sport at every pre-college level teams shake hands after the competition has ended. Many teams will even provide the opponent with the post game orange slices and soda.

Young paintball players no long have this respect for the opponent reinforced. Deviating from a fair game, many seek to cheat their opponent by riding grey areas of classifications for events or using illegal circuit boards. The paintball culture has also glorified bonus balling as a way to “send some love” to the opponent in borderline abusive manner.

Perhaps the problem with the largest implications is loyalty. In traditional sports, through non-school or school teams, young athletes do not have the option of changing teams. Even if not on a winning team, children are forced to “stick it out” and help each other become better players on a better team. While not as fun as smashing opponents, children can learn much more about the competition through defeat than they can by winning.

In paintball, the lack of loyalty is a poison that breeds further problems. Young Gun players are treating paintball teams like the equipment that they trade on almost a weekly basis. How much success can be gained by viewing those next to you as disposable teammates?

By hopping from one team to another, the young player is never able to gain the stability necessary to progress as a player. If a player is in a continual state of unfamiliarity, they will focus only on their individual game play and reinforce tunnel vision. Only through stability and cohesion, will players develop the teamwork mechanics that dominate tournaments. If there is any doubt to this, look at the Dynasty players who have been playing together for years!

There are two solutions to these problems. The first is for parents to get involved. Please note that there is a huge difference between simple attendance and getting involved. Those who simply attend might as well not be there at all. Those who are involved ensure their child maintains fundamental behaviors that should not deviate on the paintball field. Parents who let their young child use flagrant language or encourage their child to cheat do as much damage to the sport of paintball as their child does.

Parents should monitor the behavior of their young athlete as if they were playing for a school athletic team. In addition, parents should also ensure that their child commits to a team for a certain time period. Committing to a team will further the child’s development and enhance the success of the team overall.

The second and just as difficult is for Young Guns to simultaneously play normal school sports. While the desire is to deviate from the norm, traditional sports will reinforce exercise and athleticism that can normally be absent from paintball teams. Regular school sports will reinforce principles such as respecting the sport and the opponent, as well as, loyalty to ones team.

A great example of how these theories actually work is with Avalanche Star Carl Markowski. Carl excelled in High School Football and Baseball while also playing on youth paintball teams in high home town of Toledo, Ohio. The dedication to his team, athletic reinforcement, and respect for the game has landed him on one of the top teams in the country. Odds are that Markowski has played on fewer teams than most young guns players, but he is a clear indication that a persons success comes through team success and not the number of teams a person can list on their resume. (finis)


While it does aim for the tournament player rather than the rec/woods/scenario players, his point is well taken and we should watch our own for this kind of mindset...

[crooked butt doctor]

agreed. very well said.

[havokrooster]

the majority of players are not like that.

[ItalianAnaconda]

Originally Posted by havokrooster

the majority of players are not like that.

That is the truth. I am not really sure I agree 100% with this article. I will admit that it has some good points but I have seen some other sports have the same problem listed above. Besides, the age group he seems to be targating is really young. I dont know of too many fields that allow kids below the age of 12 to play.

[scpaintballer01]

that article reeks of ignorance. pure ignorance. ill break it down if this thread goes anywhere and im bored enough.

[ItalianAnaconda]

Originally Posted by scpaintballer01

that article reeks of ignorance. pure ignorance. ill break it down if this thread goes anywhere and im bored enough.

So I am not the only that felt that guy was kind of ignorant in his artical.

[gfgjester]

I think that he made some good points and backed it with unverified facts. They appear to be his observations. I have witnessed more than several incidents of overzealous players going crazy. While it is not as widespread as he would have you think, it is nevertheless a presence.

Fields normally cut off kids at ten years old. That is the current standard for the insurance companies that cover us. In our area, and I'm sorry to say that it is concentrated in tournament play and is supplemented by the "little league parent" morality. And pick up a DERDER video and watch it...

Havok is right in saying that the majority of players are not like that. But the real questions ask "What is an acceptable number of players who are like that?" and "How do you control the parent?"

Lots of food for thought...

[scpaintballer01]

More food for thought- "how do you control the parent" qft. Some little league 'rents go freaking crazy if a ref calls it the "wrong way." School sports also can really hurt kids at a young age and teach fear and or public humiliation. It's one thing to be taught to be humble, something completely different when a coach embarasses or degrades you infront of your peers to the point you loose all self confidence and have a mental complex.

oh and lets not even get started on little league baseball. LOL @ steroids!

[ItalianAnaconda]

Originally Posted by gfgjester

I think that he made some good points and backed it with unverified facts. They appear to be his observations.

Dont get me wrong. He did have some good points but he also had some points he kind of directed at paintball only, when in all actuality it applies to pretty much every little league sport.

We all heard about the dad that fought the other dad at a little league hockey game lol . That is just an example.

[havokrooster]

most of the bad conduct that the article covered, i have probably see go down at the local speedball fields here in my hometown. or even some of the scenerio fields ive played. but the majority of folks i have met and played with are are not like that.

its really taken off. a younger player base, alot of attitude, personal competetiveness, etc. the difference between the speedball and scenario world is pretty profound and yet its merging. i would like to see everybody play ethically and emphasize sportsmanship and commradre. set an example for others. but your always gonna have that 2%...