“Paintball is 100 percent more demanding than other sports,” said Gary Wills, president of the ETSU Paintball Club. “Since you can’t touch other players, it’s really intense.”
The Bucs’ paintball club came in first place out of its first Southeast Conference tournament located in Beckley, W. Va., last Saturday, Sept. 20.
Eleven other schools competed in the tournament. ETSU Bucs lost to Virginia Tech in the first round, but proceeded to defeat the Embry Riddle Eagles, Clemson Tigers Purple, Wolfpack North Carolina State, Virginia Cavaliers, Kentucky Wildcats and tied with Embry-Riddle Eagles Boeing.
The tournament then took the four highest-ranking teams to the final level of the tournament. The Bucs first played Clemson, followed by North Kentucky University and finally Virginia Tech. ETSU Buc paintball defeated all three teams in the final level, putting them in first place for the tournament and giving them 100 toward the national tournament.
There are four more tournaments until the nationals, which are scheduled to be played in February, and only the top teams will get to compete. Last year the team competed at only one tournament and got seventh place.
Buccaneer paintball comes back into action Nov. 8 when they travel to Chattanooga and will play University of Tennessee of Knoxville.
The paintball club is one of the many up-and-coming sports at ETSU. Alternative Sport, who supplies equipment and a place to practice in Blountville, Tenn., sponsors the club. The team is looking for more members of all experience levels and will be taking about four more members to make up a second team. The team also has a new president this year, Wills, who is in charge of organizing the tournaments and making sure the hotel, gas and entry fees are funded.
“I started playing as a freshman in high school, and I eventually decided to take it to the next level and played my first tournament in 2004,” said Wills. “Paintball is different than other sports. You definitely have to trust your teammates. Without (trust), it gets emotional. You have to rely on them, on and off the field.”
For more information on ETSU Buc paintball and information on how to sign up, go to www.etsupaintball.com.

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