Girls Who Play Paintball (Yes, They Really Do)
Like many sports, paintball is a game dominated mostly by men. It can be physically demanding, it involves shooting guns at people, and you tend to get really, really dirty while playing.
Even so, will you ever see girls on the paintball field? Do women play paintball too?
You bet your ass they do.
But sorry... girls who play paintball do NOT look like this.
No matter how many sexy posters you've seen of girls holding paintball guns, your average female paintballer isn't showing up to the field in her bra and panties. The welts alone would be horrendous, not to mention those boots (which would make bunker-rushing a total nightmare).
In actuality, women are a lot more common on the paintball field than you might think. Because when you're enjoying something as much as you enjoy paintball, your wife or girlfriend just can't help but want to get in on some of the fun.
Women on the paintball field are also common during group or company outings. At least several times a month our local paintball field is packed with first-time paintballers from one corporation or another, pitted against each other on the annual company paintball outing. And this includes many women.
Whether you're a girl interested in playing paintball or a guy looking to convince his girlfriend to come along, it's good to know you're not alone. Most women who try paintball end up having a really great time, and many will tell you that getting shots hurt a lot less than they originally thought it would.
How to Get Your Girl to Play Paintball With You
One of the first things to do when trying to convince your girl to come with you on your next paintball outing is to gently ease her mind. When you've never played paintball in your life, you'll have a lot of misplaced and unfounded fears about the game.
These fears will be based upon TV, movies, and whatever they might've heard from others. Or maybe your girlfriend did an image search for "paintball welts", and immediately decided there's no way she'd ever play the game.
(NOTE: Don't show her that link, by the way)
For those who've never tried it, paintball can seem pretty rough. Your wife or girlfriend might envision the game to be physically demanding, chaotic, and even a little bit violent.
To get her to play, you need to dispel those notions. She has to see paintball as more of a fun group activity than a "guy" sport. You might also need to drive from her mind the images she saw on Jackass and Fear Factor, depending on if she watched those shows.
Be Supportive and Protective
Before playing paintball, your girl will want to know you'll be protecting her. Let her know you're not going to run off when the whistle blows, leaving her to fend for herself.
Also explain to her that beginners can always hang back and take things slow, and that the rear half of a paintball field sees a lot less action than the front center. Tell her you'll hang back with her and explain things as you go, and if it helps, tell her she can hide behind you if she needs to.
Tell Her She's Not Alone
Also let your girl know she'll be playing with many other first-timers.
A paintball team put together on an average weekend will usually consist of about half first-time players. Tell her how the games move slow at first, especially in the morning, so people can get used to the basic gameplay and tactics involved.
It's easier to accept playing the game for the first time when you know you're alongside other paintball rookies. Let her realize she won't be alone in the learning curve.
Offer to Pick Up Some Protective Gear
And rather than downplay how much it hurts to get shot? Let her know that shots hurt most on the hands and head. Offer to get her protective paintball gloves, a good clean mask, and even a hat or thick headband (which also keeps paint out of her hair - another fear some women will have).
By suiting her up with loose-fitting clothing or layers, you're ensuring that any hits your girl endures won't end up hurting very much. By the time she gets shot out of her first paintball game, you want your wife or girlfriend to realize she was being afraid of a whole lot of nothing.
Shoot a Paintball Gun Together
Your girl will feel a LOT more comfortable once she's handled her gun a few games. So with that in mind, why wait until the morning of her first game?
Pick up a cheap paintball gun, or let her shoot yours. Take your wife or girlfriend someplace for some practice, and let her unload a few hundred balls into a target or two. This will let her see how easy, and more importantly, how fun shooting the paintball gun can be.
Ask Your Wife or Girlfriend to Bring a Friend
In groups, women do things they might not normally do alone. There's strength in numbers.
With that in mind, ask your girl to invite a friend with her when she goes paintballing for the first time. Or better yet, have one of your paintball buddies bring his own wife or girlfriend. The two women can bond over the experience, and it makes it much easier to be brave when you know you're not alone.
Going one step further, why not invite an entire group of friends or family? By making the day into a paintball outing, you're taking away the danger of it all and replacing it with something that's more fun and exciting.
In the end, LOTS of women play paintball. I've even been to fields where guys have their women hooked on the game. and these girls often show up wearing cute paintball outfits.
