How to attract new players to Airsoft?

[Dan Robinson]

As someone who has just started this journey I'll add my 2 cents.

It was my son who suggested we try airsoft. He's only 12 but having played with Nerf guns (myself aswell) for a few years he wanted to try airsoft.

After he got over the initial shock of being hit he really enjoyed playing. Personally I enjoyed it more than I thought I would!

Cost - I think its comparable to other hobbies, fishing, paddle boarding, and cheaper than many, cycling, golf, sailing.

Heath - I don't think this is mentioned enough, outdoors (mostly) and as physical as you want it to be, I know I come home knackered...

Social - Team building, meeting new people, sharing experiences

Mental - Keeping your brain active with marksmanship, strategy, problem solving.

Most of all its fun and a good way to forget your day to day troubles.

I'm not playing airsoft with my son to train him to be a killer, we are spending time together, he's getting more confident and learning to be responsible. I think its a great outdoor activity and good value for money.

You can tell i work in Marketing LOL....  

You pinched my script you bounder.

 

[Reef]

You pinched my script you bounder.

sorry, don't follow?

 

[Dan Robinson]

sorry, don't follow?

I'm in total agreement and use your exact same points when talking about barriers to entry for different hobbies. ? 

 

[Reef]

I'm in total agreement and use your exact same points when talking about barriers to entry for different hobbies. ? 

Ahhh, makes sense now. I had to google search what a bounder was. ?

 

[GenuineGerman]

As someone who has just started this journey I'll add my 2 cents.

It was my son who suggested we try airsoft. He's only 12 but having played with Nerf guns (myself aswell) for a few years he wanted to try airsoft.

After he got over the initial shock of being hit he really enjoyed playing. Personally I enjoyed it more than I thought I would!

Cost - I think its comparable to other hobbies, fishing, paddle boarding, and cheaper than many, cycling, golf, sailing.

Heath - I don't think this is mentioned enough, outdoors (mostly) and as physical as you want it to be, I know I come home knackered...

Social - Team building, meeting new people, sharing experiences

Mental - Keeping your brain active with marksmanship, strategy, problem solving.

Most of all its fun and a good way to forget your day to day troubles.

I'm not playing airsoft with my son to train him to be a killer, we are spending time together, he's getting more confident and learning to be responsible. I think its a great outdoor activity and good value for money.

You can tell i work in Marketing LOL....  

I think the health aspect is a really good point. Certainly makes cardio exercise much more fun. 

 

[RostokMcSpoons]

Ahhh, makes sense now. I had to google search what a bounder was. ?

You'd best check for 'cad' too.  Most bounders tend to be cads from what I hear

 

[gavinkempsell]

I think the health aspect is a really good point. Certainly makes cardio exercise much more fun.

Awe, MANNNNN!

You've just ruined airsoft for me now, no one said it was exercise.

 

[Shamal]

Awe, MANNNNN!

You've just ruined aisoft for me now, no one said it was exercise.

Not the way I do it ?

 

[DanBow]

I'm not playing airsoft with my son to train him to be a killer,

it's just an added bonus that will reap the rewards when civilisation falls.

 

[ParHunter]

As someone who has just started this journey I'll add my 2 cents.

It was my son who suggested we try airsoft. He's only 12 but having played with Nerf guns (myself aswell) for a few years he wanted to try airsoft.

After he got over the initial shock of being hit he really enjoyed playing. Personally I enjoyed it more than I thought I would!

Cost - I think its comparable to other hobbies, fishing, paddle boarding, and cheaper than many, cycling, golf, sailing.

Heath - I don't think this is mentioned enough, outdoors (mostly) and as physical as you want it to be, I know I come home knackered...

Social - Team building, meeting new people, sharing experiences

Mental - Keeping your brain active with marksmanship, strategy, problem solving.

Most of all its fun and a good way to forget your day to day troubles.

I'm not playing airsoft with my son to train him to be a killer, we are spending time together, he's getting more confident and learning to be responsible. I think its a great outdoor activity and good value for money.

You can tell i work in Marketing LOL....  

I could have written that! My son was two years older but he as well came from Nerf guns and found Airsoft videos on YouTube. 
I was surprised by how much I liked it. It reminded me of the fun part of my army days without the cluster f&@k from who ever could shout the loudest and had more stripes than you.

Playing Airsoft with my son has improved our relationship immensely. Before that we didn’t really have any thing to talk about. I tried to get him into Golf (my other expensive hobby) but he didn’t like it. So he got me into his hobby instead.

My wife doesn’t know who is more nuts about Airsoft now, my son or myself. I do more research while he does more larping. 

Last month my son managed to recruit 6 other boy soldiers from his year group. Let’s see how many will join us for the next skirmish.

 

[Dan Robinson]

it's just an added bonus that will reap the rewards when civilisation falls.

 I was hoping it would make my son realise that in the army you only get shot once.....compared to how many respawns he had to do on a typical skirmish day.

Don't mind him signing up to learn a skill/trade and serving that way.  I don't want him being Cannon fodder for whatever cnut has managed to persuade an alarmingly small proportion of the population to put them in power....when was the last truly justifiable armed conflict we were involved in (outside of local peacekeeping)?  The Falklands....  maybe the first Gulf War (the first part liberating Kuwait).

No criticism of those serving....it's the ones hiding behind their power I despise for taking advantages.

 

[Reef]

Last month my son managed to recruit 6 other boy soldiers from his year group. Let’s see how many will join us for the next skirmish.

My son and I have also tried a number of things. My daughter and wife have football so we needed something to do while there off on a Sunday morning.
 

I see you’re local to me, maybe we’ll bump into each other at Dogtag.

 

[GenuineGerman]

 I was hoping it would make my son realise that in the army you only get shot once.....compared to how many respawns he had to do on a typical skirmish day.

Don't mind him signing up to learn a skill/trade and serving that way.  I don't want him being Cannon fodder for whatever cnut has managed to persuade an alarmingly small proportion of the population to put them in power....when was the last truly justifiable armed conflict we were involved in (outside of local peacekeeping)?  The Falklands....  maybe the first Gulf War (the first part liberating Kuwait).

No criticism of those serving....it's the ones hiding behind their power I despise for taking advantages.

Eh cannon haha ? I prefer meat sandbag!!

 

[Dan Robinson]

Eh cannon haha ? I prefer meat sandbag!!

Bloody autokorreckt

 

[Egon_247]

I got into it because a mate was playing, dragged us out for the day and that was that. Hooked.

I take my eldest along and one of his mates too. My eldest is a cadet and a few of his fellow cadets also play.

It's kinda infectious.?

He's properly found his inner officer as If I lose him on the field, I just stop and listen for a gobby 13 year old barking orders at grown adults or if not that, listen for the highest fire fight. Hell be in the middle of it!

I think the games consoles have an influence too. He wanted a p90 because it was cool on COD784 or whatever it's up to now and realistically they all do the same thing, so why not.

I even made him a riot shield which he sports along with his m92 and has a scream. 

The under 18's day we do (apocalypse 249 on a Saturday) is usually packed with the whole spectrum. The rentals having their first go to the mummy's boy with the Gucci gear and no idea.

Also in agreement. "Old fart slow soft" is my speed. Tactical walking. ??

View attachment 125219

 

[Tactical Pith Helmet]

I should think the most obvious would be to have a stripper on at lunchtime given the target audience...

Seriously though, given some of the 'banter' and 'funny' patches, some games are hardly welcoming to all.  Mrs TPH has played at filmsim/milsim games for a while now.  I'm glad that I didn't ever take her along to a few of the skirmishes that I've attended.   If we could all confidently take our better halves it could make a big difference to numbers.  That said, the same is true about a lot of events/sports etc.

 

[Tackle]

I should think the most obvious would be to have a stripper on at lunchtime given the target audience...

It actually happened at a game I attended, richborough power station, wasn't impressed, she had a spotty arse?

 

[Cannonfodder]

It actually happened at a game I attended, richborough power station, wasn't impressed, she had a spotty arse?

I saw the footage, she really was rough

 

[Egon_247]

 we could all confidently take our better halves it could make a big difference to numbers.  That said, the same is true about a lot of events/sports etc.

No. Nopety nope. 

I've thought about taking the Mrs, but she has a real short fuse and would be pistol whipping people if she ran out of ammo.....??

 

[Enid_Puceflange]

One of the sites up here (Area 66) does regular kids days

Its parents & kids and allows the younger than average attendees to see what their dads get up to on the Sundays they vanish and come back fuckered and bruised.

It does seem to be very popular, normally run on a sat with 40+ in attendance.

I think it’s a great thing!

My father tried hard to get me to enjoy his hobby of fly fishing, which I just didn’t have the patience or finesse for

Then it was air guns & motorcycles…..