So, little Johnny wants to take up the extreme sport of paintball. As a responsible, protective parent your first reaction is a categorical “no”. Various scenes from A Christmas Story pop into your head with the familiar refrain – you’ll shoot your eye out.

But kids being kids, little Johnny will be relentless in his quest to wear you down, until in a brief moment of physical fatigue and mental weakness you give in. Then you have that panicked, oh my God what have I done moment. Don’t worry. With a few pointers and a lot of common sense, paintball can be a fun, safe enjoyable game fro your little Rambo.

The first step is purchasing the right protective gear for your child. Buying a package of equipment at a big box retailer, giving it to your child and telling them to have fun just won’t cut it. Take the time yourself to read and follow all the safety instructions included. You need to be well versed on the safe and proper use of the equipment, and make sure your child understands the safety precautions also.

Next, familiarize yourself with the basic principles of the game. The most common game is a variation of capture the flag where two teams compete to try and retrieve a flag from the opponent’s side of the field and return it to a home base. During play, any player hit by a paintball is eliminated. Other variations include elimination where the objective is to simply shoot all the members of the opposing team, and attack and defend where one team attacks the fortified position of the opposing team.

As a parent it is comforting to know that the sport of paintball has an outstanding track record when it comes to safety. That record is the result of rigorous safety enforcement in the game. Some of the most common injuries in paintball are the same you would find in any outdoor activity – sprained ankles, scraped knees, minor cuts, and other bumps and bruises that come from running around and tripping and falling outside. Proper footwear and padding should be used to minimize these common ailments.

When it comes to paintball specific injuries, really the only thing of concern is the paintball itself. That’s why it is imperative that you make sure your child wears goggles and other protective gear at all times. Being hit with a paintball does sting, and will leave a bruise on unprotected skin, but that should be the extent of it. The paintball industry mandates that the acceptable maximum velocity of a paintball is 300 feet per second, or 204 miles per hour. That may sound like a lot, but that is the velocity as the paintball leaves the barrel. Goggles and other gear are manufactured to perform up to this velocity. This velocity and lower also keeps that bruising on unprotected skin to a minimum.

Paintball can become a fun, lifelong sport for your child. Just do your homework and follow the safety rules. Who knows, you may just join them out on the field one day.

Author Bio: Layne regularly writes for ProlificPaintball.com, they carry such paintball equipment as Paintball Marker and the Tippmann A-5, as well as many other items from a variety of manufacturers.

Category: Recreation
Keywords: Paintball Marker, Tippmann A-5