What's wrong with this picture?

What's wrong with this picture? I'll tell you there are a number of things wrong with this picture!



Let's take a look at the reporting on the incident. The two articles I've linked to describe a scene that we've witnessed before. A young player is brought to a paintball field for a day of fun. During play, two employees jumped into the game to play and the boy was hit. Now the father - who bears more than some responsiblity in this scenario - is suing the park.



What are the lessons to be learned, and how will you apply them?



Lesson number one: Employees NEVER, play against paying customers. If an employee wants to play on his own time, that's his business. However, to have the face of your company (the employee) playing has no upside. Management should have stepped in and pulled the two emplyees off the field prior to this happening.



Lesson number two: Allowing mixed-ability groups can lead to terrible results. Injuries alone are not the only pit fall coming from this practice. Having seasoned players and novice or rookie players on the field at the same time only lessens the playing experience for all involved. The new player doesn't get a good feel for the game and is nothing more than cannon fodder for the seasoned vet. The more experienced player quickly becomes bored shooting up the "newbies" and finds greener pastures. Separating the players keeps the peace, and enhances the experience for all involved. Remember you're not selling paintball, you're selling the adrenaline rush, the sweaty-palms, blood rushing thrill of a life time.



Lesson number three: Parents have the ultimate responsiblilty for their child. This is the bottom line. Parents have the final say on what their children do, what sport they participate in and how they spend their leisure time. The child's safety during these events may be minimized by the provider (baseball coach, paintball field, etc.) but the last word should come from the parent.