A Lack of Activity
...r parents going out having a great time, drinking. Some of the patrons are but a few years older than they are. Everywhere we go we hear about preventing youth alcohol abuse, but here we stand not “practicing what we preach.” Even if we can prevent them from drinking now, what about when they come of age? With the prisons working to bring the guards closer to their work, we face yet another problem. We have nothing for the new comers to do when they arrive. Something that comes with a growing city is an increased crime rate. With well over half of Florence’s population being between 18 and 44 (Table1), we must think about what they will turn to with so much free time on their hands. One possibility is to open an activity center that is accessible and interesting to both teens and younger adults. This activity center can have a billiards area or a bowling alley. With an activity center, we would help keep kids off the streets and, keep adults out of bars. Also kids and their parents could go here together and have a good time. If a place such as this were put in place, it would have to be close to, or in town. Not everyone, namely the kids, has access to reliable transportation. Another requirement would be it would have to admit everyone. The activity center that currently operates now only allows teen-agers. Another consideration is something that involves more physical activity. Though there is not a notable weight problem in Florence among teens and young adults, it is something that should always be addressed. A conclusion that would cover all issues thus far is a roller skating rink. It would involve people of most all ages, could be close to, if not in, town. Most of all it is excellent physical activity. Some concerns include safety, size of venue, and length of interest. Safety is a concern in anything that concerns physical activity and most things that do not. However, it is not very difficult to institute and enforce rules to make a skating rink a safe environment. The size of the venue could be a concern because there are no existing buildings large enough to house such an undertaking in Florence. As for the length of interest, how many times can you skate around an oval before you get bored? After a while it would just not be interesting anymore. Granted different programs could be set in place to make it fun for some people some of the time, but what about the rest of us the rest of the time? The ultimate solution is a paintball field. With an unlimited amount of possibilities to this activity, it appears that this is not only the best way to go, but the only way to go. This idea could eliminate most if not all of the problems in town. As a game that is growing in popularity at an astonishing rate, the desire to play by everyone is also growing. From youth still in high school to professionals on business trips, the game has caught the eye of people around the country and around the world. In fact Karen Baily, director of sales services for Rollerblade Inc. says that paintball has become part of the companies mini-Olympics.(Gaines). Though viewed, as primarily “war games” there are many variations of the game that can take the fight out of it. In Current Health 2 one article compares paintball to a combination of tag and hide-and-seek. (“Painball”) Paintball is a game played with gas or high-pressure air guns that shoot dye-filled pellets. The primary object is to “kill” your opponent by shooting them. The game is played indoors or out, on a field with obstacles to hide behind. Generally, an outdoor field is between five and eight acres, split up into two or more types of field. The basic required equipment includes a marker (gun), protective equipment (a required mask and optional gloves), and paint. All of these things can be made available for rent at the field. With the amount of open land encompassing Florence, a field could be set up within thirty minutes walking distance of anywhere in town. Therefore, even those without a car could have relative access to an activity that does not involve possibly troublesome results. A major concern with paintball is safety. Between 1981 and 2001, 5,290 paintball related eye injuries were reported (Edwards5). That is a mere 264.5 per year. “Interestingly, most injuries don’t occur mid-game. Instead they’re more likely to occur at the very end of the game when the goggles have been removed because the player is hot, or just finished playing,” (Edwards5). With some simple rules governing the time and place a mask can be removed the number of eye injuries can be reduced to almost none. As with any activity that we participate in there has to be some training involved, paintball is definitely no exception. Fortunately, there are many additional advantages to training paintball safety. Paintball guns are very similar to real guns in that they can be very dangerous if abused. Therefor any training received from the game can be directly associated to real guns. In fact, Chief Ingulli says he would have a much easier time supporting a field “if you are willing to train weapon safety. Not only paintball guns but real guns as well.” Involvement in the game can include everyone. With the youngest players at a mere eight or nine and the older ones including fifty-five or sixty year olds, there are pretty much no limits on who can play. It is an excellent family sport, allowing families to go out and enjoy an afternoon or evening. And with a variety of games and styles or variations to the games there is virtually no chance of the game getting boring The game has ...