The Bates Paintball Club was founded at Bates College in Lewiston Maine in 2002. Our objective is to give all members of the Bates community the opportunity to experience the sport of paintball in a fun and safe environment.

The club has a limited about of equipment for the use of its members, including:

• 5 *Brand SPANKIN' new* Tippmann Custom 98 markers

• 5 Indian Creek AlleyCat II markers

• 2 Spyder Classic markers

• 10 new JT jerseys

• Assorted Masks (including 5 new JT masks)

• Assorted CO2 Tanks

The club also provides both air and co2 fills at NO CHARGE to all members, as well as a chronograph, tools, and tech support from our highly experienced paintball engineers.

We try to organize recreational events about twice a month at fields near Bates. The club provides transportation to these events, pays the field fee (that's right, you get in FREE), and even lunch!

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Frequently Asked Questions About Paintball

Q: What is paintball?

A: Paintball is a team sport in which players use compressed air or co2 powered marker guns to eliminate other players by shooting pellets of paint at them.

Q: Is paintball safe?

A: Believe it or not, paintball is one of the safest sports out there. Data collected from insurance agencies and national medical associations show that paintball is WAY safer than lacrosse, soccer, hockey, baseball, football, tennis, swimming, skiing... safer even than golf! In fact, you are TWICE as likely to get injured BOWLING than playing paintball. That said, everyone who plays paintball takes safety extremely seriously. Paintball approved safety goggles must be worn at all times, all markers are checked to make sure that they are operating safely, and every game is supervised by one or more referees to make sure everyone is being safe and having fun.

Q: Does it hurt when you get hit?

A: Quite honestly, sometimes it does. Kinda like getting snapped by a rubber band. Sometimes you'll get a small bruise or welt that will go away after a few days. Wearing long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and another shirt underneath will help cushion the impact. Gloves are also sometimes a good idea, and neck protectors are available. The mask is the BEST place to be hit, because you don't feel it at all.

Q: This sounds fun, now how much is it going to cost me?

A: The bad news is that paintball is expensive. Markers, tanks, masks, field fees, paint, and air all add up to a lot of money, especially over time. The good news is that the Bates Paintball Club can help you out! We will provide, FREE OF CHARGE, the following: markers, masks, tanks, transportation, and lunch. This means that most of the time, all you have to pay for is paint! Paint costs about $15 per 500 paintballs. Depending on how agressive you are, 500 paintballs should last you an entire day of play. Trust us, this is a GREAT deal! Keep in mind that we've only got a limited amount of equipment to give away, however, so let us know if you're interested.

Q: Where and how often do you play?

A: There are several fields within about half an hour of Bates. Our unofficial home field is Flying Monkies Paintball in Leeds. It is run by our advisor, Tim Blake, who is a security officer at Bates. It's about 20 minutes away. The field is 8 acres of woods, with a sizeable fort, trails, and bunkers. We also play at Rogue Paintball, that has airball and hyperball fields. Speaking of, we try and play about twice a month, weather permitting. Usually we send out an email to gauge interest, then decide on saturday or sunday, whichever works best for the most people. We also participate in some tournaments. Watch the news and schedule pages for details.

Q: (Anything else)

A: Use our handy contact form to submit any questions, and we'll get right back to ya.

Bates Paintball is affiliated with the Maine Recreational Paintball League, and the National Collegiate Paintball Association.

Our unofficial home field is Flying Monkies Paintball in Leeds. It is run by our advisor, Tim Blake, who is a security officer at Bates.

President: Jon Kelley

Vice President: Josh Grubman

Secretary: Rob Rosen

Treasurer: Evan Ackerman

RA Representative: Drew Jarboe

Webmasta: Evan Ackerman