How Do I Raise Money for Paintball?

Newsflash! “Paintball isn’t cheap!” 

While that statement is true, the same holds true for any serous hobby, sport or game. Skiing: $300-$1000 for skis, $60-$75 per day to go skiing. Golf: $300-$2000 for clubs and gear, $60 minimum to play the game. Hockey: $500-plus for the gear, $200-$500 per hour to rent the ice. Boating… never mind. You get the idea.

Yes, paintball will likely cost you hundreds for your gear and easily $50 per day to play, but compared to most other sports, it definitely ranks near the bottom. So where does one get the money to play this game? How do you raise the funds to play regularly? Assuming you have a job and still don’t have the excess funding to play, or maybe you’re a student—there are ways to supplement your income to specifically help get you on the field. Let’s go!

Unless you have a rich aunt or uncle, the absolute best way to raise money for paintball is to work at a paintball field. There are fields all around the world that are always looking for refs and staff – it’s almost always part-time work as many fields are mainly open on the weekends. Not only will you earn money to play paintball working at a paintball field, you will likely get employee discounts to play there yourself. If you’re a good negotiator you can probably even work out discounts on gear and paintballs too, further driving down the costs of playing the game you’ve fallen in love with, like us. Buying a paintball gun and paintball goggles is one thing—having the money to shoot a case of Valken Graffiti paintballs every weekend is another. 

Another great thing about working at a paintball field, especially if you’re reffing, is you’ll learn the game from a different perspective. You’ll be watching how people play the game week after week—all skill levels, talent levels and all types of playing styles. If your goal is to become a better player, watching others play the game is invaluable. You’ll also learn a lot about the game’s culture, about how the many types of guns work and if you really pay attention, how the business of paintball works. Being immersed in the culture of paintball is an important step in moving up the ladder of playing the game of paintball seriously, if this is one of your goals.

Although the number of stand-alone paintball stores has decreased dramatically over the past few years, there are still many operating. Much like working at a paintball field, working at a paintball store will not only pay you, it will probably offer you discounts on equipment and even field fees if the store is affiliated with a paintball field (which many, or even most are). The amount of knowledge you will pick up working at a paintball store will be a huge bonus. You’ll learn about all of the best paintball guns and paintball gear, you’ll meet players of all types—magfed, woodsball, tournament, scenario and more—and you’ll become part of the local paintball culture, as paintball players will be coming to YOU for their paintball gear!

Another way to earn some paintball money and have a blast doing it is to get involved in reffing paintball tournaments. Paintball leagues like the National Xball League (NXL), NXL Europe and others pay dozens of refs and staff for each event. If you are qualified to ref events of this magnitude you’ll be paid to do so and your travel expenses will also likely be paid. And not to mention, you’ll be on the playing fields when teams like San Diego Dynasty, San Antonio X-Factor, Houston Heat, Moscow Red Legion and others are playing the game. If you’ve never experienced professional-level paintball from inside the net, it is an experience you can’t get anywhere else. It is truly incredible to watch players and teams at this level. If national-level paintball tournaments aren’t quiet in the cards, there are numerous local and regional paintball leagues that are always looking for hard-working, dedicated, paintball-loving staff, especially referees! It’s not easy work – you’ll be inside the net catching paintballs in the heat and rain and you’ll have to learn the rulebook, but if you stick it out you’ll meet hundreds of players from your region, get opportunities to move up the chain of command, and pocket a little money doing something you love!

If you’re unable to get a job at a paintball store, paintball field or with one of the leagues, there’s the old-fashioned way of earning extra money—mowing lawns, shoveling snow or any number of other side jobs. If you’re doing this it’s probably a good idea to get a separate bank account to keep your extra income in. Otherwise it will likely get mixed up with your bill money or go towards something other than paintball. 

More recently, a new opportunity to get paid while the paintballs are flying has been created: the Valken Ambassador program! Valken, one of paintball’s biggest names, has decided that in the modern world of paintball and social media, players dedicated to the game who also happen to have a big following on social media, or who are truly passionate about positively representing Valken’s brand and products, can partner with Valken to bring players into the Valken family! Joining the Valken Ambassador program means that when Valken succeeds thanks to you, YOU succeed too! When customers purchase Valken product thanks to your recommendation, you get paid!

However your earn your cash to play the game, it will be worth it. There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline rush you’ll get playing the game of paintball. It’s even more exciting than golf—sorry, I couldn’t help myself.  Have fun and be safe!