Why You Should Start Airsoft – Every sport attracts people for specific reasons: competition; the thrill-seeking adrenaline rush; contact with nature; the desire to challenge yourself. The list goes on and on. Airsoft is definitely no exception, and the sport is fascinating and winning over more and more people all over the world both as a recreational activity and as a simulative and competitive discipline. In this article, we will have a look together at the benefits that practising airsoft can bring to those who decide to approach it:
IMPROVING FITNESS
As is true for most sports, this is perhaps an obvious – yet no less relevant – point. Airsoft, especially when practised in a woodland environment, requires a good standard of physical fitness in order to compete effectively. Long marches carrying heavy equipment, running, and climbing hillsides are just some of the aspects of the sport that will put your fitness to the test. These are very common activities during games, and they will help improve strength and endurance. Over time you will be able to keep moving for longer, carry heavier weights, and endure more! Some teams even arrange training sessions specifically to better maintain fitness and perform better on the field. Whether you want to play a game for a few hours or a simulation lasting several days, expect a good sweat!
GETTING IN TOUCH WITH NATURE
Although there are alternatives to woodland game modes, wilderness matches and simulations are probably the most common. Some teams engage exclusively in CQB (Close Quarter Battle) scenarios, but the majority of teams actively participate in activities in the woods, mountains, or in the countryside. During woodland activities you will have the opportunity to visit and explore often pristine natural areas. One of the most beautiful aspects of the sport is precisely getting to enjoy the landscapes during marches, breaks and campsites. Fighting in the wilderness will also allow you to experience nature from a different perspective: everything changes its aspect when adrenaline comes into play.
PLAYING AS A TEAM
Airsoft is, first and foremost, a team sport. Very often you see videos on YouTube showing players moving alone: what you often don’t see (but which is there, trust me), is coordination and planning with the rest of the team, so that together they can achieve a common goal. Getting started in airsoft also means learning how to relate and coordinate with others and how to move together to accomplish the task at hand. When you succeed in this and approach it with the right mindset, you form friendships that go beyond the playing field. Airsoft succeeds in this by being an excellent social bonding experience. In addition, many teams have a habit at the end of sporting events of gathering with participating teams to have a meal and socialize.
HAVING FUN
This should always be the main purpose of the sport, and sometimes we tend to forget that. During games there are many and varied opportunities to have fun: from marching moments in which you wander through nature, to adrenaline-fueled bursts of combat, to restful breaks in which you forge relationships and relax (to the best possible extent!). One of the elements that contributes most to fun is the game setting: a particular mode, a specific objective, an event with a well-written story, and so on. Airsoft is such a multi-faceted and varying sport that there is always something different and new to do. Getting bored is virtually impossible. For those who like simulation, the role-playing aspect can also be interesting: impersonating a role, figure and faction adds an extra flavour to the whole experience, which a great many players enjoy.
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE!
Airsoft is a sport that is becoming more and more popular, and doing a game at a camp or a trial period on a team is becoming easier and easier. It is an activity that you can start on your own to make new friends, or start together with old acquaintances to try something new. Whether you are looking for a new passion or an afternoon to spend in a different way, you should definitely give airsoft a chance. At best, you will come into contact with what could quickly become an obsession. At worst, you will have tried a new experience and committed a few hours doing something different and original!
LEARNING NEW SKILLS
Using replicas and fighting with opponents is only a small part of the airsoft experience! If you love to learn new things, this kind of sport can definitely be for you. For example, you can learn how to communicate, both with radios and without; You can learn how to orient yourself, use a compass, map, GPS, and how to move in nature; You can also learn how to trek, camp, survival notions and much more, the can go on and on! In case you are more interested in short-term events or confrontations in urban scenarios, fear not: there is no shortage of opportunities to learn something. Shooting postures, movement techniques, replica wielding, equipment information, and you name it. Every time you enter the field, you learn something new.
PUTTING YOURSELF TO THE TEST
Definitely one of the most beautiful and challenging aspects of the sport. In airsoft, you put yourself on the line in many different ways. The intensity comes from testing your ability to spot and eliminate your opponent, certainly, but there is much more to it than that: you face your physical limitations from all the strenuous occasions when you have to be able to keep going. One has to cope with emotional aspects, when things go wrong or when one is in the grip of adrenaline. One must be able to act calm but responsive, quick but quiet, cautious but not afraid. This is a whole world of experience that cannot be properly described with words; one must try to understand by action. Even a game of a few hours can give you a taste of how much this sport pushes you to your limits – it is perseverance and practice that will show you how to face, manage and overcome them.
TRYING SOMETHING ADRENALINE-PUMPING
You know that urge to do something new, interesting and adventurous? Sooner or later everyone goes through it. Airsoft can be an interesting answer for this kind of need. Practicing airsoft means adrenaline and excitement, and it can be an exciting opportunity if you want to try something original. You won’t stand on your toes all the time, but that’s part of the game too, isn’t it? It can be a great way to learn how to harness adrenaline and discover ways to handle stress and work under pressure. There are those who have benefited simply by adding a note of adventure to their lives, and those who have learned real ways to manage their emotions during games. It can be a good way to discover and get to know each other better.
GETTING TO KNOW NEW PEOPLE
Airsoft can also be a great way to make new acquaintances! Whether you decide to play occasionally at some field or join a team, playing the sport is a great way to connect with many new people. The teams are often numerous, and the camps very busy. Some airsoft camps even organize small communities just to put individual players in touch if they do not have friends to go and practice with. In addition, internet airsoft communities are very large and active, as many people like to compare and share opinions and experiences online. If you are looking for new acquaintances, keep this in mind!
THE JOY OF SUCCESS
The joy of success is a common aspect to all sports, and I believe that in every sport success has a different flavour. During an airsoft match, the reasons for rejoicing can really be many: it may be winning a match, being able to eliminate an enemy player, in being able to apply a particular technique or having succeeded in achieving a specific goal. The fact is that when all efforts lead to the desired result, the satisfaction one feels is something rare – a repaying for all the sacrifice that led to that moment. The satisfaction of having succeeded in one’s intentions and contributed to the team’s victory is perhaps the one single greatest aspect that makes me recommend this sport to anyone to try. When it comes to the emotions it evokes and the satisfaction it gives, I could not compare airsoft to any other activity.
Above is a short list of what I think are the most immediate benefits that you might experience should you decide to try your hand at this incredible discipline. I, myself, have experienced countless benefits, and this is but the tip of the iceberg. I hope this has given you some insights into whether airsoft might be for you, or if nothing else spurred you to give it a try and see how it goes!
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