Why act like this?

[HeDidIt]

Ok all. I need to hear everyone's opinions on this one.

Over the weekend I decided to sneak in a few hours of paintball. While out at the local field I ran into a new kid rocking an Ego 11. When I say kid, I mean 13 years old....with an Ego. Now I don't care at all what someone brings to the woods/field with them. To me a paintball gun is a paintball gun is a paintball gun. But for some reason some people feel very strongly against young kids using high ends. Now granted this kid wasn't very good at paintball, but he also never made one comment about being good either. Some players then decided to start giving this kid hell about how he was just a rich noob and things of this nature. Some even got down right nasty over it. Bonus balling and all that wonderful stuff.

Well to make a long story short I ended up getting the reffs involved because this kid was getting absolute hell. (He wasn't enjoying himself...obviously) When that didn't change anything much I ended up reporting the offending players to the field owner. (Offenders got booted....kid got some free paint and an apology. Reffs got semi publicly scolded.)

Also as a side note the kid earned his Ego 11 by making honors for all last school year. His parents asked him what he wanted and he wanted an Ego 11. (He had a 98C.)

Now what I want to know is has anyone ever seen this type of bullying at their field? And how did you handle this situation?
Also why do people think you have to earn an Ego? Like you must first be able to play every position, have shadowy ninja skills of death and all that crap just to own one.

[Hooligan]

Fortunately I have yet to come across any sort of bullying at my local field. Most all players that are memebrs are really good people and wouldn't pick on much younger kids just for rockin an Ego. The only reason I can see for people getting nasty is just straight jealousy. Some people work for months to afford there Ego while this little kid shows up with one his parents bought him. The way I see it, if you can afford it buy it. He paid his dues. He did what he set out to do in school and got rewarded generously for his actions. As long as he's not out there acting the same way as those clowns bonus balling and ramping and ****. You did the right thing standing up for him. Good job.

[Duck]

the only problem ive ever seen has been people getting heated over getting over shot or a boundary dispute. but personally i think anyone that would bully a kid over his gun. should be band from the field. people play paintball because its fun. not to have to deal with rude people like that. thats the kind of people that give the sport a bad name. but Hooligan is right there jealous that they dont own one. congrats to the kid for takingbit like a man because at that age i would have probably shot them. and good job for taking action on the kids behalf.

[Ethan]

Hater's gonna hate, that's really all it is. Jealousy, which is embodied by mean behavior and bullying.

That's pretty cool that the kid busted his ass all year and his parents bought him an '11 for getting Honors. But...! Even if the kid's a rotten spoiled brat and his parents bought him all that because they're loaded - who cares? If the kid acts like a jerk, then that's a different story, but hating on someone for their gear is childish - whether the gear is "too nice," "too milsim" or whatever it is.

BTW - posting this on FB, hoping for some more responses!

[Koolaid]

Its things like this that ruin our sport, complete BS!

[Blitz]

Only problem I have with a new kid and a electro is trigger control. In this case it sounds like the kid was not going crazy bonus balling people or getting cocky so there should have been no problem. I wish this would have happened at my local field! The bullies would have had a not so pleasant surprise next round out on the field then they would have been banned! I don't put up with this stuff! Our sport will never grow if you abuse the new players to where they don't come back!( or worse, make them bullies as well)

[copman87]

This is the type of crap that ruins the name of our sport. We need more people out there that help the people in need, not people that beat them down b/c they got a better gun. Who gives a crap what type of gun you opponent has. If you don't like the fact that he/she has a better gun then you. Save up some $$ and buy and damn better gun.

[Orpackrat]

Not tolerated at our field, odds are though, if you see a kid or new player with a nice marker at our field, its probably because one of us loaned it out lol.

[Arson24]

That is B.S


but in reality it happens in all sports, i personally don't condone it
but that doesn't change the jealousy of other players
never seen it in paintball but snowboarding and skateboarding for sure

[mishayelich]

it happens all the time. Ref's should know to put a stop to it immediately. Any one who comes out to play deserves respect. An ego 11 is no different then a spyder electra, it shoots a ball. It doesn't matter if he was the cockiest prick to ever grace the field, he's paying to play and he dose not deserve to have anyone give him crap. Having refereed for over 3 years, that is one thing that never ends, but if a young kid shows up with an expensive gun, as a ref you know to watch out for that kid for 2 reasons, he could just go ape crazy and bonus ball everyone, or he could get a lot crap. People will be jealous and put him down.

[NateDaGreat]

No not really, im 15 ( was 14) 3 months ago and have never had a problem. Yeah a vice/nt isn't as expensive as an ego11 but still around the same concept. Maybe it's because I'm alot more social and talk more to people. That or the northwest is alot happier place

[mishayelich]

speedball is a different thing completely, expensive guns are expected. If you show up your 3rd or 4th time playing on the woodsball field with an ego 11 you might get some crap

[joblair]

This is sooo dumb. And i do agree, with everyone saying that as long as he wasn't being cocky about it, he didn't deserve ANY of it. I remember going to the field one day for my birthday, and there was a ref (off duty) that went up to a rental kid and started cussing him out for bonus balling and not putting his barrel plug on, AS SOON AS HE GOT OUT...and then the next round the ref did exactly that.. 3 complaints...1 to him to calm down...t. 2 to another ref, who went up and JUST AS SOON as she walked up her body language changed AND she talked nicely, like it was ok. Apparently he was the head ref...3 went directly to the owner at the end of the day....lets just say, i don't think he was a happy camper after that =)...camo guy knows EXACTLY what i'm talking about...he had it all on tape.

[sqyire]

I think you handled this responsibly. Good work!

[WCP Squirrel]

I don't really see bullying when it comes to people with new markers, but I do see groups of regulars that like to pick on the walk-ons. I guess I don't understand because this reminds me to much of spawn camping in video games. People always think it's fun and great to destroy the other team, but hate when it's them getting destroyed. Why not split your team up and them up and help the new players. I guess being a pistol person and not shooting a lot I feel I can help people even simple advice like stay down, wait, now run to the bunker, and shoot at that bunker I'm going to move up and get that guy out. You would be surprised how much better of a day this makes for everyone. The noobs start to learn and become aggressive, you get into epic battles with friends, and noobs become regulars only to pass on the same respect & help to someone down the line.

My 2 Cents

[Ethan]

Having refereed for over 3 years,

Correction - Having been one of the best refs I've ever played for....

[HeDidIt]

After a little snooping I found out it was a new group of guys doing the bashing. I guess the kid got grouped with them the first couple of woods games, and seeing how the kid was just a kid in jeans with a hoodie and an Ego who wasn't very good, he didn't hit it off with their click. Seems the new group was against any paintballer they thought didn't "belong" in the woods. Guess they were looking to prove themselves for whatever reason. A woodsball vs speedball mentality. (Guess it never dawned on them its all Paintball.) All they proved was a bad attitude gets you banned.

Haven't heard anything else about the kid. (I took off before he did. I was sneaking after all. Didn't need to come home to a scolding.) Everyone there said he was a pretty stand up kid. Hope he makes it back.

[NateDaGreat]

I hope he makes it back, It seems its always the "new guys" that want to try to prove they are better then you. Thats why you hear about all these times where you hear a newbie who talked smack, and you challenge him to a one on one and just dominate.

I think "regulars" know the state of paintball and don't really have anything to "prove" so they are just out there for a good time. Idk just my 2 cents. Never came across anyone that has been rude to new players.

[BIGBOSS_202]

 caught this on facebook and I must shay that this story is like a double edged sword if you will. The kid was ragged on just because of his age and the fact that he had a high end tourrny gun. The other was the decisive action of the field owner (I'm assuming that he is also a player) to stop a problem. Yet this is a classic stereotype in the game. A young kid with a high end marker. The assumption is that the kid is over privileged and never earned the money for it or he is spoiled like some others have said. I will say for those of us that do care about the sport is that HeDidIt set the example by sticking up for the kid. Yet some need guidance yet were are the veteran players to show that? Dude, you did the right thing regardless.

[Snakebiteloo]

ive only ever seen this kind of thing once. the new kid had borrowed his brothers dye NT to play some woodsball (i do the maintenance on that gun and it get the S*** kicked out of it) and 3 guys who i assume were regulars at the field were picking on him for being spoiled (same kind of thing as the original story) but the field has no refs and the owner is pretty much useless for rule enforcement or anything like that so we adopted a new theory: screw with the new guy and you screw with the 3 biggest and most experienced guys on the field. the guys doing the bullying left right quick when we made that rule