Do you hate the 9yr old with your Dream Gun

[G0LF K4RT]

i still think people below 12 should stick to laser tag though. 11 or 12 should be the minimum age for gaming.

[Lone_Bullet]

In my opinion 18yo isn't a bad choice for public airsoft ( I mean events, not small scale club skirms ).

I mean, buying drinks/smokes comes at 16, driving at 18, voting 18, getting a job 18, having sex legally at 16.

Every act of conciousness starts at 16 and every great responibility at 18, here in Belgium.

 

When it comes to airsoft, I feel small club-based skirms can start at 16 with a 'mentor'-senior player for showing you the do and don'ts, then start the bigger events at 18.

 

It's a case of making a player aware of the responcibility of getting into Airsoft. A few bad examples will get our beloved sport/recreation banned.

Even a small test/exam for safety premeasures wouldn't hurt.

They should be aware what they are capable of! The good ( fun ) and bad ( risks! ) of airsoft.

 

You can drill a 12 yo what to do, and what not to do. But most ( !! ) 12yo will not understand the true consequences of their actions.

It comes with age, but also with teaching and sensibilisation ( I hope that's even a word )

 

my 2c

[teflon don]

When it comes to airsoft, I feel small club-based skirms can start at 16 with a 'mentor'-senior player for showing you the do and don'ts, then start the bigger events at 18.

 

It's a case of making a player aware of the responcibility of getting into Airsoft. A few bad examples will get our beloved sport/recreation banned.

Even a small test/exam for safety premeasures wouldn't hurt.

They should be aware what they are capable of! The good ( fun ) and bad ( risks! ) of airsoft.

i feel different

if official events(clubs) don't accept players that are less than 16 year than those guy's will play on unofficial games

and unofficial games (especially those on public property)can get our sport banned

children will always do stupid things, if they are at legal games then at least they can be controlled

[Lone_Bullet]

True, but is it not up to the Marshalls to get the 'kids' in control. That's up to the parents.

Also up to the parents to tell the kids they'd have to wait a few years, just like everyone else in case of everything else.

Their time will come. If they can't accept that, will they accept rules of an airsoft event?

 

To tell the simple truth, it's the media, political correctness and conservative public opinion that ruins all...

Not the kids. There allways wil be rebelious kids running around with toyguns, thats no big problem. I used to to that too with rubber-dart guns with orange tips at the age of 12. When I was 14 I didn't in public, because I was ashamed it was pointed at it as childish.

When will kids be allowed to be kids again? They SHOULD play and not be mini-adults. Leave them be.

[kojak]

It's usually the "official" events and indoor facilities that are riddled with kids, because they are trying to make a profit. One of the many benefits of private games is the luxury of excluding immature players of any age.

 

 

 

On the same topic, someone brought a little kid (6 or 7ish) to a recent event. He was all decked out with an adorable homemade plate carrier made from two MOLLE thigh panels--unfortunately I didn't get a photo.

[Lasairiona]

I play since i'm 16 and i'm almost 21 now, in belgium you need your parents to sign a form that they allow you to play with the "big" guys.

I think it is good that it's possible to play from the age of 16. Not all 16year olds are idiots.

As long as your parents agree you don't have a problem. I don't know but now at every skirm I go to are people younger than 18 and we have absolutely no problems with them... In belgium the sport is really getting better :-).

 

 

Greetings Michaël

[Lone_Bullet]

^^

Agree.

 

Although the sport is getting better, is still darn hard to find a good skirmsite in Belgium !

[Darcy]

The only way a airsoft age limit would really work is if you put an age limit on the guns. I don't mean just buying them, but also using them. I say this because if little Johnny wants to play airsoft and his mom buys him a gun, but the fields won't let him play because of his age he will just go play in the streets. He gets busted and hurts the whole airsoft community as a whole. What I am getting at here is that we need to embrace the younger airsofters and teach them not just be snobby about it and say "your to young to play." The only time I think an age limit would be appropiate is for a large mil-sim game unless they have a guardian with them because I wouldn't want to be the guy that has some 12 year old who I have to look after the whole time and it would kind of kill the mood of "true" milsim I guess. Unless you are fighting as a terrorists or rebel or something .

 

Here in Hawaii there are a lot of kids and adults who play and I have to say the kids do less stupid stuff and call their hits more then a lot of the adults.

 

To put the above ideas in perspective I was 14 when I first started playing and am now 17.

 

 

I think that kids that are mature are more likely to listen to simple rules like "call your hits", etc.

Adults that are immature haven't had to listen to rules for many years, clearly, and so are more likely to ignore simple rules such as "call your hits"

Just my 2p.

 

also, IMO, the under 16s should all play together; against each other. Over 16s can play with all the other over 16s.

 

 

[J.J.Simpson]

I think that kids that are mature are more likely to listen to simple rules like "call your hits", etc.

Adults that are immature haven't had to listen to rules for many years, clearly, and so are more likely to ignore simple rules such as "call your hits"

Just my 2p.

 

also, IMO, the under 16s should all play together; against each other. Over 16s can play with all the other over 16s.

 

 

I agree with the this opinion. It happened a lot of times. The adults are not afraid of braking the rules. They have no respect to people, property etc. They play as I call "rembo" style meaning that their style and understanding of the rules are "the right one's". Onece, I had some nice time assembling rental people team and after 15 minutes of instruction we managed to flank OPFOR of Easterblock players and get some kills. We all were really happy about kicking some "backfront"of those "pros".

 

Brief info on my country We have non-governemt community rules that you can buy RIF starting from 18 years old. Small country with most airsofters and shops in one forum its easy to apply this rule. There are underground players that play in the "woods" with Cyma and JG, but all serious games have age-control. In addition, most of noobs are very noticeable in small community so nobody can go unseen.

 

More to the topic. Buying G&P is very expensive and rarely done. Making builds - projects or having more than 3 guns is even rarer. People ten to emphasize skills, training, teams before guns and upgrades. But we usually see M120 in 80 percent of AEG's. So again, because of lack of funds and age limts you dont see 9yr old with some nice gun. I usually see these dream guns around the forums.

 

Good luck,

 

J.J.

[gisburn20]

I posted this a few minutes ago in a thread on Father Son airsofting , maybe it would be of interest here.

 

 

 

 

Hi mate , I've been playing for the last 6 years (ish) and all my kids want to play, I started taking my eldest when he was 10 (with permission of site owner)

 

He really enjoys it , he' small for his age and very sneaky! , I kitted him out with some cheap surplus gear (I found some s95 gear that must have been intended for a ghurka)

 

and a full face mask http://www.fire-support.co.uk/product/strike-systems-mesh-mask--goggles-od-colour

 

which is very comfy and uses perforated steel for the lens instead of the weaker woven wire mesh.

 

these days he survives longer than me in most games and after I respawn I struggle to catch him up!

 

I made him up some dpm "body armour" with molle on the front for a couple of magazine pouches and to take the sting out of close up hits

 

( I have since had to make another set for my 4 year old so he doesnt feel left out)

 

 

Me on the left, Craig in the middle and James R. on the right , at the start line for a 3 man team event , we came 2nd out of 10 teams losing out to a very proffesional HK team in the last 30 seconds!

 

He too is turning 11 in may ! , we play down at Absolute Airsoft near Maidenhead most of the time , but want to start playing at The Grange near Coventry when he is 11 (the min. age at the grange)

 

 

 

 

I have played at sites with players of all ages and maturities, sometimes the youngest (usually rentals) are a pain, but when they are accompanied by a parent they play very well and stick to the

 

rules, and the spirit of the game. ( a lot more than some of the older rentals , and even some of the "30 something" walkons!)

 

A lot of Airsoft comes down to attitude , you come out to play with a good attitude , you'll have a good day, if you start shouting your mouth off and throwing your rattle out the pram....

 

 

I have had more problems with players with £1000+ guns than I have ever had with juniors though!

 

 

Just my 2p

 

Jim

[C.J.Fox]

To echo what has been said in places already...

 

I've played with players young and, eh, not so young but all seem to share the same passion for our activity. Whilst we agree there are immature kids in abundance, the same can easily be said for the older "grown ups" too but I like to think the opposite is equally true. Too often are we being told "you can't do this" and "you're too young for that", when really we should be involving people as much as possible from an age where they are quite willing to learn the rules and methods.

 

For your average 'skirmish' then I'll gladly, and have done so, play with welcome the younger players but If I'm honest I would prefer that the larger, themed scenarios are left for the more mature participants. Unfortunately only with age, wisdom doth come.

 

Speaking for myself at a young age; getting out to play Airsoft would have been one of my wishes but as it was practically unheard of then, I was limited to pop-cap guns and bright yellow super-soakers. Kids today really do have it lucky.

[Fire Force]

Well, I've never seen a 9 year old using an FN FAL.... so....