Girls Airsofting?

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!