(Newswire.net — January 11, 2015) — For most Americans, the military is a flag bearer of peace, justice and freedom. The men and women, defending the United States in difficult war situations, inspire millions of young people throughout the country who want to imitate the heroics in their personal lives. The interest in performing military style drills, doing physical obstacle courses and playing adventure athletics, as a result, has grown significantly over the past few years.
Out of all the different forms of adventure athletics, paintball provides the closest and most realistic battle style gaming experience. This is why it is one of the most popular athletic disciplines in the United States with millions of avid players and followers. The growth of this industry is apparently closely linked with the public perception of the U.S military. The industry saw explosive growth from 1998 to 2006, the years when the military was in the early stages of its offensive in Afghanistan and Iraq. But the growth slowed down from 2008 till 2012, incidentally the same years when the majority of the American public wanted the army out of these countries. The last three years, again, have seen the industry grow at a steady 2.0% annual growth rate.
The growth of this sector can also be attributed to the advanced equipment and military style obstacle courses that are now available to paintball players. They can form different teams with their own distinct uniforms, and create mission based scenarios to make the whole thing look much more realistic. This is particularly attractive to young teenagers and adventure loving individuals.
Total Paintball Gear, one of the older, more successful retailers in this industry, introduced special military style paintball helmets that look similar to the ones used by the U.S. marines, SWAT teams and police squads. The helmets are part of the full tactical gear that is available on totalpaintballgear.com, the retail website of Total Paintball Gear.
You can view the different paintball helmet styles here
Since the gaming courses are much closer to reality these days, with significant physical demands, it’s important for the players to wear high quality helmets and protective gear to not only enjoy a realistic gaming experience, but also to avoid any physical injuries.
Retailers like Total Paintball Gear have played a major role in creating awareness about the need for added security during paintball games. They have regularly introduced products like vests, helmets and pads to encourage players to play the game in a danger free environment. Different corporate sponsors and tournament organizers have added further sophistication to the paintball gaming scenarios, by introducing certain gaming standards and best practices.
As a result, the number of reported injuries during paintball games has reduced over the years and it is now a sport that is equally popular among teenagers and middle aged players. The participation from young teenagers has also increased since parents are more comfortable with their children playing paintball using the added safety measures.
Paintball as a sport is on the rise with millions of players around the country. With the new advanced equipment that makes the game look much closer to real-life military drills, it is likely to attract more people, in the coming years ,who’re inspired by the military and want to emulate them.