The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: LINDY DUGGER University freshmen Joseph Halligan (left) and Sung Im play paintball at Dynamic Games in Winder on Sunday. Halligan and Im are members of the University's club paintball tournament team, which is sponsored by Dynamic Games. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: LINDY DUGGER University club paintball members Sung Im (left) and Joseph Halligan reload and clean their equipment in Winder on Sunday. [Click to enlarge]

For Anthony Baez, paintball is a way of life.

"I started playing 10 years ago in Athens, and I've been competing in tournaments for the last seven years," said Baez, a senior from Athens.

Baez, the president of the University's paintball club, is no stranger to 200 mph paintballs flying at him across the 125-by-150 foot field.

Even Andrew Barfoot, a sophomore from Watkinsville and club member, can attest to the mayhem that is paintball. "It's a big time adrenaline rush," Barfoot said. "It's just amazing because there's so much going on around you."

The club team began in 2000 and has traveled to various nationally sanctioned tournaments.

Each year, the team competes in the National Collegiate Paintball Championships, which will be held this year in Lakeland, Fla., from April 18-20. The team will send five members and one alternate to compete in the college five-man section of the tournament where more than 35 college teams are expected to compete for the title.

"The national championship is really fun," Barfoot said. "We get to play against different teams we have never seen before, and the sportsmanship and camaraderie between all the college teams is great."

Tryouts for the club are held at the beginning of each academic year. This year's squad consists of seven competitive players who travel to tournaments around the southeast and 32 recreational members who practice with the team once a month.

Competitive players are expected to purchase their own gear and pay their own expenses at tournaments while recreational players can rent University equipment for use.

Baez continues to scour the campus for competitive players. "We love having recreational players come out and have a good time once a month," Baez said, "But we are really looking for competitive players to travel with the team to tournaments."

The competitive team practices every weekend at Dynamic Games Supply in nearby Winder. DGS is the primary sponsor of the team and helps provide equipment for tournament play.

The club also encourages fans to attend its scrimmage versus Clemson on Sunday at the Dynamic Games Supply field in Winder.

"We would love to have fans for support," Baez said.

For those worried about the hazards of paintball, the club stresses the importance of safety. "We always wear our protective gear and paintball is a safe sport if played properly," Baez said.

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