The thoughts that run though people's minds when they hear the word... crazy, impulsive, brainless, foolish, and even painful. They are absolutely correct, it is all of the things above.
PAINTBALL
The paintball field is a place for the community and even family to grow. Once you join this sport you will never be able to go back. We are one family of adrenaline junkies who are always searching to better ourselves and we are looking for the thrill of a challenge.
When I started playing paintball over a year ago it was just my dad, my brother and myself. We traveled out to Action Paintball in Winter Haven, Florida. It was our first time at this field and we were so excited! I used a chest protector, rental gun, full blown BDU's and I hadn't the slightest idea of what I was getting myelf into. I started off hiding in the back and letting everyone else get hit before I did. I looked around and was terrrified of getting shot by this flying ball!
Little did I know about the sport. I also had not realized that the adrennaline rush I experienced from this sport was going to become an addiction that I could not overcome. I have met people that I never imagined I would. I have built a business around photographing the sport. I even work at the local paintball field. Through this sport I have become a person of my own. I do not think I can describe it well in words but I can make my best attempt at it.
A few years ago I was going throgh school and all I wanted was to fit in. I tried to fit in with the country crowd and I did not live on a farm and I did not care to hunt so can you imagine where that left me? I became friends with the kids who skate and I decided to walk away from that group because I was in complete disagreement of where they were at in their lives. I ended up in the nerds group. I got along with the guys well enough but the girls absolutely hated me. It seemed like they thought I wanted to take their boyfriends or their crushes or whatever you would like to call it away from them. Sadly enough, I just wanted to be friends with them beause that is the only place I was accepted and I still could not be myself.
As college came around I was in my Junior year of high school and I was atteding college almost as a full time college student. For the first time in my life I was able to be in a mixed group of people where everyone was a different age and ethnicty and even a clique. Because I went through being friends with so many different types of people in middle school and high school I was comfortable with being around anyone. I became a girl that nobody could stick into a cookie cutter classification system of people. I wore big belt buckles, vans, and concert tees. I would wear whatever I wanted and I for the first time ever, was not looking for anyones approval.
Paintball all played into this. I showed up at the field wearing military pants and jacket and using a rental gun. I started at the bottom of the totem pole. That is when you are molded into the person you are. I have friends that go out and play in sandals, paintball pants and a tank top. (To an extent I have folowed this pattern except for the sandals) People may have $2,000 guns or they may have one that cost them $300. It does not matter. We all become one big family. We could tape our guns together to make them still work and it won't matter. We all get along.
What you wear and what you drive does not matter. Your attitude and capabilities is what we look at when you are on the field. This mentaity has been taken off the field and into school and work and regular every day life. Paintball players carry this mentality that they are not better than you (even though we play a sport that is absolutely amazing) we do not sit and judge you on your looks. You may be a fantastic person and you may have great skills that we just have not seen yet.
I fit in with my paintball family. The people who just didn't quite fit in either.
I love hearing people who say that paintball is crazy, painful, expensive, pointless, and dumb. However, I beg to differ. I believe it is one great sport that beings people together no matter where they are from and who they are.
Paintball has been such a great experience and such a life changing sport.
Little did I know about the sport. I also had not realized that the adrennaline rush I experienced from this sport was going to become an addiction that I could not overcome. I have met people that I never imagined I would. I have built a business around photographing the sport. I even work at the local paintball field. Through this sport I have become a person of my own. I do not think I can describe it well in words but I can make my best attempt at it.
A few years ago I was going throgh school and all I wanted was to fit in. I tried to fit in with the country crowd and I did not live on a farm and I did not care to hunt so can you imagine where that left me? I became friends with the kids who skate and I decided to walk away from that group because I was in complete disagreement of where they were at in their lives. I ended up in the nerds group. I got along with the guys well enough but the girls absolutely hated me. It seemed like they thought I wanted to take their boyfriends or their crushes or whatever you would like to call it away from them. Sadly enough, I just wanted to be friends with them beause that is the only place I was accepted and I still could not be myself.
As college came around I was in my Junior year of high school and I was atteding college almost as a full time college student. For the first time in my life I was able to be in a mixed group of people where everyone was a different age and ethnicty and even a clique. Because I went through being friends with so many different types of people in middle school and high school I was comfortable with being around anyone. I became a girl that nobody could stick into a cookie cutter classification system of people. I wore big belt buckles, vans, and concert tees. I would wear whatever I wanted and I for the first time ever, was not looking for anyones approval.
Paintball all played into this. I showed up at the field wearing military pants and jacket and using a rental gun. I started at the bottom of the totem pole. That is when you are molded into the person you are. I have friends that go out and play in sandals, paintball pants and a tank top. (To an extent I have folowed this pattern except for the sandals) People may have $2,000 guns or they may have one that cost them $300. It does not matter. We all become one big family. We could tape our guns together to make them still work and it won't matter. We all get along.
What you wear and what you drive does not matter. Your attitude and capabilities is what we look at when you are on the field. This mentaity has been taken off the field and into school and work and regular every day life. Paintball players carry this mentality that they are not better than you (even though we play a sport that is absolutely amazing) we do not sit and judge you on your looks. You may be a fantastic person and you may have great skills that we just have not seen yet.
I fit in with my paintball family. The people who just didn't quite fit in either.
I love hearing people who say that paintball is crazy, painful, expensive, pointless, and dumb. However, I beg to differ. I believe it is one great sport that beings people together no matter where they are from and who they are.
Paintball has been such a great experience and such a life changing sport.
