I recently got into a sport I would soon find hard to get out of. In 9th grade of high school, a friend of mine, who is now one of my closest friends even today, introduced me to the sport. I quickly told my parents about this, and got my first airsoft gun for Christmas that year. It was nothing special, but something to start with. I would soon be going to my friend's house over the summer and playing a couple matches behind his house. He introduced me to his friends, who had been involved in the sport for a long time, so of course they had all the fancy equipment compared to my plastic AK-47. I was in this position for some time, but it was by no means a deterrent to lose interest.

I still attended matches with friends, but soon decided I needed an upgrade since my first gun broke. I figured I would spend my own money and buy my next gun. Before I knew it, I was pretty much lost in the sport. I loved learning how the guns worked from my best friend, and still continue to ask for advice from him to this day. The sport allowed me to meet new people and make friends. It served as a community for me where everyone loved the same thing and got along. It was a sport for all ages. This was something everyone would enjoy doing and it would not be hard to find other people like that in public matches. I found this to be a lot harder than I had anticipated. This started to hit my after the only public Airsoft arena near me ran out of business after only being open for a year.

The place was called Plains Airsoft. It was run by one man who paid the rent for the warehouse. He was the first in our area to open his very one indoor airsoft arena. It was seen as the beginning of showing the sport to the masses. It was mostly an indoor facility that had a huge staging area for gear and equipment, a chronoing station that tested the velocity of your gun, and a huge expansive arena. Two story buildings, small cover, and long range areas made for a fun time. There were different game modes as well. I only had the chance to go there once, because they were only open on the weekends. When I came to find out it had shut down, I discovered that the sport is not completely open to the public eye. Paintball takes over in that department. Paintball is easy and more geared towards those of younger age. It is more expensive, but it does not require the high maintenance Airsoft demands.

Judging from seeing many Airsoft stores around the New England area in the northeast, it is clear the sport is loosing sustenance with the public. The sport demands a lot from its fans. I for one would know. The tiniest thing could go wrong with your gun, and if you don't know anyone that fixes guns, you'd have to send it back the distributer, which is most likely to be located in California (that's where I get my guns shipped from). If you are not completely determined to stay in the sport, it can easily get to you and you may just give up. The sport caters toward the younger generation, but surprises them when they realized the expertise and monetary value it requires. You almost have to treat your gun like a real steel gun. You must clean it, and constantly keep tabs on its internal parts and external parts. Cleaning supplies is needed along with basic gun safety to properly handle the weapon. A sport or not, you are using what looks and feels like a real gun. Therefore, you must treat it as such. It requires maturity and understanding of the sport. You cannot say the same thing about paintball. This is why the sport is, I think, dying. It is sad to see, but it I will remain as a proud fan of the sport and will continue to be a part of it.

It is a sport that gives a great excuse for kids to go outside and not stare at screens inside. It is a sport the demands so much from its fans, but if articulated professionally and maturely, it can cause for a great time with friends and a great community to be a part of.