 Pulse pounding, Adrenaline pumping excitement at 280 feet per second. Paintball is ranked as the third most popular extreme sport in the United States with more than 9.8 million players. Overall participation has grown by 60% since 1998. Paintball is a combination of the childhood games of tag and hide-and-seek. Players are eliminated when they are hit by a paintball fired from a special airgun called a marker. When a paintball tags a player, the outer shell fractures leaving a bright paint mark. That player is now eliminated from the game. Competitors hide behind trees and rocks and bunkers as they move toward their opponents flag. Can You Think Quickly and Decisively? Paintball is is a sport in which physical size and strength are not as important as  problem solving skills. Rancho La Scherpa has two paintball fields. Our Speedball Field is 50 yards long and 25 yards wide and is covered with 20 "bunkers" the players use for cover as they move downfield attempting to capture their opponent's flag. When the game starts, the action is fast and furious. Since opposing teams can see each other's movements, survival depends on each member of the team working together to thwart the advance of their adversaries. Get Their Flag Before They Get Yours! Before the game starts, team members plan strategy and design plays to gain the winning edge. As action unfolds, communication among teammate is critical . . . shouting to each other about an opponents movements. Our Woodsball Field is for those players that like a slower paced game. Teams start at opposite ends of a large  players must move slowly . . . quietly . . . moving when the wind rustles the trees . . stopping when the wind stops . . . Listening for any sound that might betray the approach of an opponent. Players use cryptic hand signals to communicate with teammates so as to not give away their hiding spot. These games usually last 15 to 20 minutes. | How is Your Aim? Rancho La Scherpa also offers an Accurate Shooter Course that is geared for participants under 10 years of age or for those guests that want to enjoy paintball but prefer to avoid the intensity of the Speedball and Woodsball Fields. The Accurate Shooter Course is an individual event that requires a player to run through a prescribed course of bunkers shooting at targets as they proceed. Players must stop at each designated bunker and hit the specified target(s) before preceeding to the next bunker. Fastest time through the course wins. This event is popular with many of the ladies and senior citizens. If you are looking for a great team building activity, paintball may well be the perfect activity. Jack Drake, the camp's director has been coaching paintball players for five years. He will teach the members of your group effective paintball strategy and winning techniques. As an added bonus, Jack can also organize paintball tournaments for your group complete with trophies. For church groups, Jack can share his Paintball Parables with the members of your group. He applies lessons learned on the paintball field as illustration  for the Gospel message of God's love and grace through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Contact Jack Drake directly at (805) 448-5944 or JackD@RanchoLaScherpa.com for additional information and costs Rancho La Scherpa's paintball program |