How To Ball In The Heat: Staying Ahead When It’s Hot

Except for those few short months at the beginning and end of the season, most major league, tournament paintball takes place during the warmer months of summer. Despite the PSP and the NPPL slowly moving towards permanent indoor events, the greater portion of tournaments that you will play in your lifetime will take place out doors. With that being said, risks of things such as de-hydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke are at elevated levels due to the combination of extreme sports, and extreme weather conditions. This is something that we can not currently avoid, and must face head on due to our commitment to the sport.

Playing in the summer requires some extra attention to the well being of the players. There are a great deal of options that are available, but for tournament play I would recommend keeping things as simple and effective as possible. Depending on the type of game you play, and the league you play in, there may be altercations and adjustments to your game plan in order to maximize your output on the field.

1. Stay Hydrated. All Day. Every Game. With Proper Fluids

The first defense that you must setup against the heat and humidity is proper hydration of yourself and your team mates. It pains me to see players come back to the pits after an XBall match, on a hot day, with no fluids whatsoever in sight. It’s a simple concept: your body uses fluids during games trying to cool itself off. In order to stay in fighting shape, you need to replenish those lost fluids

With that being said, the solution is to have a large cooler fully stocked with ice and beverages that are formulated to replenish lost fluids and chemicals. Now, as to what type of beverage to stock? As a general rule of thumb, I would highly recommend against carbonated beverages such as soda, and energy drinks. You should be drinking either water or beverages that are formulated to replenish lost fluids, such as Gatorade.

2. Don’t Overwork Yourself And Rest Adequately

If you play XBall events, and have a full roster, there is no need for you to be going round after round for the entire match if all of your players are in good condition. The same goes for seven, five, or any other league format. The point of having a full roster is to provide equal rotation for the entire team. Paintball can be an extremely demanding sport, and when added to a weekend of heat and humidity, back to back two or three minute rounds can be ridiculously straining.

After your match is complete, and you’ve made your way to the pits, I would advise taking a minute or so to rest your body and consume a cup of fluids. Despite being only a short period of time, this cool down can help fight exhaustion and burnout that is commonly associated with inexperienced players and teams.

3. Take What’s Necessary. Leave Everything Else Behind

I still chuckle to myself when players pad themselves up like they are brand new to the game. In the summer, extra shirts, shorts, socks, and other various items of clothing will only increase your chances of the above for-mentioned conditions. During a tournament, I wear only my jersey, my pants, a pair of boxers, ankle socks and my knee/elbow pads. The extra bruises I receive equal out my being able to play harder due to my lack of insulation.

A trick I use is to leave my headband / Sandana in the cooler before the match. Right before we start, I take it out and strap up. After the match it goes right back in the cooler. It’s minimal, but the extra few degrees can make the world of difference when I’m on the field worrying about getting shot, and not worrying about the sweat dripping into my eyes.

Gear management can almost be called a science, as overloading a player with equipment is going to hinder his movement abilities and range, and make it more of an effort to play. Paint is quite possibly the heaviest item that most players will carry, so correct distribution needs to be taken seriously. Two or three extra full pods of paint can mean the difference between getting shot on a move and getting in clear to the bunker. This means that the coach needs to take averages and statistics of each player, for each game, in each tournament, and find a happy medium for each player and his position.

These are only a few tips to help players output at 100% on the field. While they certainly aren’t the only options available, they are a good outline as to what kind of actions are needed to be performed in warmer climates.