Fear and paintball, take 2

[goat]

Re: Fear and paintball, take 2

1)What is the best way to get a rookie over the fear of paintball. [/B][/QUOTE]explain to them that teamwork keeps people from getting shot, you watch my back and I watch yours. the down side to this is if you sit in the back and dont help anybody you will be the last person shot out and there will be more than one person coming to "DO" you. I hate "Back border beauty queens".

2)What is in your opinion, other than pain, causes fear in the realm of paintball? the adrenaline rush heightens your senses, some people just cant hande that...seriously...there are people that get freaked out when they start to feel anything more than calm...but being an adrenaline junky these days is cool so people put up a front.

3)How effective is/does "leading by example" aleviate the fear amongst your peers in paintball.I think it makes them want to push themselves harder, at the end of the day on the ride home is anyone talking about how good of a job they did by calling themselves out (surrendering)when it came down to 2 on 1 or are they talking about the guy who stood his ground and maybe even came out on top. That drives people to better their game and in order to do that they have to push past the fear.

4)Do you still get intimidated playing Rec, tourney or otherwise. Occasionaly, always, rarely? Do you get the "shakes" after and/or before the games. Occasionally, Mainly before the first game of the day at a tourney but I have had it happen playing rec ball against the better players at our field. Personally I love when it happens, its like a Moment of Zen, nothing matters but whats happening on the field.

5)Do you use intimidation as part of your game? Is it purposefuly done, or inadvertantly. Not really, I am very easy going, I am 5'9" 130lbs so I cant use my size as someone else said, I do have a little plastic goat head on my mask but that was put there a long time ago as a joke (about my eating habits) and it just stuck as a nickname. By no means was it supposed to be intimidating.

6)If you could go back in time and meet the noob that was once you, what would you say to yourself.Dont buy that second spyder!..save your loot and get a mag stupid, youve got 400 dollars worth of spyders whats wrong with you!!?

7) What life lessons have you learned playing paintball. How is paintball, a parable in your life.act on your instincts, never second guess yourself and be confindent in you actions, be aggressive, if you just sit and wait for the world to come to you....you will get nothing but hurt

Goat

[Dave_Z]

1. Play the game and get them to shoot someone out.

2. Shiny stuff. New players are very, very afraid of anything thats shiny and has buttons on it. It must shoot full auto or faster since it is shiny.

3. It shows that you can do crazy stuff and get by with it so they should at least be able to move up a bunker. But other than that leading by example usually ends up with my team shooting me repeatedly in the back.

4. No, I don't get intimidated. Excited yes. I play for fun and I know that I am good so playing outnumbered or against good people doesn't matter since I know that I can beat them.

5. I like intimidating people, I don't get in their face but I little phrases to show that I am going to win and there is nothing they can do about it. I also like to just wear a plain t-shirt since everyone wears jerseys. Throws off the competition.

6. You rule, go buy some arm and kneepads

7. I learned that in order to do good at anything you need to know that no matter what you can win. If you have that mindset then you can do almost anything.

[Jeffy-CanCon]

1)What is the best way to get a rookie over the fear of paintball.
2)What is in your opinion, other than pain, causes fear in the realm of paintball?
3)How effective is/does "leading by example" aleviate the fear amongst your peers in paintball.
4)Do you still get intimidated playing Rec, tourney or otherwise. Occasionaly, always, rarely? Do you get the "shakes" after and/or before the games.
5)Do you use intimidation as part of your game? Is it purposefuly done, or inadvertantly.
6)If you could go back in time and meet the noob that was once you, what would you say to yourself.
7) What life lessons have you learned playing paintball. How is paintball, a parable in your life.

1) Help them through a good game. In my experience, peopel who enjoy some success their first time out are more likely to come back. The sting of a hit doens't seem so bad if you have a cool story of how you hung the flag.

2) Fear of losing, of being the first one out.

3) If the guy who leads by example is successful, and doesn't get shot, others may follow. I've seen that a lot at Big Games. 4-5 guys at the front are what gets the crowd of 100 moving.

4) Occasionally, even after 12 years. There are one or two guys in my club who are excellent players, and it is a real challenge to face them one-on-one.

5) Have used intimidation purposefully, and accidentally. Newbies are sometimes intimidated by anyone with their own gear.

6) "Buy the Trracer, you cheap b*stard! This will be your hobby for a long time to come!"

7) Stay cool under pressure, and you'll be OK. Recognize the moments of opportunity, and seize them. Be nice to the little people, and they will remember it.

[dre1919]

Re: Fear and paintball, take 2

Originally posted by Carbon

1)What is the best way to get a rookie over the fear of paintball.

Take him or her outside in the clothing they plan to wear and shoot them straight out. The biggest thing I've ever heard anybody say why they didn't play paintball was because they heard it "hurt". They didn't try it because of the fear of pain, so if you aliviate that fear immeidately, the rest is easy.


2)What is in your opinion, other than pain, causes fear in the realm of paintball?

The stigma of being involved in a sport that utilizes a "gun", getting dirty (mostly girls on this one), the fear they won't fit in, or that it's a sport for only "macho guys".


3)How effective is/does "leading by example" aleviate the fear amongst your peers in paintball.

Very. If you take some new people with you and you're the veteran, they look to you to see how to do everything. From playing, to filling a pod, to taking a bunker...for that afternoon you become their most valuable teacher. Adversely, if you teach them bad habits they maintain those until the next teacher comes along. I think if you're a veteran of many years playing and you take the time to stop and help out the newbs and show them the way, it makes them feel much more comfortable and accepted.

It's like that qoute from Starship Troopers:
"This is for all you new people. I only have one rule...everyone fights, no one quits. You don't do you're job I'll shoot you myself."


4)Do you still get intimidated playing Rec, tourney or otherwise. Occasionaly, always, rarely? Do you get the "shakes" after and/or before the games.

You know...sometimes I do playing tournaments. Rec ball is exciting, but I'm very calm before I play that because I feel like it's a relaxed atmosphere. Tourneys though, I'm amped. I really want to win, bad, and you never know what the other team is going to bring your way. You know what your teammates and you are capable of bringing to the game, but it's that apprehension of the unknown that twists in your gut a little. It's all good though...that feeling reminds you you're alive and charges you up!


5)Do you use intimidation as part of your game? Is it purposefuly done, or inadvertantly.

Oh yeah. My team wears all black (a psychological intimidator), our mascot is a voodoo witch doctor, and I personally have about 22 steel spikes that jut out about 3/4" from my mask. I've gotten lots of comments on them because people think they look wicked. They ask me "Why do you have those on there." I look at them and tell them "In case I miss. I'll just run up and head butt you (wink, wink)." That right there tells them they're going to have to deal with me as a factor during the game.


6)If you could go back in time and meet the noob that was once you, what would you say to yourself.

Work on the Sup Air type courses! It's the future style of tournament play. (Back in the day we played lots of woods ball). Oh yeah, and buy stock in this company called WDP...they'll be kinda big later.


7) What life lessons have you learned playing paintball. How is paintball, a parable in your life.

If you want something, have the balls to take it. I play front and I start every match saying to myself "That's my flag right there." I feel like someone violated my personal property if they get to that piece of cloth before I do. Another lesson I learned is never wait too long, because your opprotunity might pass you by (whether it's a bunkering, a flag pull, or a new job)...but at the same time, don't be reckless. Temperance is key. Learning to balance your wildly competitive, aggressive side with a smarter, objective based logic.

[Mango]

The only way to get over the fear is to go out and get lit' UP! The very first time I ever got shot, I got lit up like 5 or 6 times in the woods behind a fence bunker. LOL! It was so awsome hahahahaah. Just tell the newbie to not be a wuss and go play. Once they get out there, they will be junkies like the rest of us!