SAFETY
First and foremost it teaches safety. Players MUST wear their goggles and they MUST use barrel plugs. They must treat the paint marker with respect. They learn that safety is important, not just to protect themselves, but to protect others. A lapse in safety can cause field staff to keep the offending player out of a few games. Habitual unsafe practices will get that player ejected from the field.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE'S OWN ACTIONS
If you make a mistake, realize that it was nobody's fault but your own. Accept the fact and move onto the next game. Players learn that what they do, or do NOT do has an effect on the outcome of the game. It is a simple example of cause and effect at work.
TEAM WORK
As a species, humans are reluctant to ask anyone for help, be it from pride, stubbornness or lack of knowing when to ask for help. No one is an island, and the sooner young adults learn that they just may have to rely on someone else's help, the better. They will also learn that THEIR help may be much needed as well. Learning to work as part of a team and contributing to a single objective is an essential "life skill".
HOW TO WORK WITH OTHERS
This is not the same things as team work. I am referring to a one-on-one situation where the young adult and another player are working as a small team. You may not have an entire group to depend on, and being able to work with an individual, any individual, is essential. Everyone is different and they have their own way of doing things. How you work with each individual, and contribute to the task at hand, changes with each different individual you work with.
INDIVIDUAL EFFORT
Often players, through no fault of their own, will wind up by themselves. It takes a lot of courage not to just hide behind a bush, where it's safe. (I've been tempted many times, in this situation.) No one really likes to be alone. Learning to apply yourself, without the help of others, is a good character builder. There won't always be people around to help you.
WORKING WITHIN LIMITATIONS
This was something I did not seem to have when I was a teenager. I could do anything, and I knew everything. Being an "adult" I realize that I do have limitations (and many more than I care to admit to). You can only run so fast, the fields are only so large, you can only carry so much paint and air. Paintball sets up limitations (whether intentionally or incidentally) and forces players to work with reasonable and realistic limitations.
OBEYING RULES AND LAWS
There are safety rules, field rules and game rules. In order to be permitted to play, you must abide by them. Cheaters are not well liked in this sport and they are quickly ostracized.
REWARDS SOMETIME COME WITH HARD WORK
Your hard work is sometimes rewarded by a victory. A successful flag capture thrills even the most seasoned paintball player. There are few feelings that match it.
ACCEPTING LOSSES
Sometimes, hard work will result in attaining no rewards. In paintball, you can do everything right and still not win. Paintball teaches the "there's-always-another-game" mentality. If you lost the last game, you'll have a chance to win in the next one. You won't always be successful, but you will learn to treat a loss as a learning experience, not as failure.
WINNING IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
Players outside of the tournament level, rarely see winning as the ultimate goal. Playing for the enjoyment of the game seems to eventually override a person's desire to win. It seems to be the general atmosphere on the recreational level. Players soon realize that winning is not the real challenge. The real challenge comes from bettering yourself as a player.
HOW TO BEST ATTAIN YOUR GOALS
A little planning and forethought go a long way in this game. They also go a long way in life.
PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING
Every time the horn blows and the game starts there will be a COMPLETELY new set of circumstances to deal with. Paintball teaches you how to rectify situations that may not start in your favor. You think and act in such a way as to be successful (hopefully). Brash, thoughtless actions are met with a brightly colored mark on your person. Sometimes, taking a chance is worth the risk, but you usually can weigh the pros and cons before you take that chance.
Paintball is the perfect arena to teach people when it is time for pensiveness and when to take a calculated risk. If you make the wrong decision, the only thing that gets hurt is your pride.
HAND-EYE CO-ORDINATION
Learning to shoot a paint marker requires the development of good hand-eye co-ordination. Yes, video games teach this too, but at least in paintball, the young people are interacting with REAL people.
EVERYONE IS EQUAL
We might not look or act the same, but no one has an advantage over another because of it. No one race, gender, age, occupation, or political or religious persuasion is better at this than any other. Paintballs are non-discriminatory, they break on anybody, regardless of race, creed or culture. Tells you something about life, doesn't it?
RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY
Field staff have to enforce safety and playing rules. Argue with them and you won't get to play. You have to listen to what they tell you, they are there to ensure that everyone has a good, safe day. It's nice to hear kids saying things like "yes sir" and "Mr. Referee".
