paranoid parents & paintball

[FooTemps]

My parents dont' really use a computer. I've set articles and papers on the kitchen couter but right when they see paintball they throw it away.

If you want to mail me give me a pm. If you do I hope you're on some sort of team or have some job in paintball...

I can find rides it's just that the permission wavers are one time use only.

Most practices won't be at the local field. They'll be at one of my friend's ranches.

[raehl]

Hrm....

Would President of the non-profit college club and team association do the trick? You should read the signature.

Anyway, I'll try and catch up with you tomorrow when I'm conscious. It's 1:40 AM here.

- Chris

[Thordic]

There was a REALLY good article for parents in APG a month or two ago. If you think it will help, I'll scan it in today or friday, and email it to you.

PM me if you want it...

And don't tell the APG people that I'm giving away parts of thier magazine

THAT MEANS YOU, WEBBY! You didn't see that

[FooTemps]

Originally posted by Thordic
There was a REALLY good article for parents in APG a month or two ago. If you think it will help, I'll scan it in today or friday, and email it to you.

PM me if you want it...

And don't tell the APG people that I'm giving away parts of thier magazine

THAT MEANS YOU, WEBBY! You didn't see that

I showed them that article and they're still against it.

[cphilip]

Gee...I liked the "get a girl firend" idea myself and no one even commented on it. I'm gonna ask my Wife if I can get one instead of play paintball...

[raehl]

Honestly...

I don't think the issue here is paintball. It seems that this guy would run into just as much trouble if he wanted to join an ultimate frisbee team, it's just that the fact that he's chosen paintball makes it easier for them to say no. My mom was the master of finding unrelated, baseless reasons why I couldn't do something that had nothing to do with the actual reason she didn't want me doing something. I'd say his parents' unwillingness to discuss it would indicate that they don't believe thier excuses hold much water either, and since they *DO* let him play 4 times per year, they obviously don't think it's likely to get him killed or maimed or they wouldn't let him play at all.

Maybe your parents don't want you getting involved that seriously in anything when your 14, maybe your mom just doesn't want to drive you around, I dunno. Try joining the cross country or track team or something and see what they think of that - then you'll need to be picked up EVERY DAY after school. But on the upside, if your parents don't want to support that, it'd be pretty easy to get some guidance counselors/administrators on their case about it. "You won't let your kid join track? What's wrong with you?"

As for girlfriend, you should get a girlfriend on general principle, paintball aside.

Back to your parents for a second, you've made a point of saying you're rather "estranged", i.e., don't talk to them much - maybe it would help if your relationship with your parents extended beyond asking them to sign waivers?

- Chris

[yermom]

Originally posted by cphilip
Gee...I liked the "get a girl firend" idea myself and no one even commented on it. I'm gonna ask my Wife if I can get one instead of play paintball...

lol....I think my wife would be happier with me getting a gf instead of paintball stuff...she says it's too expensive, but if it makes me happy...

[shartley]

I'm still gonna buy a mag and keep it at my friends house so I can go to team practices and play in tournies.

Well, I may be a bit old fashioned... but I have a sneaking suspicion that THAT idea will only get you in MORE trouble. And any chance of changing your parents' minds will fly out the window. They will then have a valid reason to not let you do a darn thing for an awful long time.

You see, you would have just proved that you can not even do the right thing... which is to obey their decisions, right or wrong. So why should they trust your judgement on other things? And how will you play paintball and participate in Tournaments? Don't you need your parent's consent and signature on the Waver Forms? If they don't want you to do it, and you DO do it, and it is not their signature on the forms.... hmmmmm

Seems we are digging a bigger hole, not filling in the one you have to start with. And hitting someone over the head with stuff, and constantly pushing it in their faces will not change anything.. even if it is good articles. They will just refuse to discuss it, or look at it. This is just the way of things.

I think there is probably MUCH more to the situation than what is being said. This is not a bad thing, but more often the case when talking with teenagers. I have a few of them roaming around MY house.. so I know this to be quite true. And even though my kids are wonderful, they often don't look at things as they really are, and interpret WHY things are not allowed a bit differently than it actually is. It is after all, so much easier to place the blame on the "Evil Parents", than to look at ones self and find the real truth.

I am not saying this is the case... I have run across some pretty irrational folks in my time, BUT the law of averages would point to a different conclusion. It may be easier to change yourself, then to change their minds... And wouldn't it be funny if by changing yourself, it DID change their minds? After all, by even thinking of buying the marker and keeping it at your friend's house shows a bit more than you may have wanted shown.....

But hey, I could be wrong.

[dawump]

Are you sure they are really being clear with you why they don't want you to play? Do they pay for it?

If it really is the issue that they don't understand what paintball is all about then here is a GREAT resource.

A group has set up the Paintball Association to represent manufacturers and people like us. I've been taking to the guy in charge Jonathan Bernstein. I've recently started writing articles for Painball Magazine and Action Pursuit Magazine and Jonathan has been doing this for a while. Some of his articles are included at

http://www.paintballassociation.com/

Go to Paintball News Bureau / Articles and look at the article "Parent to Parent" which has been published in Action Pursuit Magazine. This is a powerful tool for you. Jonathan is a father or 4.

[ Updated: I've read more of the thread - and perhaps this is the one that you have already shown them ]

Good luck.

[Thordic]

http://www.paintball.org/parentsand.asp

One more article I've run across...

[MajorDamage]

Originally posted by Gunga
There was a report out showing statistics on how dangerous various sports are in terms of injuries. Paintball was less dangerous than bowling.

I think I might've seen it here at AO, but that was aaaaaaaaaages ago. Might be worth doing a search for though.

They had the statistics in APG, not only is it safer than bowling, its safer than ballet!

ENDO!

[mxpxpunk1220]

hummmmm i had a hard time getting into paintabll but i mananged to. i had to give up getting my lip pierced for getting a marker. yeah sounds like a good deal huh. well i ended up getting a be raptor. so no it was not a good deal. moral of the story is, try like i dunno, giving something up to get a paintgun. or like make a deal or something like working harder in school. i always get mah marker taken away at report card time becuz im not exactly the sharpest knife in the droor if yah get my drift. but whatever. hope yah have luck. also i took my dad paintballing and he loved it and now he goes a lot. i think he uses my gun when they take it away. loser. oh well im over it. once again, good luck and tapes are fun to watch.

[Riot[Z-Grip]]

Ok, let's get back to basics.....

What are the main arguments your parents have against you playing paintball in order of importance? Be sure not to leave anything out.

If this doesn't work, we're all gonna come to your house, and show your parents how good paintball is. lol


-Riot

[FooTemps]

Ok...
Shartley: I know that would get me busted. I wasn't actually gonna do it. I just felt like saying it to make myself feel better.
philip: BAD IDEA. lol
raehl: You're right. My parents don't really like most of the things I do. I'm on my school tennis team and I used to be on my old school's soccer and basketball team. They don't care if it's a mainstream sport but any extreme sport (aka: snowboarding, paintball) they consider a game. I'm working on my child to parent relationship.
dawump: They don't pay for it!
mxpxpunk1220: My dad can't play paintball, he's too lazy and fat! I'm serious, he even said that himself.
riot: Guys, they have no reason to say no. They just say they don't like it. I can have friends drive me, I can afford the sport myself, and I am known to be responsible enough not to shoot neighbor's windows with a bb gun . But seriously, I did have one ricoccet hit my neighbors window.

My parents were against paintball even more about 2 years ago and they still haven't thought up of a good reason to say no.

[hubadlatimmy]

make them listen

go here http://www.northiowaarms.com/parents.html make them read it then see what they say the article was written by dirty dan a few years ago and has great points don't worry though I had the same situation with my parents for 3 years now I am 16 and own a mag and play every other weekend just let them know you want to play more and keep letting them know.