The TCU Paintball Club is gearing up for the 2010 National Collegiate Paintball Association’s National Championship in Lakeland, Fla.
The team consists of six members, five of who will be traveling to the tournament.
The paintball tournaments are similar to the game of capture the flag. The two teams in the match each have five players, who are eliminated if they are shot and the paintball breaks on them, leaving a paint splatter. Teams acquire points by eliminating players on the other team, staying clean, capturing the flag and hanging the flag in a designated spot on the course.
Approximately 30 teams are signed up for the tournament, which will take place April 9-11. Amir Tafarroji, president and captain of the club, said more teams are likely to sign up by the registration deadline.
“Last year, there were almost 50 teams in our division,” Tafarroji said.
Tafarroji said the club started about five years ago, and the roster has been more solidified the past three years.
The team competes in four tournaments each year, usually two during the fall semester and two during the spring semester. The practices take place in various locations throughout the state against other collegiate clubs, including Texas Tech University and Texas A&M University.
Ren Petroff, a sophomore strategic communication major, is also an officer for the club, but he has a unique title: the Officer of Fun.
“I pretty much help keep team morale up with fun shenanigans throughout practice and tournaments,” Petroff said.
Tafarroji said Petroff’s role on the team is vital.
“He plans trips to events and makes them fun,” Tafarroji said. “But he’s one of the older players. He’s an influence and role model for the younger guys.”
The NCPA Web site lists 457 college clubs with two divisions: Class A and Class AA.
The TCU Paintball Club plays in Class AA in the South Central Collegiate Conference. The SCCC includes several teams from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi.
The eligibility for Class AA includes all club members being full-time students at the same university during the semester in which they are competing.