Do People Still Play Paintball?

[Myrkul]

I still play a fair amount, probably twice a month or so when the weather is good, once a month when it's not. Kids definitely slowed me down, there was a time when I was making it out every weekend. I've never really been into scenarios, and air ball is still feels pretty alien to me, but I have attempted a few tournaments. I just show up when I can and work with whatever rec crowd is there. I mix up my gear a lot to try and keep things balanced. I pretty regularly switch between old electros, mech semis, and pumps depending on the crowd. I can't remember the last time I only used one gun for a full day. It keeps things fresh and balanced, and more importantly for me let's me know what gun needs improvement and where, so I have constant projects to tinker with. I definitely end up spending way more time tinkering then I do playing, but the playing is important since it gives the tinkering some direction.

[gabe]

I play about 2-4 days a year. Like many others, I've seen the crowds diminish at the local field, a couple fields close up, and the remaining one is all that's left. The game is still fun for me but I think most of the fun for me personally is the gun collecting/building. I'm sure that's a common theme on this forum lol.

[evilfishsticks]

I try to get out at least once a month. I've still got 5 fields within an hour drive. The closest one (25 mins) is where I usually play and the walk on crowd is usually pretty good 30-60 paintballers on average I'd say. I started doing scenario games 2 years ago and try to do 2 a year schedule providing.

[JeepDVLZ45]

I try to get out at least 1x a month, usually 2x. Unfortunately work has been too demanding the past couple months. So I’ve only gotten out 1 time in the last 3 months…but I’m doing my best to get my numbers back up!!
My 9 year old is interested in playing more, so as long as she can take a hit (we’ll see) I can justify more play.

With the small outlaw field I’m building at my place, I should be able to bump those numbers up as long as people are willing to make the trek for some 12 gram paintball.

[The Hobbit]

Yes I look forward to the point when my kids are old enough to play. They seem to have an interest in the game at this stage, we will see if that exists when they come to the appropriate age.

[MrBarraclough]

Plant those seeds, man. I got my daughter a pair of gellyball blasters and some inflatable Nerf bunkers last year for Christmas, when she was 5. Giving her an electronic target to use with them this year, as it turns out her friends are more squeamish about getting hit with gellyballs than she is. I also make a point of watching WNXL matches with her on YouTube.

[JeepDVLZ45]

I started my youngest with nerf blasters at solo cups (and nerf wars during COVID). She was 5.

Moved her up to shooting a pump at trees and targets (and eventually me for a Walzmas giveaway) in the back yard. As long as she expressed interest we kept going. ( I would also run around the woods while she shot at me and gave her some basics of seeing the field and snap shooting)

Eventually I did a “kids day” of outlaw ball at my house…it was great. I think there were 5 or 6 first timers (8 years old to maybe 16)

1st couple games - capture the flag. Kids v Dads. Dad’s didn’t get markers, but had to get to the flag. (In hind site, Dads should get nerf guns so they have something to fire back… Chuck E Ducky ‘s kids are ruthless, bloodthirsty killing machines and will run your ass down…I needed a way to defend myself 🤣)

2nd couple games - Buddy system. Each kid gets an adult buddy. Kids are NOT targets. If the adult gets shot out, kid is out too. I received a firm “BRO?! What the heck?” from my daughter when I would get shot out.

Eventually, we had the older kids get shot out in games. And we let the younger ones determine if they thought they were ready or not. If they weren’t we played a few normal games with the older kids and then repeated a couple basic ones for the younger ones.

Keeps the interested and into it in a controlled environment, avoiding the chance for that first traumatic experience of getting shot into the ground (accidently or intentionally) at a field.

Myyoungest can’t wait to play again in the spring.

[The Jayster]

'Planting the seed' with Nerf is my devious plan. My daughter is 10 and my son is 7, and I've built a Nerf wall in the basement. We use the standard full-length darts but we also have a collection of Nerf Rival blasters (those can be surprisingly accurate). We play attack and defence games, 'steal the artefact', etc. Recently I organized a small Nerf game for kids by renting out a small gym at a local school and not only the kids loved it, but towards the end the parents jumped in as well.

Also last year I brought my son to a paintball field not to play but to get some range time with some of my markers. He loved it. Soon, my paintball outings will consist of the 3 of us (4, if my wife ever joins in).

[smiffington]

Yes I look forward to the point when my kids are old enough to play. They seem to have an interest in the game at this stage, we will see if that exists when they come to the appropriate age.

What is the consensus of appropriate are to start playing? I've got some friends and family with kids around 11-12. I'm thinking of getting back into paintball this year, and hopefully hosting a few outlaw games. Could I drop fps to 260 and include them or is that a bit early?

I own the lion's share of the loaner fleet so it's easy to control the game environment from that perspective.

[Cyberpyr8]

I have 6 kids and all have played and started at different ages. I think 12 is ideal but some kids can start earlier and be fine(ie - my girls were tougher!). But at 12 I think that most kids are old enough to handle equipment and not cry every time they get hit. At 10,most kids aren't really big enough to hold the gun and want a ton of padding which hinders their ability to move well. That extra padding also gives them a false sense of security that we all know isn't there. When they get hit outside the padding they are surprised it hurts.

At 12 they are willing to drop some of the padding and can run and move better. I have reffed 50 cal parties with younger kids and that's a good starting point for kids under 11. I say any kids under 6 shouldn't play any type of paintball. Just shooting, I think 6-10 is fine at 68 cal but getting shot and playing with the normal rec crowd, I will stick with 12+. One thing I have found is that younger kids will ALWAYS take off their masks when playing if they get hit or get shot out. I have seen it too many times and it's scary that small kids do that. So for 50 cal I think the target group is 8-11. 12+ for 68 cal and you're good.

[Grendel]

By most insurance minimum age is 10. Other then that it really depends on the maturity and drive to overcome discomfort which is individual.

[Chappy]

10-12, and it can depend on their maturity level. If they can keep their mask on them they’re probably good to go. 260 is a good place to be with new young players, I’ve been very successful introducing some of my daughters’ friends with hopperball at 265ish.

[MrBarraclough]

I average about once a month. I might skip one or two months a year, but usually make up for it with playing twice a month once or twice each year. While I have dabbled in many hobbies, paintball is my main one and the one I am most willing to set aside time for. My limiting factor is how frequently (and when) my wife is willing to keep our daughter by herself all day. Since I don't play paintball as often as I would like, when I do play I am at the field when it opens and am usually the last player to leave.

Our daughter is 6 and in first grade. She doesn't play any organized sports, so we haven't yet gotten to the stage of having to plan around her hobbies but I'm sure that is coming. She recently joined the Girl Scouts as a Daisy, so we'll see what that does to our scheduling.

My local field is woodsball only and typically has a healthy turnout of birthday parties, small renter groups, and regulars like me. It's always open walk-on play as the field runs only one game at a time with everyone playing together, divided roughly equally by skill/equipment level. They do private groups only by appointment on weekdays, so Saturday is always open play. Turnout numbers have been a little lower on average this year, but not awful. I would attribute some of that to an usually hot and humid autumn (even by Gulf Coast standards). I was last out there the Saturday before Thanksgiving and total attendance for the day was slightly over 100, which I was told was the best day of 2024 so far.

A brand new field with airball and some other types of speedball fields opened in my home county back in October, but I haven't been out there just yet. I messaged the management and was told they were seeing mostly private parties on Saturdays and the walk-ons were turning up on Sunday. From their website, I get the impression that the field is meant to cater to the tourist trade, as they're situated just north of Gulf Shores, Alabama and their FPO paint price is pretty steep for non-members ($75/case).

[Sdawg]

Every Sunday.

[Magoo]

I'm actually surprised. Maybe my own lack of personal involvement is clouding my perception, though a lot of you still mention waning attendance, but it still seems like a lot of fields are still a-bustlin'.

Good to see, really.

[Grendel]

I'm actually surprised. Maybe my own lack of personal involvement is clouding my perception, though a lot of you still mention waning attendance, but it still seems like a lot of fields are still a-bustlin'.

Good to see, really.

It depends on your location and willingness to travel. For me to play organized paintball at a field I pretty much have to drive about 1.5 hrs. in three different directions. There used to be a couple good fields near me but they have both closed. Before I moved back to SC I had a field (Friendly Fire) less then 3 miles from my house as well as playing outlaw with a bunch of the guys here on MCB. I'm willing to drive monthly to get my fix because I have always loved actually playing paintball and still do.

[Marbo40k]

I’ve been playing regularly for over 22 years at this point. Took a bit of a hiatus 2020-2023 (still managed to get out a couple times each year during that period).

I started taking a couple friends out to the one remaining local field and we got out 10 Sundays this season.
A lot of the people that I used to play with have either quit playing or moved out of state so it was good to bring some new guys out. The game is still fun for me even if the only option is airball. I may have to travel out of state next season to get some bigger rec/woods games in.

I have enjoyed the ride over the last two decades and my kids will be old enough to play in a few years so that may open a new chapter.

[The Jayster]

Paintball is nowhere near as popular as it was at its peak in the early to mid 2000s but it's going steady. I can tell as much from my observations and anecdotal evidence from field/shop owners. I play about 2-3 times a month from late April to late November. I also attend on average at least 2 big games per year. When I play I either go through half a case to a full case per day, or half a bag if I play pump. I currently play at one of the largest fields in the country (if not the largest), PB Mirabel. In the past there were some days when there were so many members it felt like a big game. Now, not so much but a 'low' turnout means you have something like 50 members showing up.

Most parks have diversified by also offering airsoft, low-impact paintball, gelblaster and nerf games, obstacle runs, etc. While airsoft became really popular for a while, now the curb has levelled somewhat. I've been told that it turns out airsoft is not very lucrative for fields. Same goes for tournament paintball: fields have been discontinuing promoting it except for a few far and between exceptions. I sometimes play at a small venue where easily half of their business comes from low-impact groups comprised of kids.

[Chuck E Ducky]

There have been more pump days and get togethers the last year than there ever has been. Different flavors too like Blow back throw back, junk class balling, Stock Class, Santa Ball, Mech days, pistols only, road a chair lift with my paintball gear. Tons of outlaw single shot with the boys the Team Turkey shoot was a blast, we even did a mag fed game and shot First strikes at each other. I even played a few 10 man events and at 5 man pump tournament this year. It’s been a busy season still got a few more in the pipe hopefully the winter isn’t to crazy we can get some winter ball in.

[SEAR]

In Central Europe it is a mixed bag:
Germany has incredibly strong and living magfed community and one or two cool big games (500-800 players). Paintball in Poland works pretty good, mostly magfed as well. In Czech Republic all big games except those serving Germans near the border were done. Airsoft took over. But the situation in terms of community and big games starts getting better (albeit slowly). Czech only scenario (Stalingrad-themed) with 160 players with magfed, speedball markers and rental players playing together, that's what I haven't see since pre-covid times when this game had 250 participants. I took part in that game after 5 years with my asset.

[Melrosejedi]

Welcome back! I play in the northeast and im fortunate to have quite a few fields within a few hours drive. The attendance at the fields is less than what it used to be i beleive because of air soft. Air soft players would be paintball players in the early days. paintball is still alive and well up here and im fortunate to play with some of the best and call them my friends.im not sure where your residing but get out and play if ya can. I can honestly say that time will fly by and next thing ya know you will be unable to play. Hope ya find a place and group of players and find the joy again of paintball .