Paintball Club A Blast For

High School Students

By Tanjua Damon

E-frames and flat lines might be confusing to some, but a group of Newtown High School students know that the language refers to electronic triggers and longer range for paintball.

English teacher Linda Buonagurio, who is just as excited about the activity as the students, advises the new club. The students find the activity of paintball thrilling, fun, and a learning experience.

Tenth grader Carl Bergquist enjoys taking part in the monthly paintball trips with the club to various facilities in New York and Connecticut.

“It’s just a rush. It’s a lot of fun,” Carl said. “There’s teamwork and you are out there having fun with your friends.”

The students are planning a trip for this weekend to Patterson, N.Y., at the Liberty Paintball Games. The expense of the trips are taken care of by the students. The cost is about what a ski lift ticket might cost at a winter ski resort. So the group tries to plan a trip a month so that more people can join and participate.

John White, an eleventh grader, thinks paintball is the best thing created and feels it helps him to get involved with something he is passionate about, similar to an athlete’s passion for a sport.

“It’s an obsession. It’s the greatest sport on the planet,” John said. “One of the biggest misconceptions is that it’s unsafe. It’s actually safer than golf or bowling.”

Mike Compagnoni, also in eleventh grade, organized the club. He wanted to find a group of people that were interested in paintball. He asked Ms Buonagurio to be the advisor because he knew she and her family played. He admits he plays for fun, but also notes that there are many lessons to learn from the sport.

“I have a lot of fun,” Mike said. “We learn sportsmanship, coordination, patience, and problem solving. It’s also exercise.”

Exercise might be an understatement. Paintball fields can be the size of a few classrooms put together or they can be the size of a few football fields. Club members talked about how challenging courses can be when there are lots of obstacles like hills, trees, cars, or walls to add to the strategy of winning the game.

The games are refereed so participants know when they have been marked with paint. The paintballs are the diameter of a quarter or bigger. Participants have to wear protective gear, especially on their heads and necks. Someone cannot be marked unless the person taking aim is at least 20 feet way. The paintballs move 300 feet per second out of the marker.

“I wanted to try something new,” Nick Cerreta said. “It’s a hobby. It’s all over the world.”

In 1970, Daisy, an airgun company, patented the first paintball marker for trees and cattle. In 1981, a few friends used the markers to play capture the flag in New Hampshire. Caleb Strong opened the first commercial paintball field in 1982 in Rochester, N.Y. He played in tournaments in the late 1980s.

Ms Buonagurio enjoys paintball as a family activity with her husband and son. Her husband initially played the sport in 1983 when the markers had pumps and just goggles were used. Three years ago Mr Buonagurio decided to play again, and his wife joined.

“It’s a family thing. My husband is definitely an inside person. I love the outdoors. It’s a way to get outside,” Ms Buonagurio said. “It’s an alternative to normal sports. No sport really suits who we are like paintball. They may learn teamwork, but they are individualists as well. It takes an incredible amount of concentration and a lot of communication.”

Many of the club members also participate in tournament play. Any student wishing to join should contact Ms Buonagurio at 426-7626, extension 117.