Help Me Help The Kids... NEED AO SUPPORT!

[pk5]

where are you located, what is the youth group called, i can totally use your expierience thanks for the post

I am located in San Diego, California. Our your group is called the "Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Youth", basically we're a church group, even though we'll accept anybody who want to join. Let me know if you have any other question, even though for the elders, you have to actually take them out to play or let them shoot a few for them to understand the concept. Funny how as people grow older they forget the dangerous thing they use to do as a kid.

[gunangel]

I actually did a comparison yesterday to explain why the bruise on my sister's knee is so much bigger than the welt on my stomach, and why mine doesn't hurt at all.

A paintball weighs 3.2 grams
A child (or my sister for example) weighs 45 KILO grams.

A person has a mass approximately 14000 times greater then a paintball.

If force equals mass times acceleration a paintball would have to accelerate 14000 times faster than a person running into an object. Since I'm too lazy to calculate the accelerations and compare them...we will use the much easier momentum.

A paintball has a momentum of < 0.0032 kilorgrams * 280 fps (since the paintball is constantly slowing down due to air resistance) having a momentum of 0.896 kg *fps.

For a child to have the same momentum they would need to have a velocity of 0.896/45 =0.01991111 feet per second.

So a paintball hitting someone is equivalent to a child using two finger to poke someone at 0.01991111 feet per second or 0.0135 Miles Per Hour. Now my sister being a klutz constantly walks into the side of doors and such. If we say she moves at roughly 5 MPH (that's a 12 minute mile or a 3 minute quarter mile lap...a brisk walk) she has greatly exceeded the amount of momentum that she would have to disperse, then again the knee has a bigger surface area but it is not 370 times greater.

Now people reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour or more on a half pipe, and when they fall it is human instinct to reach towards the ground. While the are of impact is much greater they momentum they have is 1481 times greater and the palm is not 1481 times greater than the size of a paintball thus they cannot distribute that momentum causing injuries.

Now this is really lazy science, and probably not the best thing to use. But as long as there are no physics fanatics or engineers included in the "old farts" it is very sound. It should show the point regarding the safety of paintball. On top of all this we usually encourage a few layers of clothes, and masks are a must. If all else fails you can ask the old farts if they want to shoot you and see how safe and fun it can be, and you can always ask if they felt like they had blood lust afterwards.

[psychowarden]

I did a congress resolution for Speech and Debate on "Paintball as a school sport." I will dig around and see if I can find my resolution, as well as all the information and sources I used.

In every student congress I was in, I was able to change the vote from almost all the way unanimous "NO" to a pass. Never did my resolution get shut down.

[Phoenix250]

I have an essay I wrote... dunno if it'll be of much use... I'll slap it here anyway

[one_quick_ta]

Thank you AO!!!

Keep it coming!!!!!

I cant thank everyone enough! i had a few guys in the house reading over my shoulder and they couldnt believe how many people stepped up to offer stats, stories and help! I really really hope that this goes through, believe me change comes slow but if i can just get my foot in we stand a chance

THANKS AO!

[Wicked_Silence]

Well I can't say for sure, but I've been in the the paintball subculture for over 13 years.

I do know that I've reffed at many fields, and all have the basics of safety for playing he game. Barrel socks, masks, field velocity, and of course, plain old rules. These practices are put into place so that injuries, and yes they do happen from time to time, are kept to a minimum. I can't think offhand as to where I read this piece of info, but paintball was rated a safer sport then cycling. We've had leaders of industry at fields where I've reffed so that they could do something that promoted teamwork. Paintball is a team game and it helps to build on that foundation.

Paintball is a great way to promote teamwork, helps build self-esteem, is a great way to get excercise and be outdoors (for those that play woodsball). Its also a very good way to reduce stress. It helps make friendships as well. Lots of people that really have nothing in common have formed great friendships, all because they met and talked at a paintball game.

Oh, and from my years of experience, I've reffed 9 MAJOR tournaments. The International Amateur Open (was played just north of Pittsburg, PN) and Skyball (played in the Toronto Ontario Skydome). I've seen thousands of players, and hundreds of games and in all those games, how many serious injuries did I see? 1, yes just 1 injury in all that time. Someone broke their leg while running thru a heavily wooded area. That kind of injury isn't paintball specific as I've seen worse with people just walking down a set of stairs and missing a step.

I have a 14 year old daughter that I am now just getting into the sport. I love her to death and I would never put her health or safety into jeopardy and I can say with absolute certainty that I have no qualms about her playing paintball. I also have a young son, that as soon as he is old enough and expresses interest in the sport, will be playing paintball along side his 'old man'.

I don't know if any of this helps or not, but take it as you will. Paintball is a very safe alternative considering what young people could be doing these days.

Edit - Most of the items you see in the papers these days about shooting homeless people or any of the other idiocies are usually commited by young people that have bought their marker at Walmart and are just looking for things to shoot at. Most have never even stepped onto an actual paintball field and are just out there doing it for kicks. Don't let a few bad apples spoil it for everyone else as those apples aren't even in the same basket as the rest of us. I mean, knives are used in a heck of a lot more violent crimes then a paintball marker, but I know that the old 'stick-in-the-mud' people making this a hard decision still use a knife everyday, to say, eat?

[gunangel]

something i just remembered. paintball has less injuries per year than bowling (not counting temporary welts). and paintball has one of the lowest death rates of any activity (more people die from vending machines a quarter of a year that's every 3 months, to all the known deaths caused in paintball).