Mizzou Paintball holds inaugural meeting

By Lyndsie Manusos

Published Sept. 8, 2008

They came with masks, guns and paint - a lot of paint. On a cool Sunday morning in Kingdom City, Mizzou Paintball held its inaugural meeting. And by the end of the day, it already seemed as if the new members had played with each other for years.

The atmosphere was friendly and open in a matter of minutes. Impressive, because the paintballers were meeting for the first time.

Leading the group was sophomore Nathan Martin, president of Mizzou Paintball, who shook hands and introduced himself with each individual player. But it wasn't as much handshaking as he had expected.

"If I had to guess, I'd go with 25-30 active members," he said.

The turnout, though, was not what had been expected. But the 14 players that showed up came ready to play.

Pants, cleats, a jersey and a mask are some of the standard equipment used in paintball. And the equipment isn't cheap. Players started yelling off how much their pants cost before practice, with some prices coming in at more than a hundred dollars. When at first asked what the snow pants look-alikes are actually called, freshman Kaleb Standridge just laughed and said, "Expensive."

The paintball guns are no exception; the Battle Creek Paintball store sells guns with prices as high as $295. Paintball definitely comes with a price due to the amount of gear. A gun alone requires added accessories: a hopper, a gun barrel, tank, a barrel condom and pod packs.

After loading equipment and some brief introductions, the players rode in their cars down to a field that was surrounded by a high-netted fence.

Players began suiting up and assembling their guns. Assorted colored jerseys were put on, some bearing the players' names and numbers on the back. Orange, yellow and pink paints were loaded and an air tank was provided for the participants to put air into their tanks in order to have pressure to shoot. It was all business here, but the competition was in good spirit.

"I like the camaraderie," Standridge said.

He has played paintball for five years and said he picked up the sport in his own back yard. In his first tournament he "got stomped" but has since then placed high in local events and tournaments and has even participated in a national event at The Kansas City National Professional Paintball League, to which more than 100 teams attended in one of the divisions.

On this particular morning, there were only two teams. A standard format is two teams of five on five. At the time of the first practice game, there was an uneven number and substitutes were put in on the sideline until players needed to reload or were eliminated.

Both teams set up on the opposite side of the field at a small black net and waited for the go. And then it was on. A sudden popping sound erupted and the field became a battleground. It was similar to fireworks off in the distance, but much more rapid. It all mixed with paint hitting the plastic, blown up obstacles sounding with a loud smacking noise and orders being yelled between team members.

If a player was hit, meaning that the paint broke on any part of the body, it was an out. During elimination or when a player needed to reload, a hand was placed on the head or raised in the air to signal he was leaving the field. If a player were eliminated, he would stay out, but if there were extra players on a team, he could sub back in.

The game was loud and quick, ending in a matter of minutes after one team had been completely eliminated. The players walked off with paint on their jerseys, pants and masks but most of them walked off with a smile on their face.

Many players said being hit didn't hurt, but it depends, of course, on where the paintball was shot and how close. Throughout the games, not once did a player yell out in pain from being shot, unless it was in frustration.

Martin explained that those who showed up Sunday had a greater chance of making the team and going to national events. Martin plans on attending four. The first event, in late September, is at the Michigan Open, part of the National Collegiate Paintball Association. There are six teams lined up for the competition.

Until that tournament, Mizzou Paintball will practice every Sunday from 10 a.m. until the afternoon, and most practices will be held at Xtreme Paintball Park in the St. Louis area. Martin said the end time would vary.

"Pretty much until after we run out of paint or get tired of shooting each other," Martin said.

The paintball team is open to both men and women, and Martin is hoping to set up a three to five person women's team.

Standridge talked about the difference between paintball and other sports. He explained that other sports have rivalries and heat off the field, but it's different with paintball.