The first of those will be the 3-Man Beginners’ Tournament this Saturday.

“It’s an exhilarating experience, really,” says Stephen Sharpe, 21, who will compete in the event. “I’ve been in a couple of tournaments before. You have to have an objective, a game plan. You can’t just run out there and shoot at everybody. somebody has to take care of their assigned target. in a way it’s like football, take your man and eliminate it. That’s what you’re going for, the last man standing.”

The Alabama Challenge Event Series on Sunday, March 7, will not only bring teams from all around the state of Alabama but likely nearby states like Mississippi and Georgia. It’s part of a circuit event where participants compete throughout the course of the year to accumulate points, similar to the points system in a sport like NASCAR, where the person with the most points at the end wins the tournament series.

“It’s a points-based system, which basically means you’re going to have a flag at every game,” said Jonathan Sharpe, owner of West Alabama Paintball Supply and a Splat Zone partner with owner Mark Mixon. “It’s not like a capture-the-flag scenario, but you’ll have points for eliminations, points for grabbing the flag, and points for hanging the flag.”

The ACES is a three-on-three elimination tournament.

“It’s going to have the more advanced players,” said Jonathan Sharpe. “The beginners are going to be newer players with regular equipment. the ACES will have a novice level and an amateur level. it will have more experienced players and high tech gear, and it’s a bit faster-paced.

“The ACES tournaments will have more advanced teams, with sponsored headbands and all kinds of equipment. a beginners’ tournament is to peak the interest of some of the newer people, to help get them involved in some of the bigger tournaments if they want to do so.”

Among the locals competing in the ACES tournament is Tuscaloosa’s Kyle Foster, who placed first in a tournament in North Alabama earlier this month.

“I like the adrenaline rush and the competition. I just love it,” said Foster, who says he has competed in hundreds of tournaments in his eight years participating in the sport. “It’s not something just anybody can pick up. it takes strategy, it takes skill.”

The speedball field, consisting of man-made bunkers, and the airball field, with inflatable bunkers, will both be utilized. Ages of participants could range anywhere from 10 to 50. Organizers expect 10-15 teams in each event.

The tournaments will be held in Cottondale at Splat Zone and begin at 9 a.m. with a captain’s meeting where the rules and specifications will be addressed. Competition immediately follows.

There is no admission to watch. Cost of the ACES tournament is $120 per team. Cost to participate in the 3-Man Beginner’s Tournament is $90 per team, with that tournament’s proceeds donated to Global Expeditions to help fund an education-based mission trip to Australia for a local youth, Terah Mixon.

“These tournaments are a great way to introduce people to the game,” said Jonathan Sharpe, whose competitive background in the sport includes the ACES and playing on a college paintball team. “We want to let everyone know that paintball is here in this area, and it’s a big deal for the youths. We’re trying to rebuild it as a sport around here. we want to provide the youth here with an outlet and get them involved in the sport.”

Cottondale paintball field to host two tournaments