As I crouched near the earth behind a distressed barrel, my gun pointed and ready to shoot, I realized that playing paintball is not for the fainthearted.
It was a hot Saturday afternoon and we were at the WEBOSS
Extreme Grounds -- a new outdoor paintball facility at the Tarona Compound Holy
Family Village 1 in Banilad -- playing Jungle Skirmish, Counter Strike and
Capture The Flag. Before the game, we’ve already signed our waivers and been
briefed by the paintball guide/referee on how to use the marker (gun), the
safety rules and how the games are played. We were divided into two teams, each
with a designated base. To be honest, I don’t really know much about the art of
war games and strategy. I doubt my teammates did either. We were all neophytes. But we understood
enough that the point of the game is not to get hit and that once you’re
marked, you lose.
First Try
As soon as we found our respective home bases in the
netted field, the ref yelled “Game On!” I could feel the adrenaline, nerves and
anticipation as I waited to hear the first shot. I froze. Like many other
first-time players I imagine, I was convinced that if I so much as move my head
or look beyond the barrel, I would be hit. After a few minutes though, I
decided that waiting or not seeing was worse than getting hit. So I sneaked
around and, when nobody fired, scrambled forward to another barrel and aimed. A
thought came: “Hey, I work with these guys, I know them personally. How could
you hit someone you know?” Then, out of nowhere, “splat!” I got hit in the
hand. I didn’t even know where the shot came from. All I knew was that I was
hit, and that it didn't hurt that much to get hit after all. I was relieved,
grateful even, for that first shot. The initial jitters were gone and I felt
this time, I was ready to compete.
Counter Strike
The second game is similar to counterstrike – once you’re
hit, you have to go back to your base and start all over until you run out of
balls. The team with the lesser hits wins. At that point, I didn’t even think
much about winning. I just wanted to be quick, sharp and brave enough like the
boys. I wanted to be able to fight any offensive player who hit me and not just
wait for the boys to defend me. As they say, “No guts, no glory.” Now I know it
couldn’t be truer in the field. And I tell you, a girl with a mission is quite
powerful. Without purpose -- you’re weak, you’re dead. I realize, too, that
being hit ain’t so bad – it just gives you a reason to fight. By the end of the
game, I was the last one standing. The ref sounded almost surprised when he
said “Good job!” Lucky break? I guess, I was just annoyed enough to be hit
again dead center on my face mask.
End Game
By the time we played “Capture the Flag”, everyone was
paint-splattered and already falling in love with this unconventional shooting
sport. Being fast-paced and action-packed, not only do you get to test your
speed, strategy and aim, you also get to live out the drama of action movies.
You run, hide, hit, run hide, then hit again. Like love and heartbreak, paintball
teaches you the value of moving and moving on.
Perhaps, fear of pain is one of the biggest factors
stopping people from trying out paintball. Once you get into the game, though,
you’ll find that most of your fear is just in the mind. Paintball is a fun and
awesome experience if you give it a chance. I did. I survived. And, as I walked
off the field-- breathless, flushed and slightly battle-scarred, I’ve never
felt more alive. Paintball Saturday was one exciting experience I know I’m not
likely to forget. Make it yours, too. Game?
-- Published SunStar Weekend, November 17, 2012
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