I have played paintball both recreationally and competitively for many years. Some of them were on teams that had sponsors. One of the many repetitive questions I get is "Why do you play paintball?" (Well, besides, "Doesn't it hurt!?" and the answer to that is not really because your adrenaline is flowing from start to finish). Paintball not only keeps me in a shape other than round, it also teaches many important life lessons. Here are some of the reasons I play this sport:

1. Teamwork and Respect

One fundamental ability each individual ought to have is knowing how to function within a group and respect each part of that group. Many of today's occupations expect representatives to work with others on different projects. Playing paintball at your local paintball field can enable you to build up the individual aptitudes to be a cooperative teammate. Depending on the game you play (woodsball, rec-ball, or speedball), you need to plan with your team how to overcome your adversary. You need to respect each other's thoughts and contribute emphatically to the gameplay. In paintball, players figure out how to observe each other's backs and trust others to watch theirs.

2. Sportsmanship and Leadership Abilities

In many games, there is commonly a single victor or one winning group. On the off chance that you win, it is anything but difficult to celebrate and boast. You end up concentrated on how awesome you are and overlook that every other person is viewing. When you don't win, you get a look at what it resembles to be on the opposite side. Through this experience, you may become a better winner. Great sportsmanship is a vital quality to have. It drives you to improve as a good example to others. I myself after team practices go out with walk-on players and try to extend the sport by showing these qualities.

3. Dealing with Mistakes

No one is perfect and because of this fact, everyone makes mistakes. However, I know I am always my biggest critic and will always be harder on myself than my teammates or anyone else observing. Playing paintball teaches me that it's ok to make a mistake and to learn from it for the next round or point. Just like in life, by only focusing on your past mistakes, you miss what is exactly in front of you and how far you've come from your last one. Always move on to the next.

4. Challenging Yourself

The only way you are able to know your own personal limits and how far you can push yourself is by challenging yourself. This is one of the few sports that allows you to do this from the moment the referee yells "GO!" This test is not only physical, it's the same amount mental. Just like you hear in the movies, you'll dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge and have to be able to do it every match point you play. What you learn is that every game, you see where to push harder and when to pull back. Did you make that bunker or not? These are things you can tell yourself in between games. You also need to have a sense of situational awareness. Seeing where your opponents are, where your teammates are and having good communication skills are vital. By playing, it helps strengthen your mind body.

The sport of paintball while being relatively new (started in the 1980's), is one of the fastest growing sports not only in the United States, but internationally. It's played by people of all ages, sizes, shapes and limitations. So head out to your local field with some friends, gear up, and have a blast! Maybe I'll see you out there.