Teenagers and Trash Talk

[hitech]

Originally posted by Evil Bob
Once you break it down to the individual age groups that are committing the actual crimes, in this case males between the ages of 16 and 21, the violent crime stats are up big time as a whole.

Are you sure about that? I question that. That's not how I remember it. Did I use that enough? Nothing personal, right? I don't want anything broken!

[CayleG]

It has changed a lot....

I had the same experience, of leaving and returning to the sport... Seems like everyone was in my face for tearing it up, especially the young ones.. Lots of trash talk in general.

The view may be distorted though... If you leave your home field, and then return years later, only the old guys remember you, there are a bunch of new young kinds who have no idea who you are and dont give you the respect yet. After a few bunkers, though, most kids will stfu the next time around...

[FreakBaller12]

liek i always say: don't talk, take it on the field and let your gun do the talkin for you

[Lohman446]

I get to comment on this from the other end of the spectrum, just for now.

I have not played paintball long, I really really love the sport. The first time I played at my local field there was a fairly young kid setting teams, calling games, general instructions. This kid can shoot - and often will yell downfield to "check your gun" for a hit, and is often right. The first game I played I thought I really dont like a kid telling me what to do. When he shot my hopper twice from across the field in seperate games with single snap shots... well, I admitted that this kid has more knowledge of the sport, the players, the fields than anyone else there. Now I know this - its the field owner's son, he has has participated in literally dozens of tournaments and done well in them... Don't just judge people by their age, sometimes there are other factors.

BTW - my trash talk when I walk out is simple "I suck" - this way anything I do is considered good, I don't have a reputation to live up to, I don't talk something I can't do - and I'm amazed at the amount of people who hold martial arts experience and play paintball - as do I. Keep this in mind next time you are harrassing that skinny little punk (that skinny little punk is not me, Im the shorter, fatter, balding guy who follows that punks instructions)

[aaron_mag]

First off I agree with Squid's point about this not being a young/old issue. The pushing matches/in your face episodes I have seen have involved adults. Most the kids that I have played with have all wanted to have a good time (there are always exceptions of course).

I also agree with Shartley's statement about not having to put up with it/not playing at a place that lets this sort of stuff go on. There is a wonderful speedball field near me that I love. It has since been discovered by the adrenaline crowd and there was too much ego flowing. I now avoid that place because of those issues.

Finally I disagree that kids today are less respectful than kids of the past. A symptom of age is that we forget what it was really like in the glorious "old days". I'm not saying that you (not anyone in particular) personally were disrespectful of your elders back in those days but there was probably still plenty of disrespect to go around :). Also someone brought up the issue fights over Little League calls. That is not the fault of the kids playing but of the PARENTS!!!! Yes it is totally nuts but we can't blame the youth for that!

[aaron_mag]

Originally posted by Lohman446
(that skinny little punk is not me, Im the shorter, fatter, balding guy who follows that punks instructions)

Sorry for the double post but I had to comment on this. I agree with you! One of the best things about this game is to give into the sheer insanity of it all. This weekend I played in a big game (not that big really as it was limited to 60 people) and I spent about half an hour of it following the lead of a 12 year old (20 years younger than myself). My buddy that I was there with wanted to guard the base and I found it boring so I figured I'll just see where this kid leads me. Turns out he led me into a painful ambush (after a series of successful adventures) but that is what makes this game fun!

[845]

Originally posted by UThomas
When the tosterone and adrenaline is flowing you say things you would never say off the field

COP OUT. Thats the same mentality as the obnoxious drunks. You are responsible for your behavior.

I never said you werent just that you should not take the things people say to you on the field personal. When people take it off the field that is when trouble starts. If you call me an ahole on the field I won't confront you after the game and get up in your face because you said something. Its like taking offense to something said on the internet.

[Trench_Riader]

No we get all these kids playing who would have been lanky skaters in the 80-90's.

I have a name for this brand of youngster: "A jersey wearing K3W1 D3WD". They are a product of the internet age were there is seldom acountability for one's action. They are also a product of the far more permissive style of parenting that dominates these days. Now don't get me wrong, I don't lump all young players into this catagory but they certainly make up a large chunk or at least a highly visibly minority.

Recall that if you dig deep enough all stereotypes have some basis in reality. That's how they become stereotypes.

Finally I disagree that kids today are less respectful than kids of the past. A symptom of age is that we forget what it was really like in the glorious "old days".

Wrong.
I never would have dreamed of behaving like many of the youngsters of today do...and I was not a particuarly well-behaved child. However I did have the advantage of a proper upbringing. You can also rest assured my own children would never behave in such a manner.

Respect. Restraint. Humility. Following the rules.
How hard is that?

"Trench Raider"

[Ultimator]

I honestly don't see the point at all in where this thread has gone. I can't believe some people are even getting mad because people say "Get out" when they shoot them. Please!

Bah hum bug I'm old and I'm mad at all of these young whippersnappers because they shoot me more than once and when they do they say stuff loudly. Please understand what I'm saying here, saying "Get out" is one thing, and being disrespectful to elders is another, but has someone else looked at the thread title?

People are always comparing tournament paintball to other pro sports, what about football where people spend more time rehearsing their victory dances than actually practicing? Or when they spike the ball and yell in the other teams faces? Same deal, except to an incredibly less extreme. I haven't seen any major complaints filed against Trash Talk in the NFL and it's been going on for decades.

[Trench_Riader]

People are always comparing tournament paintball to other pro sports

That would be a valid point if paintball were a sport...let alone a "pro sport". But that's a whole other argument...

"Trench Raider"
who thinks the whole idea that paintball being a "sport" was created by the industry as a marketing tactic and was latched onto by players to whos sense of self-importance it inflated. But that's just his opinion...others are entitled to be wrong!

[aaron_mag]

Originally posted by Trench_Riader
Wrong.
I never would have dreamed of behaving like many of the youngsters of today do...and I was not a particuarly well-behaved child. However I did have the advantage of a proper upbringing. You can also rest assured my own children would never behave in such a manner.

And I didn't either but that doesn't mean there were some kids that were disrespectful of adults when we were young. Difference is that we are now the old ones and feel that we are entitled to respect. I guarantee that nearly all of the teenagers you run into are probably respectful and quiet. They are just going about their day like everyone else. The ones, however, that stick in our minds is the group of punks in a car pull up next to you while you are running, honk the horn repeatedly, flip you off, then go tearing down the road content that "they showed you" (for what I can't imagine) and that they are pretty darn tough (although logic says that randomly flipping someone off from a car is not all that tough). These same kids are probably fine individually but feel the need to crow a little in a group (heck they are teenagers after all and are trying to find their place in the world).

As far as paintball being a sport it really depends on how you personally pursue it. Heck lacrosse isn't even a sport the way I play it anymore. It is a past time that I occasionally do. I've gotten past the age of competitive sports, however, as work and family don't give me the time to get into any sort of competitive shape

[UThomas]

what about football where people spend more time rehearsing their victory dances than actually practicing? Or when they spike the ball and yell in the other teams faces?

As I already pointed out, pro football is televised entertainment. Despite that, there was a huge out cry from sports writters when an elite athelete (Terrel Owens) did the sharpie thing, since it was considered degrading to the other team. And that is a far cry from some skinny 15 year old yelling at a guy that he is a fing cheater in rec ball or whatever.

[oldsoldier]

Originally posted by aaron_mag


And I didn't either but that doesn't mean there were some kids that were disrespectful of adults when we were young. Difference is that we are now the old ones and feel that we are entitled to respect. I guarantee that nearly all of the teenagers you run into are probably respectful and quiet. They are just going about their day like everyone else. The ones, however, that stick in our minds is the group of punks in a car pull up next to you while you are running, honk the horn repeatedly, flip you off, then go tearing down the road content that "they showed you" (for what I can't imagine) and that they are pretty darn tough (although logic says that randomly flipping someone off from a car is not all that tough). These same kids are probably fine individually but feel the need to crow a little in a group (heck they are teenagers after all and are trying to find their place in the world).

Heh, that EXACT same thing happened to me yesterday!!! LOL.

[aaron_mag]

Originally posted by oldsoldier


Heh, that EXACT same thing happened to me yesterday!!! LOL.

Glad I'm not the only one that seems to get targetted! :) Oh well. At least it motivates us to run hard and try to catch them for a brief few moments.

EDIT: Funny thing happened to me the other day. I was playing paintball and one of the fathers of the players was someone who caught me water ballooning when I was like 11 (I hit his car and wasn't as fast as I thought I was). He took me to my parents and I got grounded (didn't help that he knew my parents ). I told him to come out and play paintball so he could finally get revenge on that little punk who ballooned his car but he declined. Too bad he still looked pretty fit. He would love this game!

[shartley]

Originally posted by aaron_mag


Glad I'm not the only one that seems to get targetted! :) Oh well. At least it motivates us to run hard and try to catch them for a brief few moments.

LOL And don't even get ME started...... targeted? Heck sometimes I feel like they have someone spying on me and when I leave my house they all hit the roads.