College Paintball On-Campus Field Petition

[Hawk1216]

Greetings everyone,
As many of you know, I have been working my way towards a paintball field in my area. We recently had the opportunity of receiving faculty backing to build a regulation paintball field at our college in East Peoria, Illinois.

I am currently putting together a presentation, and one of the aspects of this presentation includes signatures from students, as well as those outside of the school.

I would be in your debt if you would kindly sign this petition, to allow us to use this premium quality land at zero cost. (Unlike th previous plans.)

Petition Link (http://www.petitiononline.com/ICCPB/petition.html)

Thank you!

[ObieJ30]

I go to ICC too and i wanna use the land to paintball.


Jake Oberholtzer



we should get togeather and play at chilli somtime

[Hawk1216]

Cool mate!

I'm going to be doing a hard-copy petition at the school for students, so be on the lookout for that around the bulletin boards, on the bridge, and in the cafeteria.

What classes are you taking this semester? Your name sounds familiar!

[neppo1345]

There is a college that has a field, but for the life of me I can't remember the college...

The risks outweigh the rewards from the schools perspective.

However, good luck.

[tebo]

I signed it, good luck

[wolf13]

We had one set up on campus a few years ago at iowa state, school sanctioned and funded. I have no idea if its still in use though.

[jenarelJAM]

CSU (california state university) Longbeach has a field. Actually, there were a few semi-pro and one pro player playing for them at the NCPA tourney I went to down in San Diego a couple months ago. They're very accepting of paintball there. I think it's school-funded, but I'm not completely sure.

[raehl]

A petition of anyone other than people at your school is a waste of your time. Your community college does not care what a buncha people from the internet think.

Much more important things to consider:

- Why do you want a field? What is the advantage to you?
- Who is going to run this field on a day to day basis? Are you going to have rental equipment? Who is going to be responsible for buying it? Who is going to own it? Who is going to clean and store it?
- Who is going to maintain the field? Are you looking for a wooded field or a speedball field? If speedball, who is going to buy and own the bunkers? Who is going to set up, clean, tear down, and store the bunkers?
- What is the school's motivation in providing space for the field? Does your school already provide other athletic facilities? Is there a demand for a paintball facility from the students at your school?

Why not just use a commercial field in your area?

Frankly, I think a field at your school is a bad idea. The schools where it has worked out are either massively large (30,000+ students) so the demand and resources are there to support it, or are moderately large and rural (like Michigan Tech) where land is plentiful - and even in those cases, the field is run entirely by the club, which is an established organization with years (decades in the case of MTU) of history.

You're just a guy who might get bored with it if your next girlfriend doesn't like paintball.

- Chris

[Hawk1216]

Thank you for the guidance Raehl, but if you were to view the 20 page business plan and proposal you may feel differently about whom you are speaking to.

Every single point you make has been taken care of, and the additional outside signatures, though they may make near zero effect, still have an effect when coupled with the signatures that we currently have from faculty and stuff, as well as students.

Unfortunately the fields in our area were created in a way that, put delicately, gave paintball a low class image. The fields in the area are not maintained to the utmost, safety has often been put on the back-burner, and there are no regulation tourney fields here whatsoever.

Please, remember, not everyone who posts of opening a field is a 14 year old dreamer. (Though they are numerous.)

Thank you to the signers, while it may not be a sure deal, either way, we're giving it our best shot and in a professional manner.

[Hawk1216]

Bump!

[flying Dutchman]

Do me a favor if you would, look around in your area to see if you can find a friendly field owner that will work with you. I speak from experience here. Our local University used my facility for years and we always gave them discounts and cut them breaks. We even held fund raising games for them. Then they did the same thing. They built one little speedball field and bang we lost 300-500 players a year, There is no way a business can compete with a school funded facility, but in the big picture which helps you more a small field on campus to make it a little easier to get to or a health owner operated field that will help you and back you with special event. Take a look at the big picture before you do something that might drive a field out. There's enough of them going out of business as it is!

Just a thought.

Sorry Hawk I just read your post above about not being a 14 year old dreamer. I should tag my post to let you know I'm not as well. I open my field in 1987. It's the largest facility in Maine in 21 years of operation we've never had an injury that require more than a band-aid. We've run 62 Tourneys and 30 Scenarios We play every weekend and most weekdays during the summer. To my knowledge I'm the only fool to have built a building of 9400 square feet for the purpose of indoor paintball. No conversion built from the ground up. So it possible I've beem running a field longer than you've been alive.

Thank you.

[Hawk1216]

You see, flying dutchman's post was not condescending whatsoever, therefore I welcome your criticism and opinion! Thank you for it!

I've actually worked with all of the local fields, and was sponsored by one of them as a field team. Unfortunately, the fields in the area are actually hurting the sport. The only one that is actually withholding an excellent quality level, who is portraying us in a good way, is one that is most likely being closed due to lease issues during the middle of the play season. The other fields basically look like junk heaps, and I honestly am sad that the public sees this and equates the sport with low-class junkheap property/patrons. (Even though we all know that this is not the case.)

On top of this, the fields in the area are actually woodsball fields, therefore with the current field plan being strictly tournament speedball, I believe that the loss to the local fields will actually be relatively minor.

And finally, the current proposition suggests two different models, one holding the field for student-use only, therefore the effect may be even lessened if this model is chosen by the Board.

(Oh, and I was alive in 1987! :dance: )

[raehl]

I wasn't trying to be condescending (although rereading it I can see how it reads that way). I run into no shortage of extremely intelligent, enthused people who are just missing some experience I and others have unfortunately learned the hard way. Clearly, you're not 14. But, you are doing some things that do scream overenthusiastic kid - trying to do an online petition is one of them. Not addressing the long-term operation of the field is another.

Assuming you are a college student, you are at a point in your life where things are very transient. You are asking to establish a permanent facility at a school you are going to leave soon - unless you plan on being a college student for 10 years or something. What happens to this facility when you stop going to the school? You need to address what happens to the field after you, as you don't currently seem to have any organization to run the field that outlives your enrollment.

Also, ignoring good advice because one sentence of a post offends you is also not a good sign. While I wasn't trying to be in any way offensive, I'm not just trying to pat you on the back either. The real world doesn't care about babying your feelings.


- Chris

[Hawk1216]

Actually, I have addressed the long-term within the proposal, as attached to this field is a school sponsored club. I will actually be running the facility to the point of graduation, where upon I will continue to take a class once a year to remain an active student. As long as I continue doing such, I will be able to continue operating the field without issue. (I also have a plan to live in the area, therefore I will not be gone for a good amount of time if at all.)

As for an online survey, again, it is only for added pressure. Though it may be insignificant, it will only be tacked on to the very end; behind a student petition, as well as faculty petition.

I do not exactly see how I ignored any advice given in this thread, I took each point of your and explained and elaborated fully. As far as I can see, the only advice I heeded from your post was that I should not open this field. Nothing further.

I do not ask whatsoever to be babied, or coddled, I took your post, and responded to it with full respect and contemplation.

[teufelhunden]

You're going to take a class a year so you can run the school's paintball field?

Seriously?

[xxkylexx]

Signed.

[flying Dutchman]

Actually, I have addressed the long-term within the proposal, as attached to this field is a school sponsored club. I will actually be running the facility to the point of graduation, where upon I will continue to take a class once a year to remain an active student. As long as I continue doing such, I will be able to continue operating the field without issue. (I also have a plan to live in the area, therefore I will not be gone for a good amount of time if at all.)

As for an online survey, again, it is only for added pressure. Though it may be insignificant, it will only be tacked on to the very end; behind a student petition, as well as faculty petition.

I do not exactly see how I ignored any advice given in this thread, I took each point of your and explained and elaborated fully. As far as I can see, the only advice I heeded from your post was that I should not open this field. Nothing further.

I do not ask whatsoever to be babied, or coddled, I took your post, and responded to it with full respect and contemplation.


Hawk. I think you may have found the answer already but haven't yet seen it. You mentioned that one field was up to the standards that should be maintained in the sport. And it's no surprise they are the ones struggling to survive. The folks that cut the corners and put nothing back in are the ones that require the least out of it to survive. If you can talk with the field operator and link with him to bolster his business, I'd bet he would entertain a speedball field or two for your interest. So many times players seek only the cheap way out, and they doom the field that's doing it right. Years ago people understood that the best buy was a comparision that included both cost and quality. Too many folks today pay no attention to quality. If the field owner see a little hope out there he will overcome the lease problem. But if the players turn their backs on good fields they will anly have poor fields left to play on. Remember when you talk to to a field owner he may have access to numbers you don't. Things like (15% of players preder speedball type games) So you have a field operator going after 85% of the market. Show him that the other 15% is worth the effort. Another thing that kind of rots. Any injury in this sport even if it's back yard play is used by the number crunchers to raise the premium paid by insured fields. Their calculations view the sport as a whole. They don't go by injuries on a facility. This sport was much stronger 8 years ago before the two styles of play virtually split. Neither is strong enough to do well on it's own. One more number to consider, active players today are estimated to be 20% less then in 2004. That means we are not doing it right. The entire industry has to get it head out of its you know what. We are here to safe guard this sport and to keep it alive and healthy. I've served players from 2 generations and in about 2-3 years I will start seeing 3 generation players. I'd like to be around for that. I'm not kidding a young man of 20 played on my field in 87, he had a 6 year old son. That boy played his first game in 92 at 11 years old. That boy started a family in 99. His little girl is now 8 and will be coming in to play in a few years I'm sure.

We need people in this sport for the long haul not the quick buck.

[teufelhunden]

I'm not kidding a young man of 20 played on my field in 87, he had a 6 year old son. That boy played his first game in 92 at 11 years old. That boy started a family in 99. His little girl is now 8 and will be coming in to play in a few years I'm sure.



Jesus, the gap between grandparent and grandchild in that family is less than the gap between parent and child for me [I'm the oldest of 4, my dad was 28 and my mom 27 when I was born].

[Hawk1216]

Seriously, Teufel. :clap:

Actually Dutch, the thing is, is that they actually aren't having financial difficulties at all. The problem is, is that the current field is located on a gravel pit company's land, and the company is wanting to expand their dump into the field. The owner is getting pretty old, (80's) and does not have kids that want to continue the sport if the land is lost.

So really, this isn't an issue of supporting any of the local fields honestly, otherwise I'd be much more inclined to support rather than start anew; but rather it's a situation of losing what is here, and wanting to keep quality paintball alive here.

[flying Dutchman]

Seriously, Teufel. :clap:

Actually Dutch, the thing is, is that they actually aren't having financial difficulties at all. The problem is, is that the current field is located on a gravel pit company's land, and the company is wanting to expand their dump into the field. The owner is getting pretty old, (80's) and does not have kids that want to continue the sport if the land is lost.

So really, this isn't an issue of supporting any of the local fields honestly, otherwise I'd be much more inclined to support rather than start anew; but rather it's a situation of losing what is here, and wanting to keep quality paintball alive here.

That sounds like your on the right track then. We just lost 3 major fields in the state and a 4th hads been put up for sale because the owner is dying. This season is going to be wild and crazy for us. Good luck on your field and if I can help don't feel shy to ask.

[Hawk1216]

I'm glad you see the need for a field now, with further explanation. :bounce:

I appreciate the offer, most likely, I'll be in contact. (As help is always excellent to have.)

[ObieJ30]

Im talking math112 and english 110 online, you gotta be kidding me that chilli might close, i go there each and every saturday unless i take the trip to joilet and go to CPX. if chilli closes down i might have to go postal on some people

[Hawk1216]

We'll see what happens, I honestly hope it doesn't, but can't do anything about them crazy landowners.

I've got all kinds of random classes this semester, it's kind of wierd honestly. Here for an hour a day, then I leave, then on Wednesday night I come back.

Uggg. >.<

[neppo1345]

I wasn't trying to be condescending (although rereading it I can see how it reads that way). I run into no shortage of extremely intelligent, enthused people who are just missing some experience I and others have unfortunately learned the hard way. Clearly, you're not 14. But, you are doing some things that do scream overenthusiastic kid - trying to do an online petition is one of them. Not addressing the long-term operation of the field is another.

Assuming you are a college student, you are at a point in your life where things are very transient. You are asking to establish a permanent facility at a school you are going to leave soon - unless you plan on being a college student for 10 years or something. What happens to this facility when you stop going to the school? You need to address what happens to the field after you, as you don't currently seem to have any organization to run the field that outlives your enrollment.

Also, ignoring good advice because one sentence of a post offends you is also not a good sign. While I wasn't trying to be in any way offensive, I'm not just trying to pat you on the back either. The real world doesn't care about babying your feelings.


- Chris

I think (Chris) the president of the NCPA would have some good advice on this issue guys...