taking Student takes favorite activity to next level For freshman print journalism major Joseph Dickerson, paintball was not just a hobby, it was a passion. “I first got into paintball when I was about 8 years old,”Dickerson said. “A friend sold me his gun for around $100, and it wasn’t long before my dad bought a gun, too.We started recruiting guys from the youth group to play with us, and they really got into it.” According to Dickerson, his love for the sport only grew from that time. Originally from Portland, Ore., Dickerson began to play on teams at local parks after his family moved to Memphis,Tenn.While in Memphis, Dickerson played on sponsored teams that competed in the Paintball Sports Promotions,National Professional Players League,Division 2 and Carolina Field Owners Association tournament leagues. It was during his time in these leagues that semi-pro teams began to look at Dickerson. There were two types of paintball —woodsball and speedball.Dickerson competed in speedball, which was competitive paintball played on courses that contained bunkers and obstacles. In speedball, players competed in capture the flag and games operated on a point system where referees determined what players had been hit and ultimately which team won. According to Dickerson, woodsball was a more military style of paintball played in heavily wooded areas. Dickerson was also a member of Harding’s paintball team Revelation, which kicked off its inaugural season in 2006. “We have a lot of fresh players as well as some guys who have been playing for quite a while in [Division 3] and [Division 2],”said Dickerson. “We have a lot of potential.” Dickerson said that he hoped the teamwould gain sponsorship outwardly from a major paintball equipment company and would eventually compete in tournaments in Texas, Florida and southern California. Dickerson said that he aspired to play professionally or use his background in journalism to write for a paintball magazine. When asked what advice he would give to aspiring paintball players, Dickerson said one of the most important aspects of paintball was attitude. “It’s important to just keep a good attitude,” Dickerson said. “If you’re interested in getting into paintball play around at local fields and get to know people. If you keep your head on straight you can go really far.” [Tyler Neese] 102 [people] action
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