Taylor Brooks

Eng 111, Sec. 41

9/28/2014

Paintball Quarrel
There is a continuous fight in todays society that argues whether or not paintball is a
promoter of violence in kids. Many people agree that it is a fun activity, or even sport, that kids
can use to form friendships and have fun with their peers; however, many others would attack
that statement by saying that paintball plants a seed of violence in the minds of our young adults
that will one day grow into a problem for our society.
Paintball: Promoter of Violence or Healthy Fun? is an essay written by a student named
Ross Taylor, in which he argues against the critics that call paintball a sport that introduces kids
and teens to violence. Taylor argues that paintball can be an extremely beneficial activity that
can encourage people of all ages to get more exercise, practice the safe handling of potentially
dangerous equipment, and to challenge themselves mentally during the games.
Throughout the essay, Taylor illustrates several arguments that show his pro-paintball
attitude. First, he talks about his own experience with paintball and how it has brought him
immense amounts of fun and competitiveness that make him love the game and all its strategy.
Taylor shows how this sport may be perceived incorrectly by the general public and shown to be
more violent compared to other sports such as soccer or basketball, when, in his opinion, those
two sports are actually very violent in their own respective ways. By showing some of the rules
that regulate how people play, he goes on to further demonstrate why he believes people perceive
the game mistakenly as being vicious.
Further enlightenments in Taylors essay about the game include all of the teamwork and
strategy that actually goes into being able to participate. He describes certain battlefield
arrangements and hand signals to communicate with your teammates. The essay also explains
how some large companies use paintball as a team building activity to create a more smooth-

Taylor Brooks
Eng 111, Sec. 41
9/28/2014

functioning workplace. Lastly, Ross Taylor gives some statistics, trying to show that if all of the
safety precautions and safety equipment are used, it is completely possible to enjoy a game of
paintball without anyone getting injured. Throughout his essay Paintball: Promoter of Violence
or Healthy Fun? Taylor effectively supports his argument in favor of paintball as a healthy
sport; however, he does include too much bias and few outside sources to validate his points.
Ross Taylor does an amazing job of showing all the things that make paintball a positive
activity for a group of friends to participate in. Taylor gives examples such as having a referee
present at all times and making sure that close-range victims have a chance to surrender first, to
show that paintball isnt a wildly masochistic game that kids get violent tendencies from. Players
also arent allowed to punch, kick, push, or hit other kids with their guns during the game.
Another great point he makes is that paintball gives the players a large amount of exercise as
they are sprinting, diving, jumping, and rolling to avoid the opposing teams bullets.
The essay illustrates very vividly that the game can be an amazing mental challenge if
the players get into all the strategic possibilities that are involved. Teams position their members
in methods like the classic pincer, the ladder technique, outflanking the other team, and simply
covering the members of your team while calculating new positions. Hand signals are one of the
key ways that more veteran players learn to communicate with each other to be able to sneak up
on the other team. The teamwork aspect of it is one that attracts even older individuals to the
course. Taylor uses a website called Action and Adventure Paintball, Ltd as an outside source
to give an example of large companies using paintball as a teamwork and communication
activity to have better productivity and a smoother running workplace.
All of these points that Ross Taylor uses in his essay describe very well why paintball has
many healthy, character building traits associated with the game. The author even gives the

Taylor Brooks
Eng 111, Sec. 41
9/28/2014

explanation a very personal touch by including his own stories about paintball and how the game
has improved his life, everywhere from more friends, to stronger and more agile muscles.
Unfortunately, Taylors personal touch and lack of sources to back up his many great points does
create too much bias in his essay. It is not credible to argue a point with only the authors
personal opinions and almost no professional, well researched opinions.
Taylor includes a total of two outside sources in his essay, including the Action and
Adventure Paintball, Ltd website quote and the statistics from an article written by Cheryl
Guttman, a medical writer. Guttmans article says that only 102 cases of eye injuries from
paintballs were reported from 1985 to 2000, and 85 percent of those injured were not wearing the
required safety goggles. Taylors essay does a great job including this statistic, but he also goes
on to make it seem less important by saying that accidents are bound to happen. One way or
another, the inclusion of only two outside sources, only one of which being from a professional,
takes away from his essays legitimacy. If a player is trying to convince anyone that paintball
isnt actually dangerous, they will need a number of credible and well-known sources to back up
their opinions.
Another aspect of Taylors essay that makes it even less convincing is that it is told
completely from his point of view, so the reader doesnt get any information about how other
people from different parts of the country play the game. How do we know that every group that
plays paintball always has a referee present and always plays by the rules? How would we know
if most players actually wear protective goggles and use plugs in their gun barrels whenever the
game isnt underway? All of these little nitpicky questions just add to the reason why Ross
Taylors essay is not quite as substantial as it needs to be. Overall, Taylor does a very respectable
job covering his bases in his argument about paintball being a very misunderstood activity, but

Taylor Brooks
Eng 111, Sec. 41
9/28/2014

he does need to include more outside opinions from professionals if he is to win the argument
and convince the reader.