Airsoft
It's Just a Game.
**This is an opinion article on the Airsoft community. It contains offensive language and potentially offensive views. Deal with it, I don't take complaints.
Repeat after me: "It's just a game."
This is something I wish I could tell so many people in the Airsoft community. From the beginners right through to the seasoned veterans. I wish I could tell people to leave their ego in their car as they enter the field. You're not an "Operator" you're not a NAVY Seal, and despite if you have real steel training, real operations experience or whatever...It's a game.
I'm a paintballer. Look at the picture on my vest above, it clearly says "Caution, Paintballer." I've spoken with a lot of present and ex-paintballers about Airsoft, most of whom play the sport we participate in and I've gotten a common reaction. They usually say that I'm right. That it feels like everyone tries way too hard to be something they really aren't.
Recently we've been seeing the upswing of a lot of "Famous" airsofters. I won't name names, you all know who you are. Here's the thing...Some of you are legit, some of you aren't. Paintball has and always will have a certain humility. It sucks getting bunkered by the better player, it sucks finishing at the end of the day knowing you got suckered by someone who lit you up like a tree on Christmas eve.
I don't see that same humility in Airsoft.
I see a lot of ego, I see a lot of "Training" (I put this lightly.) and I see a lot of waving flags. Most of all, I see the community buying into it. Honestly though, at the end of the day are you a better player than the guy who actually trains to be a gunfighter? Are you better equipped than the gal who decides that her outfit should be utilitarian and light instead of covered in unnecessary "Oper8r gear"?
I don't want to call people out, you play the game you want to play. I'm completely fine with that. Dress the way you want to dress, train the way you want to train. Just don't pass it off as the "Right" way to airsoft like so many of you do. The individual is as great as the whole. When I look at my team, and I look at our assortment of talent I see a lot of potential. I see great teamwork, dedication and the ability to pull it together. This is why we win games. We don't win games because individually we are strong, we win because we complement each others weaknesses with our strengths.
Do some of us play like paintballers? As taboo a topic as it is to Airsofters. Yes, we do. Why though? Because it's a game, it works for us and because the Costa grip really only applies when you're using a GBB, HPA blowback or a real steel rifle. AEG users really need not apply. You're not shooting me any better.
SO YOU WANNA BE OPER8R AS F*&K?!
Stop...Just stop.
I see things like this all the time. From training camps as indoor places to teams circle-jerking pictures on IG about being operator. Think about what it means to be "Operator" for a second and think real hard.
Being a real Operator means being fit. It means being physically and mentally ready, it means being able to work as a team and individually. It means being able to decipher between a need, a want and what is important and isn't. It's about being a leader and a follower in one package.
I love that places can offer training from legitimate instructors. I think it's awesome we have the opportunity to learn CQC tactics, proper firing tactics, etc. I just wish people would understand they're playing a game. Airsoft isn't training, it is not a substitute for the armed forces. It is a game, pure and simple. No one is saying you need to adopt these tactics and stick to them by the books. The fun in a game is sometimes modifying the playbook to fit your needs.
What kills me about the Airsoft community by and large is the circle-jerking nonsense of calling someone Operator. I feel that name should be reserved for the people who deserve it, namely the ones that went through years of SOF training, the ones who put their lives on the line and prove their mettle. I think the weekend warrior who goes out and shoots plastic pellets has no place in this category. Do you look cool in your Crye? Neat, hope you do; but it still doesn't make you SOF grade material.
Airsoft is a really awesome sport. I enjoy playing it, a lot in fact. The community is what rubs me the wrong way. The consistent and constant need for some type of attention or one-up over people is painful to watch sometimes.
To sum it all up. It doesn't matter how good you look on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. It doesn't matter what your identity or gimmick is, you're another airsofter. Enjoy the game, get dirty and stop crying over ripping your pants or getting paint goop on your gear. Play hard, accept your defeat and keep an ounce of humility to remind yourself "It's a game, and I am a player."
At the end of the day, I love the sport. I love the support we get and think that for the most part it's fantastic. I want to see the passive-aggressiveness in the community stop, I want to see people speak their minds, I want to see less celebrities and more players. Airsoft is growing, and we should embrace that growth and show the new players that "Hey, this is a game. Don't take it seriously. Enjoy it YOUR way."
CO-3 Juice
I'm a paintballer. Look at the picture on my vest above, it clearly says "Caution, Paintballer." I've spoken with a lot of present and ex-paintballers about Airsoft, most of whom play the sport we participate in and I've gotten a common reaction. They usually say that I'm right. That it feels like everyone tries way too hard to be something they really aren't.
Recently we've been seeing the upswing of a lot of "Famous" airsofters. I won't name names, you all know who you are. Here's the thing...Some of you are legit, some of you aren't. Paintball has and always will have a certain humility. It sucks getting bunkered by the better player, it sucks finishing at the end of the day knowing you got suckered by someone who lit you up like a tree on Christmas eve.
I don't see that same humility in Airsoft.
I see a lot of ego, I see a lot of "Training" (I put this lightly.) and I see a lot of waving flags. Most of all, I see the community buying into it. Honestly though, at the end of the day are you a better player than the guy who actually trains to be a gunfighter? Are you better equipped than the gal who decides that her outfit should be utilitarian and light instead of covered in unnecessary "Oper8r gear"?
I don't want to call people out, you play the game you want to play. I'm completely fine with that. Dress the way you want to dress, train the way you want to train. Just don't pass it off as the "Right" way to airsoft like so many of you do. The individual is as great as the whole. When I look at my team, and I look at our assortment of talent I see a lot of potential. I see great teamwork, dedication and the ability to pull it together. This is why we win games. We don't win games because individually we are strong, we win because we complement each others weaknesses with our strengths.
Do some of us play like paintballers? As taboo a topic as it is to Airsofters. Yes, we do. Why though? Because it's a game, it works for us and because the Costa grip really only applies when you're using a GBB, HPA blowback or a real steel rifle. AEG users really need not apply. You're not shooting me any better.
SO YOU WANNA BE OPER8R AS F*&K?!
Stop...Just stop.
I see things like this all the time. From training camps as indoor places to teams circle-jerking pictures on IG about being operator. Think about what it means to be "Operator" for a second and think real hard.
Being a real Operator means being fit. It means being physically and mentally ready, it means being able to work as a team and individually. It means being able to decipher between a need, a want and what is important and isn't. It's about being a leader and a follower in one package.
I love that places can offer training from legitimate instructors. I think it's awesome we have the opportunity to learn CQC tactics, proper firing tactics, etc. I just wish people would understand they're playing a game. Airsoft isn't training, it is not a substitute for the armed forces. It is a game, pure and simple. No one is saying you need to adopt these tactics and stick to them by the books. The fun in a game is sometimes modifying the playbook to fit your needs.
What kills me about the Airsoft community by and large is the circle-jerking nonsense of calling someone Operator. I feel that name should be reserved for the people who deserve it, namely the ones that went through years of SOF training, the ones who put their lives on the line and prove their mettle. I think the weekend warrior who goes out and shoots plastic pellets has no place in this category. Do you look cool in your Crye? Neat, hope you do; but it still doesn't make you SOF grade material.
Airsoft is a really awesome sport. I enjoy playing it, a lot in fact. The community is what rubs me the wrong way. The consistent and constant need for some type of attention or one-up over people is painful to watch sometimes.
To sum it all up. It doesn't matter how good you look on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. It doesn't matter what your identity or gimmick is, you're another airsofter. Enjoy the game, get dirty and stop crying over ripping your pants or getting paint goop on your gear. Play hard, accept your defeat and keep an ounce of humility to remind yourself "It's a game, and I am a player."
At the end of the day, I love the sport. I love the support we get and think that for the most part it's fantastic. I want to see the passive-aggressiveness in the community stop, I want to see people speak their minds, I want to see less celebrities and more players. Airsoft is growing, and we should embrace that growth and show the new players that "Hey, this is a game. Don't take it seriously. Enjoy it YOUR way."
CO-3 Juice
Good read, I see it almost as a LARP type of environment where players want to emulate a look or role play as a certain force. Whatever floats your boat, If i'm shot out by a player in hoodie and jeans, someone in full ghille, or decked out super nvg and real steel it's all good. When i take issue is if that bad ass projected persona extends past the visual. Ideally we all want to be friendly and grow the sport.
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