Airsoft Dad

[Gonz.]

Hi, been lurking for a while so thought I'd sign up. My 11 year old son has been Airsofting a few months and I bought him a AEG from my nephew who changed his mind after buying it and decided to get a GBBR instead. It's a Nuprol Delta Sopmod, which I know has many detractors, but it shoots really well and I enjoy fixing and upgrading stuff. I'll probably get him a second AEG and have one as a backup and something to tinker with. I also got him a Cyma CM030 Glock AEP for plinking a couple of years ago when he was too young to go skirmishing. 

I've been involved in all kinds of RC stuff for 35+ years including cars (used to race 1/8th scale buggys), heli's and FPV racing drones. I'm even thinking I could put some of my RC skills to good use helping my son with aerial drone reconnaissance or ground reconnaissance with an FPV setup on an RC car doubling up as a grenade delivery system ?

Will be seeing y'all around. 

 

[Fatboy40]

"Tactical Dads" sign in ?

I started airsoft with my 12 year old son December 2020, we both play, and we love it (and years ago I used to race RC cars as well, I wish I still had at least my Schumacher Cat).

Do you play with him as well?

 

[Rogerborg]

Oh, I wish I'd been able to get my son into it. 

The problem with Nuprol is that as a brand, it's completely random what you get, since they just brand whatever's cheapest from AliBaba or J. Random OEM.  The Sopmod has a decent enough feature list, and if you luck out and get one that made at the start of the shift rather than from the rejects bin there's no reason it can't perform as well as any other airsoft toy.

Drones are becoming fairly common now, but I've yet to see someone trying a ground vehicle.  Something like a Goliath tracked mine might be hilarious, and potentially effective at breaking deadlocks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_tracked_mine

 

[Brophy]

Welcome to the forum dude.

I think you should go along and get a few games under your belt too

My kids are still young (8 and 5) but I plan on dragging them along when old enough haha.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Welcome .

 

[Shamal]

My son is interested but reluctant to start as he tends to go the whole hog into all his hobbies and he know it would cost him plenty lol.

His main hobby is astrophotography and he has spent thousands on kit. Even nasa has asked to borrow it lol.

My targets are 30 to 50mtrs his targets are 30 to 50 light years!

It's a shame but next best thing is my grandson. I've got him and his mate  hooked and we have played a few games together now?

 

[EDcase]

Welcome Gonz

Yeah I got into airsoft for something to share with my son when he was 14.

He's 16 now and has two GBBRs, an AEG and a couple of pistols as well as several outfits.

Sure is lots of fun for all the family ?

 

[colinjallen]

Welcome aboard.

My lads started playing with me when they were 10 and 12.  The eldest only plays very rarely now as he has real weapons and a bunch of EOD sappers to keep him occupied.  The youngest is still playing but is off to university this month so airsoft will be on hold for him until he gets somewhere to store his gear and learns to drive; we will be playing together again when he returns for the Christmas vacation.

 

[Gonz.]

Thank you for the welcome. It's great to hear how many people are spending quality time with their kids through airsoft. 

I haven't ventured into a game yet, but I will give it a go once we get another gun. I do fear I will present a large and slow target though!

I enjoy the tinkering mainly and it's an opportunity to teach my son a bit. I've already started teaching him how to solder, which is essential if you are into any of a number of hobbies. 

 

[Madhouse]

Hello & welcome!

Our eldest is 10 so looking at taking him to a game soon - he’s desperate to go!

 

[EDcase]

Be careful not to introduce them too early. A bad experience can put them off for life.

It can be quite intimidating having grownups attacking you.

At the fields I know 14 is the youngest allowed to play.

 

[Rogerborg]

Agreed, I have no interest in shooting 10 year olds, and I'd be concerned about their ability to stick to the spirit and letter of the game once the adrenaline starts pumping.  I really don't like seeing anyone younger than 14 at sites.

 

[Tackle]

Be careful not to introduce them too early. A bad experience can put them off for life.

It can be quite intimidating having grownups attacking you.

At the fields I know 14 is the youngest allowed to play.

Agreed, I have no interest in shooting 10 year olds, and I'd be concerned about their ability to stick to the spirit and letter of the game once the adrenaline starts pumping.  I really don't like seeing anyone younger than 14 at sites.

My son was 10, & a teammates son was 8, played their first game on the same day with permission of the site owners, the only condition was the kids had to stick with either dad at all times, which they did & to be fair the pair of them were legends that day, played well & fair, no tantrums or issues (unlike some twice their age?) & are still both playing approximately 14 years on ?

 

[EDcase]

That's good to hear but I wouldn't expect that to be the regular outcome.

 

[Tackle]

That's good to hear but I wouldn't expect that to be the regular outcome.

I agree, but one thing we did to prepare the boys was a bit of back garden play, in order that they knew what to expect when hit, once you get that out of the way it's just about drumming in the importance of eyepro & fair play.

 

[EDcase]

I agree, but one thing we did to prepare the boys was a bit of back garden play, in order that they knew what to expect when hit, once you get that out of the way it's just about drumming in the importance of eyepro & fair play.

That's a good idea

 

[Tackle]

That's a good idea

I'll be honest it wasn't execution style lol, I've got a large & pretty well shielded garden so wasn't too worried about a 5 minute game , & told my lad he could have a rifle & full mag (lo-cap lol ?) & I'll just have a little pistol, needless to say his big gun & my wee pistol filled him with uncontrollable bravado? & I took cover behind the conifers at the end while he cockily charged down the garden blasting at me & hitting the trunks, then when I heard him dry fire I jumped out & chased him back up the garden, shot him a couple of times in the butt as he ran, I (& the wife) was pmsl ?, thankfully playing meant he was suitably adrenalised so he barely felt it & wasn't concerned for when it happened at the proper skirmish.

 

[EDcase]

I wish I had a decent size garden ?

 

[Gonz.]

Be careful not to introduce them too early. A bad experience can put them off for life.

It can be quite intimidating having grownups attacking you.

At the fields I know 14 is the youngest allowed to play.

The site my nephew goes to and consequently where my 11 year old goes has a "young guns" day every month. Not sure of the criteria as it's not exclusively minors, but it's mainly minors and those are the only days my son goes. 

That said, I spoke to one of the few adults there one day and he said he had been terrorised and traumatised by hoardes of fearless kids running riot!

 

[Rogerborg]

terrorised and traumatised by hoardes of fearless kids running riot

It could be exemplary play, or it could be screaming "I did so hit you, you're deaaaaad!" all day long, I'd reckon about 50/50 chance of either.