Austin Rock Gym

Looking for a fun way to beat the heat, try something new and get a little exercise?  Austin Rock Gym has two locations, one in North Austin and one in South Austin (note:  now closed).

Austin Paint Ball

My youngest son wanted to play paint ball for his birthday, so the guys spent last weekend shooting each other for fun at Austin Paintball.

Austin Paintball, located in Dripping Springs, has over 30 acres, and nine different playing fields.

We used a groupon that I found online, which gave us half off the price for a day's rental of an airgun, 100 shots and the necessary gear.

My birthday boy had played once before with a friend, and my oldest son and husband had never played before.  When I called to arrange the outing, I had asked if they separated out the younger kids from the older kids/adults, and I was assured that they did.

However, when they arrived and played the first game, they were in an arena with thirty or so other players, many of whom obviously played on a monthly basis.  My boys were still trying to figure out how to shoot their guns when they were already blasted off the field.  All of the kids were ready to quit after game one :o(

But, after the first round, I spoke with the manager and referee, and they both gladly set up a separate round for newbies.  All the guys went off, and came back with grins and smiles.  They had a great time.  They then continued to play many more rounds.

If you are going with younger kiddos or first time players, I would strongly recommend that you ask if they have a 'newbie' arena set up, as you will have a much better time.

Tips and Thoughts

* They do warn you ahead of time that the paintballs can hurt and leave a welt. None of my boys seemed to think this was a big deal, and none of them complained about it at all.

* There is no water on-site, but bottled waters are available for $1.  You are also welcome to bring your own. There is no food on-site, but you can also bring your own.  They also have a standing deal with Dominoes, who will deliver pizza between games.

* Although usage of the fields for the entire day is included in the admission price, I was told that younger boys typically play between two and three hours.  We got there around 10:30am, and left around 12:30, so that seemed pretty accurate. 

* The general admission price of $22 includes 100 rounds of ammo.  We had five players and in the two hours they played, we went through all of the ammo, plus another bag of 500 shots ($25)  Just to give you an idea of the total cost.  

* In addition, it is nice to bring some cash in case you want to tip your referee.

* As mentioned above, if you are a first time player, ask ahead of time to make sure they will have smaller groups available

* If you are a mom and not expecting to play (Welts?!?  Seriously?? No thank you! :o)  ), bring something to entertain yourself.  Sitting on the patio, you will not be able to view the fields.  So your kiddos (big and small) will go off to play, and return fifteen to twenty minutes later.