Ok, so I had not even ventured into this forum, but a thread on the newbies forum prompted an invite so here I am.
I am a divorced mom to 2 boys....I have always been an athlete, and my sons are athletic too - I was a downhill ski racer in H.S. and college, played all different sports through middle school and high school and then in college added fencing. That last bit being the only thing even vaguely similar to paintball. After my divorce I started wanting to be back to being an athlete, and for the last 3 years have been competing in triathlons. My boys are involved in that, and love that mom is an athlete - the younger son swims, the older son is a great runner (though he does not love it) and they both bike here and there... the boys played baseball from a young age until this year, now they will be doing lacrosse as their spring sport. Winter is basketball and swimming and skiing...
Paintball entered our lives when my now 14 year old came home from camp having tried it once. He desperately wanted his birthday party to be a paintball party. Well the local field (Boston Paintball) has 10 as a minimum age, so I told him he would have to wait until his brother turned 10 (he is now 12). Their birthdays are 3 days apart.
So 2 years ago, when they were turning 10 and 12, we had a paintball birthday party. I played (their dad did not) and we had a blast.
A year later, my older son had his bar mitzvah, and I rented the whole place for a party for his whole class - and again I played and again their dad just sat (did not even watch).
I think there was one or two more days when we played, some other days that I dropped my older son off to play, and that he went with others....he got his first gun for his bar mitzvah (from my uncle) and then traded up....
He started about a year or so ago talking about tournaments - I asked who was going to drive (and pay....). I thought paintball was a fun game but not much more.
Then in december (2009) yet another birthday - only this time I had been noticing a used Ego 08 in the shop - and at the end of the evening I bought it (and paintball pants...)
I think it was January before we had a chance to go play - me using my new toy
and wow what a difference. Open play was so much more fun than rental rounds....my older son was THRILLED that I was getting into it with him.
Well then I got an email about an event called the Combine in February at Boston Paintball - essentially an introduction to tournament ball, with drills, and various forms of team play (including X ball). Knowing that my son would love this, I signed us up.
Well not only did he love it, I did too (and I won a mask). We came out of that night CERTAIN we wanted to do tournament play. When I started looking at the 3 man junior league, there are 2 divisions - one for players under 15 and one with no age limit. I suggested he and his school mate get one more and go in the U15 league, but my son wanted to play with me....
and then we both got invited to a new 5 man team starting up - so we will play in both leagues...my younger son will be our alternate on the three man and probably pit crew for the 5 man team....
I have since bought us a scuba tank for air at home, and 2 bunkers for the backyard for snap shooting, and set up targets for drills.....
While we have always done things together, this has been a great bonding experience - and I cannot believe how much I like it!!!
My first reaction the first time we went to Boston Paintball and I saw people all geared up was to laugh - I could not believe people took it so seriously - but now here I am - geared up head to toe (even got turf cleats...) and every time I see parents I tell them they should play too....
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