Over the weekend, I took my son and a couple of his friends to an indoor airsoft field. I wanted to do something with my son and get together with some new friends. We’re fairly new to the area and it’s been challenging meeting kids his age. Thankfully, a couple of guys wanted to join us – and it was fun.

I found out about this indoor airsoft club from a Facebook page with a couple of posts of it. There really was so little confirming evidence of the event’s actual existence, it was a matter of faith to devote an entire afternoon to trying to find this place. But find it we did. 

The club is an indoor “field” which boasts rusted support beams to hold up what looks like a hundred year old roof. The club has built out the field so players can duck, cover, hide, and shoot their opponents during their battles.  

Background of a Hidden Airsoft Club

I chatted with the owner of the club. He’s been running it for 6 years and has managed to keep it going for that long despite the low profile of the sport. Airsoft seems to be kept alive by a few active diehard enthusiasts. There are a few older guys there like me (and yes, this is mostly a male dominated sport), but there are a smattering of women who play. Most of the battlefield is populated with 10-25 year old guys who are looking to win anything from an airsoft-version of “Capture the Flag” to “Last Man Standing”. My son and his friends had fun on their first airsoft outing. They were pretty tired after 4+ hours of airsofting and had a few battle bruises to prove their participation.

Part of my calling as a father is influencing and caring for my children. In other words, it’s about my relationship with them. There’s too many verses about fatherhood to cover in this short video, so I picked one.  Ephesians 6:4 tells us, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Don’t Provoke, But Instruct…In Relationship

As a dad, I am not to provoke my children. Some versions say “exasperate” or “anger”. Instead, I am to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. I do teach my son about the Lord. We attend church and he literally attends my Sunday School class. But we also have other times of instruction on Sunday night or around the dinner table. 

But my instruction and discipline is not without the context of a relationship. So part of the way I fulfill my calling as a dad is to maintain and build that relationship. For us, maybe airsoft is one way to do that. For you it may be different – especially if you’re raising a daughter.    

We only have so much time with our kids in the homes. Over the past year, I’ve made a more concerted effort to spend time with my son in hopes of building that relationship and my influence. Airsoft may be one way that I can fulfill my calling as a dad with my son. I hope you can find a way to build into your family in a similar way. All the best.