The people with a passion for paintball

Welcome to the world of paintball – one of the fastest growing sports in Europe.

Often described as a more challenging, high-stakes version of tag, it is played with the same objective as any other competitive game – to win – and is enjoyed by millions worldwide.

Staffordshire and District Paintball Club (SAD) has more than 100 members, supporting 12 competitive teams, with players ranging from complete novices to aspiring pros.

It was formed by paintball enthusiast and chairman Mark Blakemore in 1993 to compete in the national leagues.

“Paintball is unique in that teams can be made up of many combinations, all male, all female, aged from 12 to 55-plus, all competing equally – it’s a true inclusive team sport,” he says.

The sport’s origins lie in America and the popular theory is that it was inspired by forestry workers who developed a paint-splatting device to mark trees for felling.

From here, cowboys in the Western states caught on and used the markers on livestock before finally turning them on one another, with predictable results, says the United Kingdom Paintball Association.

They had inadvertently created what would soon develop into a worldwide phenomenon, and a brand new extreme indoor and outdoor sport.

It was first introduced into the UK in 1984 where today more than a million people take part in events every year.

Mark, who lives in Codsall, began playing the game after it first sparked his interest in 1987. “It was something completely different to other games that were around and there were lots of different elements to it – teamwork, communication, and of course, adrenaline.

“It also brings people together from all walks of life and that was instantly appealing,” he tells Weekend.

As the sport’s popularity continued to grow and moved towards structured leagues, Mark and a few like-minded friends decided to form their own club so they could compete in tournaments, and in 1993 SAD Paintball Club was born.

The team went from strength to strength and competed in tournaments across the UK and Europe.

Despite plenty of success at competitions including first place at the Zap Open in Germany, the club was disbanded in 2004 and the players went their separate ways.

But for some of the original members, their passion for paintball had not disappeared and in 2013 they got together for a reunion.

“A small group of original members reformed to play an event to celebrate 20 years of friendship and the anniversary of the club first forming.

“We were only supposed to be playing one event but we’ve evolved into the club we are now and here we are in our seventh season with 122 members, including 80 active ones and 12 competitive teams,” he says.

While paintball requires specific equipment – protective clothing, goggles, a marker, pressurised gas and paintballs, Mark says it’s open to all ages and abilities.

“Players are from a wide demographic. Our youngest player is 12 and we’ve also got players in their late 50s. The teams are comprised of men and women and different ages and abilities,” he adds.

SAD, which trains in Penkridge, competes in the Central Premier Paintball Series and there are five divisions as well as an elite division and a breakout division.

There are many different formats of paintball including speedball, also known as tournament, scenario, woodsball and magfed.

Speedball or tournament paintball is played in an arena laid out with inflatable barricades. The size of the arena and the number, shape and layout of the barricades is set down in the tournament rules.

Scenario paintball sees teams also trying to achieve a range of objectives but within the setting of a particular ‘scenario’, which could be a re-enactment of a historical event or an imaginary circumstance. These events take place in settings ranging from disused military bases to ancient castles and large woodlands.

Woodsball is similar to tournament paintball but played in a woodland setting, while players of magfed paintball take part using markers that have a limited number of rounds of ammunition.

Among those who have fallen in love with the game is university student Jake Simmonds, aged 20, from Codsall, who has been playing mainly speedball for five years.

“I was looking to find a more adventurous hobby and build up the confidence I didn’t have when I was 15 or 16.

“It’s taught me to communicate effectively and work together as a team to achieve a collective goal.

“I really enjoy challenging myself and pushing myself to the highest level and improving my skills on the field,” he tells Weekend.

SAD has established an academy to encourage younger players to take up the sport and Mark says this is an important role of the club.

“Paintball has gone through a little bit of a renaissance lately but the growth of the gaming industry means there are a lot of people playing combat games on computer.

“We’re trying to encourage young people to participate in a physical recreational sport where they are meeting people face to face rather than behind a keyboard,” Mark says.

The 54-year-old says his love of the game has evolved over the years and now he also gets a buzz from helping to inspire others.

“When I first started playing I enjoyed the pure adrenaline rush of playing and being in an environment when you are stalking another person through the woods and suddenly finding yourself in the middle of a safe ‘gun’ fight.

“I got to travel all over Europe and meet other people involved in the game.

“I still play from time to time but now the biggest reward for me is bringing new people into the game and helping them to increase their skills and enjoyment of the game. That’s very rewarding,” explains Mark.

*The club is keen to hear from anyone interested in joining or sponsoring the team. See www.facebook.com/SaD93pbclub or www.sadpbclub.co.uk