The spring paintball season is just around the corner according to Ron Hammon of the Chi Town Nightmare team and he urged Rotarians to try out the sport for friendly competition, building self-confidence, and team bonding. Hammon has a background in sports and holds a master’s degree in Recreation. He has played competitive paintball going back to 1993. He has participated in tournaments that included as many as 600 players and generated over one-million dollars in revenue. A recent tournament in Florida included participants from Russia.
Paintball matches are usually made up of five players each said Hammon. A round of play goes 15 minutes. They have highly defined course layouts. Players’ ages range from as low as 10 years (with special approvals) to retired senior citizens. Hammon gave an example of how the sport can help with character building. He said a lesson of humility was learned by a group of middle-school boys who were quickly eliminated from their course by a female newcomer who just happened to be coached into firing her paintballs from just the right strategic location.
Rotarians were treated to some paintball holders and certificates for player discounts. More information and answers to questions is available at info@wwmdpaintball.com.