High School team taking on School Board

ThisWontHurt · 11-09-2011, 10:54 PM

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Hey guys I'm getting ready to go in front of our school board in an attempt to get a recognized High School Paintball team going. I live and teach in a poorer community and am attempting to introduce paintball as a competitive sport to the students. Our estimated start up cost is around $5,500. We all know that it is hard to get paintball teams recognized by School Boards which means that all the support I can get will greatly help our chances. It would help a lot if the community got behind us to help lead the way for others.

Madison High Dragons Paintball

tsbalr120 · 11-09-2011, 10:56 PM

good luck

swaggz mckenzie (Banned) · 11-09-2011, 10:58 PM

good luck.
you live in an ignorant country that's in an economic crisis. you'd be lucky if they even call it a sport let alone give you money for it

GrimReafer · 11-09-2011, 10:58 PM

I will support only if you shoot the Dragon Timmys. XD

But GL in your endeavors.

simple_condolences · 11-09-2011, 11:00 PM

Out of curiousity, what do you need $5500 for? Can we see a list of expenditures and where that money will be allocated?

EDIT: Also, when you say recognized as a team, do you mean funded? That's a HUGE shot in the dark in highschool. Your best bet may be to find a teacher willing to work with you and start our as a club sport. Then progress from there.

DocMoody · 11-09-2011, 11:07 PM

Good luck man. I hope this works out for you.

prettylou · 11-09-2011, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThisWontHurt

Main Story
Hey guys I'm getting ready to go in front of our school board in an attempt to get a recognized High School Paintball team going. I live and teach in a poorer community and am attempting to introduce paintball as a competitive sport to the students. Our estimated start up cost is around $5,500. We all know that it is hard to get paintball teams recognized by School Boards which means that all the support I can get will greatly help our chances. It would help a lot if the community got behind us to help lead the way for others. Like our facebook page and show your support for paintball in the High Schools.

Madison High Dragons Paintball

I think he is the teacher....kudos for taking on the task. Any kind of start up for High School activities is going to cost something. Good luck.

smokeage · 11-09-2011, 11:22 PM

If you haven't already, reach out to companies to help you. I'm sure there are more than a few large companies out there who could bust out a formal letter for you.

Also, HKPBA on Facebook can spread your page like no other in the paintball community.

WillyW0nka · 11-09-2011, 11:30 PM

Those Vicious nerds are based out of Nebraska aren't they? I don't know if they're local to you, but if it's within reason, having a couple professional players behind you on this one couldn't hurt.

hardpainball · 11-09-2011, 11:32 PM

Even if we overcone the hurdle of recognition of paintball as a legitimate sport in high schools, we still face an even bigger challenge. The biggest problem with paintball is that it is a very expensive activity. Even to start the activity as a club had been just about impossible because not enough high school student can afford to practice on a regular basis. So attendance is very spotty. Trying to get funding from the school as a new designated sport is just about impossible, especially amid the current financial crisis that most schools are currently experiencing. NCPA has several very helpful write ups with pointers about starting a college paintball club and getting designation as a sport that can be applied in the high schools.

ghost93 · 11-09-2011, 11:43 PM

This seems like an absolutely awful time to try this, seeing as pretty much every school in the nation is seeing massive budget cuts and is being forced to get rid of activities....

WillyW0nka · 11-09-2011, 11:47 PM

You only get 4 years of highschool. If he decides to wait a bit to try it, a lot of the students currently interested will already be in college (or farming, since they're in Nebraska).

You guys should probably think of it this way, the kids interested in paintball probably aren't cut out for football or baseball, so if they don't play either of those, their only other option is...Lacrosse. Do you REALLY want there to be MORE Lacrosse players? I didn't think so. I for one am on board with this 100%.

haniousman12 · 11-10-2011, 12:10 AM

I would agree. $5500 is a lot of start up costs. If your trying to pitch this to the school board asking for this money, you had better have some extra good explanations on why your wanting such a large sum.

Caitiff · 11-10-2011, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillyW0nka

You only get 4 years of highschool. If he decides to wait a bit to try it, a lot of the students currently interested will already be in college (or farming, since they're in Nebraska).

You guys should probably think of it this way, the kids interested in paintball probably aren't cut out for football or baseball, so if they don't play either of those, their only other option is...Lacrosse. Do you REALLY want there to be MORE Lacrosse players? I didn't think so. I for one am on board with this 100%.

In what way, shape,or form do you see the current paintballer any better than a Lacrosse player? I would rather play with typical jocks than the tosh.o web redemption surfer guy that the paintball community is turning into.

It would be great for high schools to officially recognize paintball, but then again most high schools don't even have hockey because of the high cost. Then other schools would have to have teams for this team to play against because without some type of competitve cicuit, what would be the goal? I believe some of these guys have the right idea with starting a club.

$teveO · 11-10-2011, 12:29 AM

Being a highschool student i have a little experience at a failed attempt. But it was fue to lack o interest unfortunately. When i approached the school they said i wouldnt be able to have it as a "sport" but i could start a paintball club. The problem is, like mentioned earlier in the thread, most highschool students dont have jobs and cant afford to dish out money to play every week.

My school had said they would be willing to help a little financialy. They said they would buy us "school jerseys"(so they would be school owned like all the other sports. But ours for the season. But that was as far as i could get with my school, and it was a rich private school in a wealthy town.

Its very hard to start up a sport that is out of the ordinary for most people, and get backed by a school. Especialy a sport that is viewed publicly (for the most part) of being dangerous and filled with vandals. Although we all know that isnt true, when the everyday person thinks of a paintball gun, they think of the stories on the news of the school getting shot with paintballs or the kid on youtube getting shot in the face with no mask on. So be sure to go over how strict safety rules are at the field and things of that nature.

I wish you the best of luck, and hope you succeed with getting the funding. I dont know if anything i said helps, but i figured it cant hurt. Please excuse any typing errors, i sent this from my phone...

$teveO

tako-down · 11-10-2011, 12:39 AM

tons of high schoolers already play tournament ball. there are even a good amount of pro players under 18 that are probably still in high school. it would be a miracle in itself for a school to allow hpa tanks and worse yet markers onto school property. it would have to be totally separate from the school which is why it dosnt ever happen. its much more easy to get your students together and start a team under the schools name then if you do well maby they would help you out

prettylou · 11-10-2011, 12:46 AM

This is when school fundraising and actual sponsors would benefit a team. team up with a local field thats willing to let you guys practice and give a deal on paint. I'm assuming the start up money would be for jerseys and gear. Like he said, he teaches in a poorer nieghborhood. If it can keep kids off the streets and get them involved, why not.

Kenny OKC · 11-10-2011, 01:01 AM

you may also point out the the Boy Scouts Of America has finally allowed paintball at the national Jamboree this year for the first time....

ThisWontHurt · 11-10-2011, 09:02 AM

Thanks for the support guys. I have already reached out to Vicious who are about 2 hours away in hope I can get a few to come support us. As for the confusion on my position in my school I am a teacher not a student.

What will make these students better as people that the Tosh O type player? I'm setting some very high standards for our players academically. They players will have to maintain a 2.75 or 3.0 GPA (debating on which to use). Also through out the school year they will be required to dress in a shirt, tie and slacks for the gentleman or a blouse and skirt/slacks for the ladies. The goal isn't to put jocks on the field it's to show that our sport is more than a the bunch of unsafe hoodlems that Hollywood portrays us as.

I also am not planning on asking for the full amount. The students will be expected to fundraise to help buy the gear. This will fuel the feel of ownership the students have of the team. School pride here for the most part is lacking so when the put on that jersey to compete I want them to know they earned the right to be at there in the face of what ever the distract throws at them. With about 80% of our school on free/reduced lunch I want to keep it fair to the students that don't have the money for their own gear.

I will be and already have started making some contact with companies. Most want info I don't yet have due to the fact I have 40+ students interested but only have 5 spaces on the team.

Finally I have no problem with the break down of expense:
All prices will be per unit
5 Empire Axes at $500
5 Empire LTD TW Glass Red Jerseys $84
5 Empire LTD TW Glass Red Pants $167
5 Events $100
5 Ninja 68/4500 $155
5 Pod packs around $40

Price per person before taxes 1,106
Price for a team set of everything 5,530

cplach · 11-10-2011, 09:34 AM

The biggest thing I've tried to tackle is making a paintball club that wasn't just playing paintball. Now you all are thinking, "What the hell is the point then?"

It has been stated multiple times that paintball is expensive, high school kids don't have the funds, and with budget cuts in a lot of districts nationwide, schools are very skeptical when it comes to investing in another sport that is not state recognized and involves "shooting a competitor to eliminate them from competition."

You have to become creative with what the club or team does instead of just playing paintball. Get some old Traumahead videos of national events to teach tactics, train like real athletes with running drills/gym time/etc, and take them to watch national/professional events.

I'm sure there are local restaurants and businesses who would gladly give you money if you sold them add space on your jerseys. Look into RAZA or Animal Paintball for custom jerseys because it will better rep the school and they have nice price breaks for teams in the NCPA and high school. If you don't quite make the next price break, open up the sale of jerseys to teachers and other staff because paintball jerseys are a hell of a lot cooler than boring old football/baseball/track/lacrosse jerseys.

@ThisWontHurt, look into Zephyr Paintball and Empire as both companies are offering sponsorships for the 2012 season which may help.

Although the Empire Axe is a solid marker, you may want to look into the Dangerous Power G4 which are about $300 each. Sure it may not have all of the bells and whistles, but you can cut down your costs a TON if you found a different marker.

I'm going through the same thing you are and just waiting on the BOE to finalize us for a "pilot" program before we become a legit club. Make this team/club open to EVERYONE, not just the tournament players. The reason my club proposal is even being looked at is because I have 40+ kids show up to meetings. Only a handful of that 40 are interested in tournaments, the rest want to learn the game and go play woodsball with rentals. With that high of a club interest, the school and the board would be more inclined to invest money into that than in the anime club which draws 3 kids or the computer club which has 2 students in it.

Oneofthemuppets · 11-10-2011, 09:49 AM

Why spend that much money on high end equipment? There is no reason to get 167 dollar pants, you can but 60 dollar pants, there is no need to buy 84 dollar jerseys, you can buy 20 dollar longsleeve shirts, there is no reason to buy 155 dollar ninja tanks, you can buy the generic brand tanks for 100 dollars, there is no reason to buy axes for 500, you can buy cheaper starter guns, you arent running a pro team so there is no need for fancy equipment.