Mentorship of New Players
 

Hello everyone

Seeing how Brian's thread has tapered off into a few different topics but the one most important at the moment is mentorship or indoctrination. I think a thread about mentorship should be created. Although this happened last time before the clear guns came out, now the clear guns are everywhere meaning more new players have come, so what to do?

Now on one condition!

Constructive comments please! Please don't waste time arguing back and forth if Mentorship or Indoctrination is needed, the fact is it is NEEDED in certain places. Be a regular at Defcon or TTAC where most new players usually start out and you will see that

- Most new players are not going to be reading the FAQs fully
- They will not always be fully geared up at games. So what do you do?
- Unknown random people joining games, what do you do?
- Most new players have no clue the different sources to get new gear, guns and accessories
- People not from ASC joining games

(FR games and other venues usually have vet players so I exclude it for now)

Helpful Tips/Suggestions/Systems

Systems
- Brian's ATQ Lessons in Downtown Toronto, Ontario
Teaches new players about Airsoft such as (What to do, where to get stuff, how to behave, and more)

- One newbie - One Experienced player (Pair up)

Suggestions
- Age verfiers should perhaps give a little speech about ASC and try to indoctrinate them on the spot instead of just saying "Hello wheres your ID and name okay bye"

Tips


I'll add more to the list

You know what? I volunteer to take on a newbie from the GTA who would like to be active/involved and get him set up.

I suggest other people follow the lead. One newbie, one player. Get them set up and comfortable. Attend a few games together. That sort of thing.

Mentorship directly on ASC would be good too, I'd be up for that.

Ill Pair up i need help, and ill do anything to learn.

Thats the thing though how do we do that?

Its really easy to do it in games and face to face interaction. But online when most new players don't fully read the FAQs, what do we do?

One thing I like is that comic about ASC and you, that should be stickied somewhere

I volunteer to mentor these 2 noobs:

ShelledPants
cbcsteve

Both can't drink worth a shit! But
Steve does a funny Arnie impression :)

Basically, asign new people who want direction to a more experienced player willing to donate his time. It won't replace actual face to face interaction in the field, but I see it as a first step before even getting there.

One on one vulgarisation of the FAQs would also allow them to actual understand stuff, instead of reading it sideways and making their own half-assed interpretation of the subject.

Directions to verifiers, mentoring on gear, general primers that sort of stuff.

I also have been putting off a study of average price points of guns (the real ones, not G&G shenanigans).

Right. Rum at TAC tonight. D: <

What I was originally getting at was meeting with the person, having lunch, answering all the questions I can, take them out to a game or two and show them the ropes. I'd also be available on ASC/MSN for them to ask questions until they are comfortable and able to float, so to speak.

Man seeking other man..

I hear yah, you want a bromance

I've managed to do some good mentoring thru MSN if the persons are willing to learn. It's true that doing it face to face is the most effective way to do it but if that part is done it's gonna help a lot more than if they get nothing at all.

Tom...that's a little weird...

Whatever you do with ropes/watersports on your dates is up to you....you must have this forum mixed up with another...

I'd teach them the importance of full face masks in CQB... :P

The best mentoring I've seen/been involved in are the "Noob Days" that the Manitoba boys put on. Nothing like a group of veteran players taking 20 or 30 noobs and answering all their questions at once, letting them try all the guns at once, and then going out and playing in a safe and monitored environment with your mentors.

I support this initiative.

I also think "Mentors" need a tag, just like the Age Verification tag.

I like the idea Skruface....

I have been disscussing a "noob day" ala MB style at the Farm for later this year.

I hope it flies. The idea of mentor tags will direct questions better better too. Perhaps mentors on gear, another on Augs, another on m14... this way they will not be burried with questions and we all have strengths.

I remember when I frist joined the K-town club I had to have a club member bring me to the game and inforum me on rules and introduce me to club members and he was responsible for my conduct. I could not just show up like they do now.

how about letting the AV reps really sit down with people and talk to them when they take their information, if they don't want to listen...they don't get AV'd simple as that, I can't believe some of the retarded fucks who get AV'd, it should start there I think


as far as people who are already in the system, then yeh they really should have someone take them under their wing, too much of this "IN+4" shit, with one noob bringing his 3 noob buddies and no repercussions because they're not even on ASC when they fuck up at a game

Im not elitist or a geardo or anything, I run with a basic chest rig and some bdu, no bells and whistles, hell I don't even have a proper holster for my sidearm, I use an empty mag pouch, but when I go to a game and I am teamed up with some noob in jeans and a tshirt and a cansoft m4 with 2 hicaps taped together, I then understand how the the "elite" feel, it's fucking bullshit, and I hate it.

I went to a FR game not too long ago and there was some 15yo kid with a fucking motocross chestplate on over his tshirt and jeans combo, with a cansoft and hicap, this fucking pisses me off, seriously is this NS or NFLD where they're so desperate for players that they let kids play with them, NO this is fucking ON, we're better than that

I believe in the "trial by fire" method, someone does/says something stupid, they get lit up, if they truly care about becoming active in the community, they'll stick around and try to prove that they're not complete asshats, if they don't then it's no big loss to us as a community

/end rant

not trying to start anything, cause i think there is way too much bullshit going on right now, but as for your comment, I am in NS. we have a fairly decent turnout to our games, and we DO adhere to the accepted rules of airsoft here on ASC, ie.players are 18+. Sure your gonna get the idiot, uninformed 15 year old playing with his buddys in the neighborhood parks, but you will get that anywhere, even in "fucking ONTARIO" As i said I am not trying to start anything, just didnt like the uninformed and completely wrong comment about NS.

/end rant....

I wore a bike/motocross pressure suit to A51 because I wanted to dive/jump/roll around without having to worry about killing myself, those jagged rocks weren't very friendly.

:P

No more Rants please... that starts monkey shit flinging

Can't solve hate with hate. But you can solve dealing with boneheads by figuring a good system to be used to seperate and helpout the willing good airsofters and figure a way to deal with bad apples

- How to deal with bad players >> to become good

Its easier to deal with good players

As a relative noobs speaking, I think having one, or maybe a few players who I knew i could PM/Talk to the next time i had a stupid question and didn't want to clutter the threads here would be nice. I don't mean stupid, obvious, read the FAQ questions. I mean questions about basic maintinance and game conduct.

so, +1 to the mentor idea, maybe not 1 on 1 pairs (though that would be nice) but i would be happy if i had someone i could talk to who would be welcoming, curdious and wouldn't flame me to hell and back for asking what turned out to be an obvious question.

-Ben

If I may make a suggestion. When I learned to shoot and hunt my granfather made me start with a .22 . I was thirteen at the time and complained about wanting to shoot something bigger, but those complaints fell on deaf ears. When I learned to hunt, regardless of the mag capacity I had to load one round at a time until he was satisfied with my safe handling and maturity. Perhaps start these clinics out with .12's or sub 300 fps guns. I know alot of you are gonna say .12's suck and below 300 isn't airsoft etc... But unless I'm wrong isn't the point of this mentoring to make safer players and not more skilled players? Let them graduate into being allowed to use higher end gear after you feel safe playing against them.

Building on what notom said,

If someone in my area was to host a noob saftey clinic, and would let me attend, i would happily come, even if i did have to shoot underpowered guns, it wouldn't be an issue.

Seriously, +1 for noob days! (hopefully in the guelph/KW area)

i think that this is getting blown out of proportion for a lot of people. they are willing to bitch about the system but refuse or just have no ideas on how to help fix it. i didnt have anyone to mentor me when i started into airsoft. but i was lucky enough to find people at a local game who let me ask lots of questions and i would absorb. right now i am currently mentoring another player who is interested in the sport. he uses my extra gear/weapons and i am helping him meet other people and select his weapons and play style. i think we need more of this style of assistance. so heres my pitch.

-get willing members of ASC to contribute there time to take PM's etc from anyone new and answer questions they have. (i'll do it if they give me a larger inbox. lol)

-host newb days/ open houses (im contemplating having one here)

-have volunteers (possibly the ones that are already doing the first recomendation) that are willing to go to games eary or stay late to take new kids and show them a few things annswer questions and decide if they are really willing to become part of the comunity.

-host training days that show proper safety and decision making. (similar to the BA cert course)

-have swap meets where new guys can get other guys old gear for cheap.

-have noob games. where the guys can show up in jeans and a sweater with a cansoft/ borrowed/ rented gun. and play with willing vets to lead them and "train" them. (if you dont want them at regular games why not give them there own?)


i am willing to do all of these things to make sure that these guys get just as much chance to love this sport like i do.

you don't need a full mask for CQB

noob training day was already done before by Snow Dragons the last one I attended/assisted was in 2002 so if someone would like to call out zeonprime I'm sure he will accomodate

Steve, way to go.
I am a noob. I need help. Generally, most people on ASC have been very helpful, most people in person have also been very nice.

However, I had to learn things the hard way and I spent alot of money on crap.

This is a great idea. It may not be for everyone, experienced or otherwise.

the last show and tell/ noob day i remember was something like two years ago out at the brampton TWAT field


dumbass. stay on topic.

hello

here is a opinion from a noob:

Make a part in the forum where you can find the names of the mentors, where they are living and what they can learn. So you can find someone that can help you and that can meet you at game. Also if they have place to take care of a noob because if someone receve 50 noobs invitations that doesn't work.

Also before a game you can ask if they are some noobs and match them before the game so they can learn on the field too

jagged

figured id put it up here. im doing a noob day

http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthr...48#post1041648

Here's two events that are open to anyone. Read links for details...post with any questions.

CQB - Aug 31st

CQB - Sept 27th

the LZ is also hosting a welcome to airsoft day too...the end of august i believe...its in the ontario game section.

If I can help man...just ask ok?

I think it'd be great if people learned the way we did back in the "pre-internet days". Go to a fucking game, observe, learn, repeat.

It's all well and good pair guys up. But it all falls on the noob to want to learn. They need to have the restraint to take the time and learn and understand what's going on in the sport. We can beat this horse till it's a bloody pulp, it falls on the individual.

One of the biggest problems with people is that they are afraid to be yelled at and made fun of. Which we all know was fairly common on ASC.

Go out to games, learn, and take it easy. There's plenty of time in life to take it easy for the first few games.

Just my 2 cents.

The players coming up don't know of a "pre internet age" I have e-mail accounts older than some players.... ( for that matter I have socks older than some players )

making personal connections... face to face is pretty much a lost art.

This community exists much more virtually than physically.

It is now very possible for someone to show up at a game fully kitted , gun purchased gear purchased .... having never met another person.

The issues are not so much that the players have changed .. they have.. but that the community has not changed to adapt to the extant social and material conditions.

I think you have it backwards.

Not everyone is from the same background and will have thick skin and take jokes the same way.

Now here is my rant.

I am new to the community and I have met some very nice people.

However, there seems to be a culture of "asslike behavior" that a few ASC members have. And they probably think its cool. But its not. Try it off the forum, face to face with a stranger and see what happens. Try it in your place of work and see what happens.. Try it when ordering food at a resturant and see what happens..

It doesn't hurt to be a nice guy, and despite what you may think, its not cool to be a dick especially to someone you have never met.

Being an ass isnt cool, it just means you are an ass.

...end of rant.


Steve, I apologize for hijacking the thread. I already have PMs in my inbox with someone offering to be my mentor. You have started a good thing..

I agree with the mentor tag on the user profile. I also think the mentor should get a rating though... similar to trader rating. No sense being a mentor if you are going to be a dick to people and turn them away from the game.

The community hasn't changed; It's ceased to be. We've facilitated that through tolerance of assholes and a "live and let live" attitude towards the spoonfed internet generation.

The internet killed the community as we knew it. If we want it back, we need to make a conscious effort to make it happen.

There is no need to "grow the sport". There's no need to "keep airsoft alive". It was alive and well before the current crop of kids came along.

Mentoring is fine. The first thing to do if you're going to mentor someone is to BAN THEM FROM ASC. Force them to come out and learn.

And that right there is the crux of the problem. I'll teach anyone anything they want to know. In person.

Well the problem is this kind of thing already happens. A new person who joins the community and shows the effort of trying to learn will gladly be shown the ropes. Its how everyone else is at the level they are at. Start going to games, make connections with people who will answer your questions and eventually you will find yourself a participating member of your community. Whether or not people wanna take the structured road of mentor/apprentice is up to those individuals but from what Ive seen, and done myself, this already happens just not in the structured sense for the mentor/apprenticeship "program" kinda thing. The only make or break for this to happen is the attitude of the new person. Show the proper attitude and you will quickly find yourself being the one giving new people advice. Show a piss poor attitude and you wont find yourself getting very far.