The Oklahoma State University Paintball Association has started up again after a one year hiatus and is looking to jump right back into competitive paintball.
For the uninitiated, paintball is a sport where each player is armed with a compressed air- or carbon dioxide-powered gun that fires paint-filled pellets. Objectives may vary from hitting every member on the opposing team to capturing a flag, according to the Paintball Sports Trade Association Web site.
Last year, paintball enthusiasts lacked a club to pursue their love for the sport.
“I wanted to restart the club because there wasn’t one already when I came,” said Bryan Uhls, club president and a sociology and pre-law freshman. “I saw it as a way of doing something I enjoy while getting involved in school events.”
The OSU Paintball Association has not participated in any tournaments thus far.
“We’re still looking for members and dealing with registration,” Uhls said. “We hope to participate in the NCPA tournament in the fall.”
The National College Paintball Association is the largest non-profit organization in paintball with more than 120 college clubs and 3,500 players, according to its Web site. It has a presence in 43 states. Teams consist of five players with a maximum roster of eight.
Uhls started the club with little feedback from the old association. He said he only met the old vice president recently after the paperwork was submitted. The old club was disbanded when members tired of the paperwork.
“He also mentioned that OSU wasn’t cooperative,” Uhls said. Uhls said OSU had been helpful to him in registering the association as a sports club thus far.
For some, it was hard at first to find a place to enjoy the sport.
“I played the game since I was in high school so I knew some of the old players,” said Colby Kelsey, a team member and an undecided freshman. “When I came here I was surprised there was no team so I looked around for people to play with and I found Bryan.”
Kelsey said he tries to get people to join and play the sport but the cost of playing, which can run up to more than $60 a person, is a huge deterrent.
“We’re trying to get some money from OSU as well as looking for sponsorship from any paintball company,” Uhls said. “Right now we train once a week on Sundays at either Guthrie or Choctaw.”
Most students are unaware of the paintball association.
“I didn’t know about the club or that we event had one,” said Indra Heodinata, a computer science freshman. “I think paintball is an interesting sport and is something I might look at.”
The association plans to swing into top gear as the OSU Cowboys compete in the NCPA league next semester.
“We have enough members so right now we’re looking for recreational players to join and have fun,” Uhls said.
For more information on the association, e-mail Uhls at bryan.uhls@okstate.edu.
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