It’s not something I’ve had a great deal of chance to do in the last 14 months or so – since Tania and I took over TAG Paintball here in Wellington.  Sure I’ve run hundreds upon hundreds of games – seen a few thousand people through the field having fun and getting the rush you feel when you try and shoot someone with a paintball gun … but I personally had not been out on the field as a player.

I  had not realised how much I missed it.

It was a blast.  There weren’t many of us out there, but for a couple of hours we played the game the way it is suppose to be.  We stalked each other in the bush, on the speedball field, laughed, joked, gave each other shit and had good old-fashioned fun.  And I sit here with the same feeling of wondering when I’ll next get out onto the field.

I think it is something, as a field operator, that I need to do more often.  To remember why it is that I do this – to bring it back to the basics – the inner kid of running through the bush with your mates, with the adrenaline pumping – waiting for the thrill of the 10 second call to hit me again.

I can’t wait.

I am a paintball player – and this moment, right here, is my life

– Matt Marshall, Sunday Drivers