Guide to the Care and Feeding of Newbies

I originally wrote this article several years ago with a slant more towards a commercial field, but the ideas and applications will work even in a “Renegade” situation. Average life of a Paintballer is typically around two to four years. So with numbers going out, you need new numbers coming in to replace those ones, as well as new players on top of that to ensure the sport’s growth. This article is to give you some ideas of what to do to make a players first experience in Paintball as positive as possible to get them to come back for more.

So here we go…

OK, now this may be painful for some of you out there to remember or admit to, but at one time we were all newbies, and at some point we forget this fact. I hear a lot of players nowadays talking fairly derogatory about the actions or comments that newbies make. This is ironic, especially considering some of these players aren’t much more than newbies themselves! So take a moment and ask yourself these questions: How did you feel when you first started? Do you remember the mix of excitement, fear, and uncertainty? The wanting to know everything about every marker and piece of equipment you see?

We forget that with all there is to see, hear, and do; the first time out can be an overwhelming experience. For some of you this may seem like yesterday (and for some of you it was!), but this gives you an idea (or a flashback) of what these new players may be thinking and feeling on their first day.  Much like when we first started, we looked up to the experienced players for advice on how to play and information on equipment. Now, it’s your turn to be that experienced player.

Do unto others…

Okay, so let’s start things off with basic human civility. As much as some players like to treat Newbies as sub-species of human beings, they still are people nonetheless. Treat them the same, as you would expect to be treated in any situation. Your attitude off the field is just as important as on the field, so how you present yourself around new players is what will leave the biggest impression. Consider businesses you frequent and the one’s you swore you’d never go to again. What was the difference in treatment? Chances are the one’s you frequent are the ones where you feel the most welcome and get the best service. The Paintball field is no different. No one is going to want to spend their time and money at a place where they don’t feel welcome or are treated like idiots. Now I’m not saying you have to greet everyone with a big hug (The screaming starts to ring in your ears after a while… just trust me on this one!), but treating them with decency and respect should be the rule. While this may not seem very important to you as a player, it’s certainly not helping the growth of the sport, or your local field owner for that matter!

Be patient.

Paintball’s an interesting sport that brings out a combination of adrenaline and testosterone within the body. Because of this, blood flow to the brain seems to become interrupted. The general excitement does make one say and do some unusual things, both on the field and in the safety area. Now I did start this article some time ago, but after working at a rental field for a few months (and several more months of heavy therapy due to the experience), I had to step back from it.  I didn’t even want to LOOK at the word Newbie (Note: Don’t ask for help with patience if you don’t want it tested! – SB). We had a list up on the wall of “Dumb Questions” that were asked in that year. Some of the highlights were one’s like: “How many paintball’s are in a 500 bag?” and “How much does a $40 bag cost?”. My own personal favourite was when I had one kid ask me “If I go on the Internet and buy paint that’s the same colour as here, can I use it here?”. This was after a lengthy explanation of why we were “Field Paint Only”. I don’t think he got it. But I digress…

My little ramble was to show what you could be up against. You’re going to be asked what you may call “stupid” questions, but to me, the only stupid question is the one that isn’t asked or answered (the ones listed above I consider to be “brainless”). Like I keep telling people, I’d rather have them come to me and ask “stupid” questions than to have them not get the info they need. For someone to learn, someone’s got to be willing to teach. Which now brings me to my next point…

K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple, Stupid! In other words, try to think about what you say or how you say it. Chances are you’ve been in the sport for a while so you know what all the lingo means. They don’t. There’s no sense in dazzling them in your detailed explanation of how exactly an Autococker works when they don’t even understand what a “bottom line” is. Anytime I have to explain anything to someone, I always tell them: “Ask if you don’t understand”. This way, they get the info they want if they don’t understand, and I’m not babbling off useless facts wasting both our times. Who knows? They may have already done some research on the Internet before they started playing (God help us!). But chances are to you’ll have to debunk a lot of crap info they’ll have picked up from who knows where. Keep explanations short, precise, and to the point. If they want or need more details then chances are they’ll ask for it.

On the field.

I come from the old-school days where the mixing of experienced players and rentals was fairly commonplace. But with the arrival of faster markers and/or younger players with little to no fire control, “newbie bashing” has brought this practice to the edge of extinction. Like any field owner will tell you, mixing these two groups is just bad business. However, you might find yourself in a situation where you can play with rentals providing you go “Low Tech”, using pumps or hand loading semis as an a example. Now you have the opportunity to do some on-field coaching. Give some words of encouragement to let them know they’re doing something right. Congratulate them on a good shot, a nice move, etc. (you get the idea). Chances are these new players are feeling awkward and unsure in their actions, so the idea is to give them an idea when something is being done right. If something was done wrong, explain to them what it was and how to correct it.

Paintball is a funny game. I don’t know of any other sport where you can play for the first time one day, buy all your gear, and be deemed a “Pro” then next day! But I’m getting off of my point here… On any given Paintball field in any place, anyone with their own gear is a “Pro” player in the eyes of newbie. This also means you’re a coveted target, the Brass Ring, the Grand Prize… the Holy Grail of Paintball to them. As much as winning a Tournament or a Big Game is bragging right to us, taking out the experienced player is bragging rights to them. Be willing to put pride aside and take a hit on occasion. Stick a body part out a little too far, or a piece of equipment, or stay out from your cover a little longer than you should.

Although this article may read like it, I’m not saying you have to become a baby-sitter. If anything, the objective is to become a guide. Let’s not forget the most important reason for lending a helping hand, which is to encourage these new players, who are the future of the sport. As much as we’d like to keep playing forever, chances are we’re not going to. Paintball will need players to fill those voids and more players on top of that to keep it growing. The more pleasurable of an experience we can make for their first time out, the greater a chance there will be of their return, and a greater chance of them becoming regular players. Who knows? They player you helped out today could become a future team-mate!

I think everyone who has ever played still remembers one player who had the most influence on them during that first day (I know I still do!). Can you be that player for someone else?

Tags: leadership, newbie, Sniper Bob, sportmanship, teamwork