Girls Airsofting?

Techno_Toaster

Thinking of starting up airsoft but from what my boyfriend and his friends say its very sore. Just wondering if any girls on here airsoft and is it really as bad as they say?

I reckon I could take the pain but just curious about girls opinions on it! Thanks for the help:)

swiftblade

Im not a girl!

Nah, it's not sore. Most of the time you get it difficult to even feel the hits.

The most painfull part of airsoft is how it hurts your wallet

Firekitten

Techno_Toaster wrote: »

Thinking of starting up airsoft but from what my boyfriend and his friends say its very sore. Just wondering if any girls on here airsoft and is it really as bad as they say?

I reckon I could take the pain but just curious about girls opinions on it! Thanks for the help:)

Hey there,

Your fella is a wimp! its not that painful to be honest. Can sting sometimes, but its not bad at all.

I know plenty of other girls that play, and the guys complain more about the hits.

Betty troop

Hya techno, Im a girl that playes airsoft The guys in airsoft are really really nice and soo welcoming..
The first day of my airsoft visit i was terrified the whole way there.
Honestly the best thing i did,, I love it.. As for the pain naaa it stings for a second thats all the first day ye tend to shout ouch ouch when hit. more the jumping that makes ye shout ouch he he.. After that ye dont feel it anymore.I play up in the hrta with the contracter's sorry if i spelling wrong guys Ill be up there wedensday evening.. TRY IT you will love it guarinted :P If need any more information just add me Ill try help

andy_g

I know a few girls that play and love it. You dont have to be the fittest person to play as it will help build your overall fitness levels.

Also you dont have to get into ditches or the likes if you dont want to get dirty but most of my friends (girls) dont mind this. Betty troop was in the ditch for the first time last night and she did really well :P

Betty troop

andy_g wrote: »

I know a few girls that play and love it. You dont have to be the fittest person to play as it will help build your overall fitness levels.

Also you dont have to get into ditches or the likes if you dont want to get dirty but most of my friends (girls) dont mind this. Betty troop was in the ditch for the first time last night and she did really well :P

LOL tell the truth you threw me into a bunch of stingers.. Which ouch was sore through the nite ha ha naa wasent really but it did indeed make the game more fun And i learned react faster :rolleyes:

Spooky-Vinny

I know a Hand full of girls that play Airsoft aswell including 2 on my team!
And as far as I can gather they're as addicted as the rest of us! Playing every weekend etc.!
Just like any other sport, you'll know wether it's for you or not after you'v tried! so get your boots on and give it a shot(excuse the pun)!
xXx

Betty troop

Thats just it.. you wont know for yourself unless you try it bet youll be addicted just like the rest of us girls ha:D

Firekitten

Plenty of different girls play, and play for different reasons. Personally? its good craic, and its physical, and i get to meet many random people I'd never meet otherwise.

The whole hits thing is not a big deal. it happens, and its not aweful. I wear a full face mask in cqb where things are close, and other than that, im not too worried. I'll admit, at times it can be a real stinger. But thats about as bad as it gets. You will certainly play again... give it a go


(We need more girls)

OzCam

I guess everyone's expecting me to join this thread, so...

NAG website

NAG on faceache

Come on in, the water's lovely.

Betty troop

OzCam wrote: »

I guess everyone's expecting me to join this thread, so...

NAG website

NAG on faceache

Come on in, the water's lovely.

Aww never thought of doing that. Linking in the nag info ha ha!!!

Firekitten

OzCam wrote: »

I guess everyone's expecting me to join this thread, so...

We weren't.



And speaking from a girl's perspective. I personally disagree with the NAG concept... You lot make your minds up.

Dogwatch

Firekitten wrote: »

And speaking from a girl's perspective. I personally disagree with the NAG concept... You lot make your minds up.

As females are a huge minority in this sport, every opportunity should be given to them to participate.

What is it about the NAGconcept that you disagree with?

I assume it is just a team of like minded people that like to play airosft, just like many other teams, except this one is mainly female.

Firekitten

I disagree with the 'them and us' aproach and somewhat with the 'glamourisation' aproach that has been taken to 'publicise' In what could be percived in a negative light for the intended objectives. Don't get me wrong, I fully support the objectives of getting more girls involved. However its only a slim margin that could be 'won over' as it were. Those considering it, and in doubt over the very male culture... If a girl wants to play, she will. Plenty of us do, a minority yes.
Consider airsoft for a moment... its playing war. More men are going to want to do that than women. 90% of my female friends would hate the idea, how many of your male friends would? Its a bias of the sport really.
Some girls love it, im one... some guys hate it, but its a culture deal.
Other than that swing group, its not going to help very much.
The best aproach is actually a natural evolution. More girls are getting involved anyway... Men in airsoft is starting to see and adapt to that. Its less daunting for girls to play now. To be honest, its still pretty isolating at times. the 'meer cat' effect when the men at a site hear a female voice, and everyone looks... like its something special.
Take chernorus conflict part 3... thats the cultural evolution... 3 women out of 160 granted, but were those three seen differently to the men? no; just players.
the nag 'team' is all females, with men as members of the group as I recall. Fair play... they put a lot of effort in, and are doing a thankless task. I just don't agree with the way it separates and raises up female players from the others.... we're no different to the men that want to play.
What are our motivations? the same as yours.
End of the day, its an equality thing. You can push it so far before it becomes inversely segregational. the 'womens team' leads to a mental separation which I consider unhealthy to that natural evolution.

(wow, what a rant!)

Techno_Toaster

Thnak you everyone for your views/comments. I think I am gonna try it. i mean what have I to lose but a few tears?:o I'll let you know how I get on when I eventually get the courage:)

OzCam

Dogwatch wrote: »

As females are a huge minority in this sport, every opportunity encouragement & assistance should be given to them to participate.

Fixed that for you Peter

Toaster, you can PM Betty_troop, kimmyt1987, madmaxi, Spitfire_24 or myself any time you want more info or to tag along for a game. Airsoft hurts only 1/15th as much as paintball. Fact.

I really miss Gizmo, I wish she'd come back to airsoft where she belongs.

Spitfire_24

hey toaster, welcome to airsoft girl all i can say from my experience is give it a go and see what happens. i got dragged along by my other half on my first day and i was nearly sick with nerves, terrifed i'd hate it, that it'd hurt,that i'd mortify myself and i'd have to go home crying after an hour... over 2 years later and i'm out playing almost every weekend, have been on a couple of trips to the uk for TA events and currently planning my next trip over there. i play mostly in ballyvourney in cork on Mad Ozzies site Cork Airsoft with lads i can't praise highly enough.
99% of airsofters i have met are a fantastic friendly funny bunch who will welcome any player. the "meer cat" effect does happen occasionally and i did have one memorable gentleman who kept referring to me as "princess" and "sweetheart" (didn't last for long, he discovered bald heads make shiny targets :eek: ).
I agree with firekitten, in that i prefer to be regarded as a player rather than "a girl who airsofts" and prefer a more integrated approach than a them vs us mentality, but thats my opinion and has nothing really to do with the game itself
but back to the original point...give it a go! you'll love it! its highly addictive, great craic and you'll meet some of the best people out there on an airsoft site feel free to PM me if you need any advice or what not, will be happy to help and if you're ever down cork direction call in for a game

oh and depending on the site you may have to pee in the bushes but thats a whole other story...

Dogwatch

Firekitten wrote: »

I disagree with the 'them and us' aproach and somewhat with the 'glamourisation' aproach that has been taken to 'publicise' In what could be percived in a negative light for the intended objectives. Don't get me wrong, I fully support the objectives of getting more girls involved. However its only a slim margin that could be 'won over' as it were. Those considering it, and in doubt over the very male culture... If a girl wants to play, she will. Plenty of us do, a minority yes.
Consider airsoft for a moment... its playing war. More men are going to want to do that than women. 90% of my female friends would hate the idea, how many of your male friends would? Its a bias of the sport really.
Some girls love it, im one... some guys hate it, but its a culture deal.
Other than that swing group, its not going to help very much.
The best aproach is actually a natural evolution. More girls are getting involved anyway... Men in airsoft is starting to see and adapt to that. Its less daunting for girls to play now. To be honest, its still pretty isolating at times. the 'meer cat' effect when the men at a site hear a female voice, and everyone looks... like its something special.
Take chernorus conflict part 3... thats the cultural evolution... 3 women out of 160 granted, but were those three seen differently to the men? no; just players.
the nag 'team' is all females, with men as members of the group as I recall. Fair play... they put a lot of effort in, and are doing a thankless task. I just don't agree with the way it separates and raises up female players from the others.... we're no different to the men that want to play.
What are our motivations? the same as yours.
End of the day, its an equality thing. You can push it so far before it becomes inversely segregational. the 'womens team' leads to a mental separation which I consider unhealthy to that natural evolution.

(wow, what a rant!)

WOW, that is a bit rambling.

Any group that encourages people to join and enjoy our sport is a good thing. Their publicity methods are different and maybe not to everyones taste but it shows females like the OP that there is a place in airsoft for them and they will be treated as equals.

After all, we are just big kids running around with toy guns having fun and getting fit, well, trying to get fit,:D

Firekitten

Dogwatch wrote: »

WOW, that is a bit rambling.

Any group that encourages people to join and enjoy our sport is a good thing. Their publicity methods are different and maybe not to everyones taste but it shows females like the OP that there is a place in airsoft for them and they will be treated as equals.

After all, we are just big kids running around with toy guns having fun and getting fit, well, trying to get fit,:D

Rambling? You asked me to explain my point, and I think I did that fairly concicely, and in a well structured manner... rambling would suggest I repeated myself.
I agree, that the ecouragement is a good thing, but what place in airsoft does it show? I'm not sure Its the right one, which can be almost as bad as not doing it in the first place. For example, I'm not sure a calender of female players trussed up in pvc, leather, and toy guns shows us that we're going to get treated as equals...

Spitfire: Bushes... *shudder* I played at a scotish site once in December, in a foot and a half of snow... It had no toilet either, I think you get the picture :S
As I said earlier Techno_Toaster (love that username btw ). The little boys might have a goggle for a few seconds, but they finally realise you're just another player behind another gun. The game doesnt hurt that much, and its the most amazing fun ever. (Explaining some of the strange bruises though to friends who dont play can be interesting though lol) Give it a try, and I know you'll like it.
x

OzCam

Sorry, Spitfire, I forgot you were on this board. Looking forward to seeing you again in September. Previous post corrected.

I do need to clear up one misconception: NAG is not just a "girl's team". It's about getting more girls to play airsoft. If it was an us-v-them thing* I wouldn't be involved.

Some girls like to have buddy support available (mainly when they're getting started) and some girls don't. It's all good. One size doesn't fit all.

Thankfully we're all getting a bit more gender-neutral these days, but there's always more progress to be made.


* May not apply under certain game conditions for motivational and morale purposes

Firekitten

ok, It didnt seem that way... but thats the problem, 'perception' tends to have a greater influence on the majority over the actual facts of a case.

The 'them and us' thing was wrong I guess, but like I say, it 'seems' that way, thus , has the same effect.

Positive discrimination of sorts really.


(wow we've gone so far off topic)

darkgamerdk

airsoft is still kinda new in general to ireland tho

ppl say what u at for the weekend airsoft and u get the look nd to save time ya just say its like paintball give it another year loads more ppl will be involved inc girls

Firekitten

If I translated that right.... I don't think it will. It's been going in the UK for 20 years now, and the relative 'guy to girl' ratios are still MASSIVELY tipped to the guy side.

darkgamerdk

dunno any friends on mine (girls) i tried to get into it said no but only cuz they hate guns in general

Firekitten

Yeah, most do, its a culture deal. There will always be more men playing.

Keegan

OP as stated before best bet is to try it. Regardless of how many other girl players are there, or all the stories of "pain" you heard everyone is different. Your there to give a new game a try and at the end of the day you'll either like it or not but at least you gave it a try.

Betty troop

OzCam wrote: »

Fixed that for you Peter

Toaster, you can PM Betty_troop, kimmyt1987, madmaxi, Spitfire_24 or myself any time you want more info or to tag along for a game. Airsoft hurts only 1/15th as much as paintball. Fact.

I really miss Gizmo, I wish she'd come back to airsoft where she belongs.

Yup im always lurking about the place somewere ha. just shout if need any help or wana arange to game somewere one of us will tag along with ye am sure

Arkslippy

It's just a game at the end of the day, go and try it and kiss goodbye to your wallet.

Inari

Having had a lot of experience promoting more female inclusion in male dominated activities, I feel strongly compelled to stick an oar in here.

Dogwatch made the point about any organisation promoting female integration can only be good, since it will appeal to some, and the rest will ignore. However, where I disagree with the point is in relation to equality - promoting an activity to be gender neutral is a house of cards, and more often is done arseways. Whereas I commend the efforts of NAG, I do have to say that I do not agree with its publicity methods.

The media coming from NAG is often quite sexual in construction, and the glamour of the shots tend to detract from the message, or at least that is my own taking from it. Basically what I mean is that some of the photos from NAG tend to look like what men think Airsoft-ing girls should look/dress like, rather than portraying gender diversity in Airsoft.

Can I ask a simple question though...truthfully, why do you (airsofters) want more girls playing? This is a key question. Most male airsofters would like a greater female presence due to procreative urges. This will probably be denied, but on a subconscious level, I really do think it has more than a little to do with it. This is where the likes of NAG really help by showing a larger female populace in Airsoft, which can help women feel less...alone, although that's not a great word for it. Put simply it helps eliminate some of the concerns of, as Spitfire_24 so eloquently put it, the 'Meer Cat effect" with a preemptive strike that shows girls do play airsoft, and enjoy doing so, and that helps make things more accessible.

In the past I have worked to get a larger female involvement in other activities for one reason...to further the diversity and creative development of these activities. When an activity becomes male-dominated, or even female dominated, the activities stagnate. They become monotonous and predictable, as they cater for very specific stereotypes. With a more diverse demographic you get a much more organic activity. It evolves to suit its players, which are not easily lumped into the stereotypical, or even archetypal categories.

Airsoft is not exactly a creative activity, however like war itself, it is male dominated which affects how things are conducted. With a greater female identity, you would see the games shift to suit a middleground, and this shift is what makes activities continually develop instead of stagnating. What I want out of Airsoft is good fun, tactical play, and a continually developing activity so as I never get fed up with repetitive games. More diversity works toward my goals, so in turn I work toward more diversity...because I'm selfish.

Firekitten

I think you got it darn perfect there Inari...


(and I came out with the meer cat effect comment )

Spitfire_24

Well said inari
and yes the meer cat comment was stolen from firekitten
tbh the nags are good if you want the support of a girls team, fair play to them. but personally it has no bearing on my own airsofting cuz the lads i play with don't make the fact i'm a girl an issue and besides Ozcam, i have yet to meet a nag member in ireland.
getting back on topic OP, i forgot to mention in my earlier post that knee pads may be useful...bruises from bbs (if they happen) are generally small, bout the size of 2cent coin...most bruises i've gotten have been from kneeling on rocks and stuff so good knee pads have stopped that. that said you never notice the bruises til you get home and go "how did that happen??" a facemask (either full or half with eye protection) is a good idea for the first few games at least.
also, any gloves i've gotten online from airsoft sites have been far too big, i found that cycling gloves are pretty good. they generally have a toughened and padded palm so you won't get pinched when climbing into furze bushes, some have padding on the back which takes the sting out of knuckle hits and most importantly they'll actually fit!

and ozcam, dont blame ya for overlooking me, i'm not on here that often hopefully i'll get time off for sept, looking forward to it!

citizenken

As an airsofter (male ) I have been airsofting for just over 2 years now and I say we need more women in the sport, it is one of the few competitive activities in which women can compete on an equal footing with men, I airsoft on a regurlar basis with female airsofters (you know who you are) and they are awesome players and play the game to a high level. To any women out there reading this ,give it a go you'll not regret it.:)
ps it takes a lot of guts to turn up at a site for what is a largely male dominated sport, and in general that in itself gets the respect of people like myself and most other players I know..:)

Zen 2nd

Women? All I see is soldiers when I'm out airsofting

Inari

citizenken wrote: »

we need more women in the sport, it is one of the few competitive activities in which women can compete on an equal footing with men, I airsoft on a regurlar basis with female airsofters (you know who you are) and they are awesome players and play the game to a high level.

Why do you think Airsoft need's more women playing? I can't resist asking that question

My main reason for addressing this post is on the point of competing on equal footing. I was going to reply to it earlier but at the time decided against it.

Airsoft is an endurance based sport/hobby - it involves basic cardio-respiratory fitness, basic proprioception, some refined neuromuscular pathways, and a basic degree of strength. Beyond that and you're into the SPP (Specific Physical Preparation) of the actual shooting i.e. technical skill.

With all sports, the SPP is attained the quickest - the body only takes about 6 weeks to adapt to the activity. The GPP (General Physical Preparedness) is far more important to the game itself. The more physical the player, the more potential for different game play...you can't play if you can't keep up.

Women and men are, at a biological level, not that different. So why is the archetypal man 'stronger'? Simple. Men have a higher percentage of type 2 muscle fibres than women, and also have a lot more testosterone, which is a key component of muscular hypertrophy. Women on the other hand have a higher proportion of type 1 muscle fibres, which makes them more predisposed to endurance activity - on top of that, women store fat far more effectively than men, and can access it with greater ease. When you look at finishing times for ultra marathons between elite male & female athletes, the differences are almost statistically insignificant.

So women would look to be far better in Airsoft/MilSim than men, so why is it that more women don't play? Quite simple; image, psychology and sociology. War is seen as a man's game, and it being very boy-ish to be into. This puts some women off. Out of the ones that remain/persevere, the 'meer cat' effect (seriously loving that expression FK) puts off some more, and it is targeting this few that is most important if you are to encourage more girls to take up airsofting.

Problem is, how do you achieve this? NAG is one approach, does anybody else have any suggestions, or do you think the more organic approach works best. And once again, why do y'all think it's important to have more women playing?

Firekitten

I'm sorry, I'd comment on your awesome well thought out inteligent, scientific post Inari, but I saw just one sentence....

So women would look to be far better in Airsoft/MilSim than men

*Firekitten high fives Spitfire and grins*

OzCam

That's all very well in theory - and in fact the greatest endurance athlete in the world, by a long way, is a woman - but we're playing a game, not recruiting for the Ranger Wing.

Why do I want more women in airsoft? Because they're good, and because they're fun. They're the only reasons we need.

Spitfire_24

Firekitten wrote: »

I'm sorry, I'd comment on your awesome well thought out inteligent, scientific post Inari, but I saw just one sentence....





*Firekitten high fives Spitfire and grins*

Right back at ya!

we'll encourage more girls to play the same way we encourage guys... tell them about it and invite them along for a game! its not rocket science! just get the word out! where i play we've seen a fair few girls come down and give it a go and its all because they were invited to play by other more experienced airsofters who made the game seem fun and welcoming.

and honestly better facilities would be a help. i'm not too fussed personally but i know a lot of women would be daunted by the thoughts of changing in front of a large group of "meer cats" and also its not nice having to wonder should you bring your pistol into a portaloo to deal with any inhabitants that may be lurking... :eek:

Firekitten

Ok, advice...

It seems scary, but its not. At the end of the day, the men all revert to bashful school boy mode, and wont give you any crap, or chat you up.
some sites dont have loos, some have nasty portaloos, some have great toilets... end of the day, find a quiet spot if you have to, its no different to a long hike. Just be a bit savvy and go the oposite way to everyone elseif you need to. Honestly not a big deal as Maria will agree.

Milsim games are fun, sunday games are fun. End of the day, theres nothing you cant do, that a guy can. Everyone's shooting 6mm plastic.

if you look for kit, i'd avoid chestrigs, and look for either a plate carrier with a lot of give in the upper chest (some can be pretty rigid and uncomfortable) or a vest or belt kit. I use combos of all three, and its no problem.

Gloves are a must, kneepads... recomended. Combats... try em on first, most are 'US' Cut bdus, so really straight, if you want them to fit, get a size larger than you normally take, and drag the waist in with a belt, or its going to just not fit.
Boots... I wear bates tactical sport womens 8 inch (ankle protecting) boots. They are actually a decent fit for womens feet, and nice and cheap! Comfy, and need minimal breaking in. Really recomend it.
Hairwise, id recomend having a few bands with you, its going to get in the way if you leave it down.

most important? have fun.

Spitfire_24

firekittens advice above pretty much covers most things you might have issue with tbh.
i found it a pain trying to find size six military style boots in any shop here so i just played in good hiking boots until i was sure i really wanted to invest in the sport, then got my combat boots online, 8 inch magnum elite II,very comfy. anything smaller than a size 6 might be hard to comeby though.
in terms of uniform, i get small/regular which is a bit too big but they're easy enough to get taken in (i'm 5ft6 size 10 if thats any guide for ya).
shemaghs or a buffy are great to protect your neck so any hits there won't sting so much.
with chest rigs, more adjustable straps the better! i always find that they don't sit properly on the hips but again certain rigs can be adjusted.
a good sports bra is recommended too! lol!
oh and i have trouble with certain pistols because i've small hands that can't hold some of them properly! in some cases when i hold the pistol grip my fingers don't reach the trigger but thats just a case of trying stuff out and seeing what suits...currently have a g17 and ppk that i love.
and the loo issue isn't major to be honest, just said i'd mention it cuz some girls i've met got a bit of a land when they realised its a 10 minute walk all the way back down a big hill to get to a portaloo!

hope the info's been useful! can't wait to hear about your first game. hope you enjoy it!