Testing Your Mettle Against the Iron Maidens

by David W. Bard

So what makes a girl travel fourteen hours in a single day only then to sleep in a bunkhouse full of sweaty, loud, testosterone-laden men? Well, if you're Peg Beeler-Green, it's for the opportunity to play alongside some of the best paintballers in the world.

See, Peg's a new member of a rather well known sorority of women paintballers that call themselves the Iron Maidens. And lest you think this group of Maidens sprang up overnight, consider this: In one form or another, the group has been together since 1988.

This sisterhood is the first all-women team to compete at the national level - and win. Members' home locales stretch across the U. S., and then some, making them truly an international power in the sport of paintball. Yet, not everybody sees them as equal competitors. Peg recalls one tournament where one all-male team refused to fight against their all-women team. So what did they do? "We took the field and when they refused to shoot, well, we just started shooting at them. They either had to fight us or loose the match." Did they win? "Yeah, by the end of the match, they had developed a new respect for us." Now, wherever the Maidens compete, they're recognized. In fact, Peg says they're invited to many competitions as a draw to get other teams at the events - seems everybody's gunning for the Maidens.

Peg's excited about playing on the Iron Maiden's team this year. Although it's her first, it certainly won't be her last. She's already been invited to the Chicago Open, and has her sites set on the nationals later this year.

So who started the Iron Maidens?- A woman by the name of Tracy "Ice" Roberts, who now lives in Ft. Worth, Texas. Aside from just wanting to be a part of a growing and exciting sport, she started the maidens simply because there were no all-female teams in existence where she competed. She's seen her local dream spread into a paintball phenomenon, because instead of mere bragging rights at these competitions, these competitors compete for some serious cash.

At the Chicago Open alone, teams compete for over $50,000 in cash and prizes. Although some of the more recognized teams have sponsors that provide equipment and supplies, sponsors do not pay entry fees. Fees can run a team $500, and of course, transportation to and from the event is the entrant's responsibility.

So what drives a woman to compete at this level? Take it from one who's played the sport, you've got to be driven, because no matter how good you are, you WILL be shot. In fact, that's one of the concerns of many women who otherwise might turn out to play. Because of the obvious physical differences between the two sexes, women have some obvious and valid concerns regarding where they get shot. Although there are numerous types of padding and armor that one can wear, Peg states that getting shot in the wrong place does happen. In fact, "If you play this sport long enough, you'll get shot just about everywhere." But still, she says it shouldn't keep more women from playing. "When you get shot here," she says, indicating her chest, "you just deal with it."

Aside from the adrenaline rush of charging a heavily defended fort where a team of five others is blasting at you from elevated positions, what other draw is there for her? You may be surprised. Peg says she's never felt as much camaraderie among a group of women as she feels when competing with the Iron Maidens.

In other sports she hears women complain about being excluded, and that often intangible, but persistent feeling, that they're not considered equal to men. Not so with paintball. Besides a very small minority of Neanderthals that exist in all walks of life, women in her sport are accepted as equal competitors. And why should we trust her when she makes such a sweeping statement? Because "I've competed locally as the only woman on a five-person team, and have never felt like the guys of Team Last Word consider me any less a competitor than themselves." In fact, she says, "We've grown so accustomed to each other that we're now more of a family than a team. It's almost like we can sense each other's movements on the field."

That feeling of "togetherness" is what it's all about according to Peg. Whether it's playing with the internationally renowned Iron Maidens, or as a beginner on a local team, she urges all women who seek a great adventure to give it a try.

It's not about winning or losing, she says, but about improving one's life. Just how can paintball do this? "Simple," Peg states. "It's about team building and responsibility training. By playing as part of a team, you learn tactics that teach you logic. You become a part of a whole, which teaches self-worth. It's a physical sport, so you're constantly testing yourself in that category."

So what's her final piece of advice? "Give it a try. Don't be afraid to try new things and be a part of this growing sport...besides, it's fun!"