[Orange Chicken]

So lets pretend this is my 1000th post alright? Cause I was planning to do this post for my 1000th but was itching to help people and couldn't resist.

Earlier today I was talking to a friend about stuff, and this girl that I teased/hit on walked by and overheard me saying: "Yeah I got paintball practice this Saturday, and a scrimmage with this other team on the day after, so we can't go watch the Hobbit for the 6th time." In which she busted in and, amongst other things regarding personal burns, proceeded to say "....and you go around acting all athletic when you haven't played soccer in a year and you think you're so manly because you play paintball, which isn't even a sport." I know, ouch?
Due to my respect towards personal image and the image of paintball, I did not reply in any manner that involved things like trying justify it as a sport or show proof that I play in an intense division with prizes and tournies and stuff. I just said, "Well, it's actually a sport." In which my friend whom I was talking to butted in and said that she kind of agreed with her. Oh well, The Daniel can't win everything, despite his obvious perfection.
Later on in the day, I proceeded to Google 'Is paintball a sport', and go on Youtube for Mike's video on it. Upon watching it, I noticed he tried to tell paintball as more of a woodsball/milsim/scenario game. This got me thinking:

Is the image and our attempts at being called a sport being hindered by Woodsball and the culture it presents? Now I am by no means a woodsball hater (accused of being a Tippmann hater though), I like it, but do not play it often. However, I know about the stereotypical player in woodsball, and I also know that the majority of people getting into the sport start with woodsball. I also know that Woodsball is the image most people who are unfamiliar with the sport, but at least know about it, have of Paintball. Which saddens me, as this means they fail to see it as a competitive sport. This is my reasoning as to why I believe woodsball is hindering progression of paintball to be in something such as the X-Games.
Now, I understand that there is woodsball tournaments and leagues, and I understand that woodsball is an integral part of paintball, and I do not by any means that it should be removed.
But I do believe that we should switch the roles of the two forms of paintball. Speedball(this is a term generalizing all competitive paintball involving inflatable bunkers) is generally viewed as the specialty part, minor and a different, ALTERNATIVE form of the TRADITIONAL style of paintball. Although this is far from the truth, this is what is seen by the public. Woodsball is seen as the majority of paintball, and is mostly milsim guys in camo hunting each other down with military-esque tactics and strategies.
I think to improve the image and validity of the sport, the roles should be switched, at least to society's eyes, if not ours. Speedball should be seen as the majority and being seen as the main form of paintball as it is more of the sport style(sponsors, supporters, events, spectators, definite field and regulations, complex rules, prizes, tournament setups, spectator friendly, etc.), whereas woodsball should be the alternative, lesser known form that still strongly exists, but not as much so to the public eye. All this talk of tactics, milsim guns, roles, positions, camo, etc., is just pushing them away from believing paintball is a sport, and hindering progress.

This in no way bashing woodsball. Please, a just idea should be followed by equally just and polite comments. Do not turn this into a flame war. TechPB, you're not PBNation, please don't act like it.
Agree? Disagree? Opinions? Compromises? Solutions? Discuss.

[bigx]

tl:dr Boobies


They just ignant brochacho who cares what they think we like it. For all I care they can think im a devil worshiping sadist I like paintball other peoples perceptions wont change that!

[Irish725]

How is woodsball hindering the progress? Without, airball as we know it would not be. Or Paintball for that matter.

[tallsmallboy44]

I still don't see how woodsball is "hindering" paintball, as paintball never will be spectator friendly to those who don't play.

[OEFVeteran]

paintball is more of an active hobby for me... in no way do i view it as a sport for me personally... back when i played airball, yes, i viewed it as a sport... but those days are long gone... all i play are scenario games and woodsball... its a hobby...

but, paintball will never be accepted as a stream sport in the US for a couple of reasons... one being that US culture wont accept a "shooting sport" as mainstream, because our culture is terrified of anything "gun" related... the other major set back being us players... until we as players start respecting ourselves and our fellow ballers, both male and female, we cant get the respect we demand from the public... and they will just see us as the gun toting wanna be GI Joes shooting each other up in the woods...

[NBTIppy]

This is a pretty narrow minded view you have of paintball. In all honestly it just seems you are upset that girls aren't impressed that you play paintball. I'll let you know now, that's not Woodsball's fault. Either you choose to look like a GI Joe or a power ranger, either way you look silly to the rest of the world. Get over it and have fun

This post has been edited by NBTIppy: 01 February 2013 - 07:18 AM

[68OneShot]

I gotta be honest. My wife and I both play. Summer and winter. Neither one of us call paintball a sport. It's a good hobby that creates and brings friends together. We play to have fun and be happy. We both play Woodall with our tippmanns and speedball with or speed ball guns.( there different). Just my 2 cents.

[spqr-king]

In short yes. At least in the context of your argument. People see paintball and immediately think woodsball. Its no ones fault and its not a bad thing and its not hindering paintball per say but it does effect peoples preconception of paintball. Now if thats for better or worse is up to the person your talking to for women its usually a negative preconception of a bunch of burley men in the woods playing soldier. Thats just how some women think. Woodsball is great it adds something to the sport in a way other sports cant but it will always be what people think of when they think of paintball because thats where it all began and starts with most people.

It does make it harder to argue that paintball is a legitimate sport but without it our industry would be no where near where it is today. Simply put we are much better off with it then without it.

This post has been edited by spqr-king: 01 February 2013 - 10:39 AM

[68OneShot]

I also want to add. I think it's easier for young players to enter the sport with woods ball. How many 10 year olds do you know would want to go on a speed ball field for their first attempt at paintball. My nephew is 11 almost 12. I introduced him to paintball with woods ball when he was okay with being shot and good with the idea, we then introduced him to speed ball. Now he lives both and will go either way when we take him to fields.

[PREDATOR 47]

I feel that paint ball as a whole is what's holding us back. And I kinda like being where we are. We're a community. If paintball got big, it would be like all those call of duty paintball players, but instead of children it's everyone except for one small group that was there before. I like where we are now, maybe we could get a little more popular, but not too much.

And if she's going to hate on something you love, you wouldn't want her anyway. Just forget about it and move on.

[Panda's Revenge]

sport
[spawrt, spohrt] Show IPA
noun
1.
an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature


Paintball
Athletic? Sure, you run, jump, dive, roll, etc
Skill/Physical Prowess may be tetering here, but yes you do need skill to play well.
Competitive, definitely.

So technically yes paintball is spawt.

[Rotozip2]

I think it was her way of telling you to not act like a tool.

[LV Backpacker]

Rotozip2, on 01 February 2013 - 11:08 AM, said:

I think it was her way of telling you to not act like a tool.

This.

[K_SodPb]

Panda, on 01 February 2013 - 11:04 AM, said:

sport
[spawrt, spohrt] Show IPA
noun
1.
an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature


Paintball
Athletic? Sure, you run, jump, dive, roll, etc
Skill/Physical Prowess may be tetering here, but yes you do need skill to play well.
Competitive, definitely.

So technically yes paintball is spawt.

exactly.

[Pyrate Jim]

Nomenclature.
I used to play league softball. But when I went, I didn't go play a Sport of baseball - I played a Game of baseball.
Just like softball, paintball is athletic and competitive and fulfills every requirement of being a Sport.
Yet you still play a "Game".
This is true is most venues. A football Game is just a game, but still practiced as a Sport.

Less than 10% of paintball players are active on the circuit. The vast majority of paintball happens when there's no prize money or trophy to be had, it's just people playing a game.

[Orange Chicken]

Its not that its that I want girls to be into me (which, in all honesty, we all do); I just used her as a representation for a neutral individual that does not know much about paintball.

[Master_Chief]

I see where you are coming from. I think it is more of the generalization of paintball from the more popular woodsball side. After all, that is where just about everyone has started.

I play basketball through my school and D2 paintball and when I came to explaining paintball to my girlfriend and the tournament side, I couldn't begin to explain how in some ways, paintball is harder than basketball.

Basically the way I look at it; is airball/xball-organized paintball played with a team on the speedball field a sport? Hell yes! Practice every weekend for 8-9 months out of the year atop all of the physical training off the field to play upper level divisional paintball is hard. There's a lot of thinking involved and stamina to play back to back points. Not to mention the money and commitment involved, tournament paintball is one of the most demanding overall sports I can think of.

As for the people that look at paintball as a weekend hobby, thats what it is for them. Paintball is an awesome thing where it almost conforms around the player. I love every aspect of playing d2 paintball and other people love going out once every month and having a good time.

[NBTIppy]

I like how people seem to be unaware that there are fairly high caliber scenario leagues as well as airball leagues. UWL for example

[unfated33]

Pyrate Jim, on 01 February 2013 - 05:36 PM, said:

Nomenclature.
I used to play league softball. But when I went, I didn't go play a Sport of baseball - I played a Game of baseball.
Just like softball, paintball is athletic and competitive and fulfills every requirement of being a Sport.
Yet you still play a "Game".
This is true is most venues. A football Game is just a game, but still practiced as a Sport.

Less than 10% of paintball players are active on the circuit. The vast majority of paintball happens when there's no prize money or trophy to be had, it's just people playing a game.

Read the first post, came to reply, found out that Pyrate Jim already hit the note perfectly.

[Antonious]

So in order for a thing to be considered a sport, it has to sell out to corporations?
I honestly don't care if paintball is called a sport or not, nor if it gets a ton of notoriety. As long as it exists, I'll play it. If people want to talk down to me because of it, that's their issue. I would've just told that bitch to butt out of our conversation.