UTSA has over 250 organizations in which students can get involved. For those students who are a bit more competitive, the Paintball Club is a great choice.
In the spring of 2012, the Paintball Club became a part of the ever-growing list of organizations that UTSA offers. The founding members are Scott Renaud, former president; Sean Minorini, current president; Scott Carey, current vice president; and Jack Harper, former vice president.
According to Minorini, starting the Paintball Club at UTSA was uncharted territory for them. Minorini elaborated, “None of the founding members had previous experience starting a student organization, so it was all new to us.” The founding members followed all of UTSA’s requirements for forming a club, which can be found in the UTSA Campus Recreation Club Sports Handbook.
Minorini believed the registration process itself wasn’t difficult to follow, saying it “was just a lot of work for a small club such as ours.”
In the short time since its formation, the Paintball Club has amassed an impressive resume. In 2013, they placed first in the South Central Collegiate Conference (SCCC) #5 tournament that featured 12 other college teams, and in the Spring 2014 semester the club placed second. Spring 2014 also saw the club’s first national competition experience in Lakeland, Fla., where they placed 17th out of 52 college teams.
The Paintball Club has been officially recognized as a club sport from the Campus Recreation Center, which allowed them to UTSA. Minorini has relished this opportunity, stating that, “We’ve become ambassadors of the sport.”
Minorini hopes to one day see the Paintball Club ranked nationally and televised. “We’d like to eventually build our program up to become a national powerhouse at the Class-A level,” Minorini said.
The Paintball Club only plays in events hosted by the National Collegiate Paintball Association, three of which will be played this semester. On Sept. 27, the Paintball Club played in three games in Dallas, Texas.
For those interested in joining, the Paintball Club recruits new members at the beginning of every semester; simply attend one of their orientation meetings. Minorini said of the club and its members, “You get to meet a wide variety of people and make lifelong friends. The Paintball Club is more than a club, it’s a family.”
Later this year, the Paintball Club will host a recreational day of paintball. The recreational day costs only $25 for rental equipment and paintballs and will give those who may be on the fence about joining, missed the orientation or simply want to have some fun, the chance to participate.
Minorini gave some playful advice to those interested in the Paintball Club: “Paintballs only hurt for about two seconds, then the pain goes away!”
For more information about orientation, future events or membership fees, like their Facebook page at facebook.com/UTSAPaintballclub, or visit www.utsapaintball.com.
