STERLING, Ill. (AP) — A Rock Falls man is using paintball to teach life lessons.
Charles Larry, owner of Extreme Crossfire Paintball, has set up his mobile paintball arena at Lawrence Park on Mondays and Thursdays to give youths a positive place to hang out.
Larry has been drawing between 15 and 35 kids at the XCP Young Guns youth program. Larry said he has six kids of his own, and saw a need for the program.
"As parents, we tell kids, 'Don't do this and don't do that,' but we don't give them anything positive to do," he said.
Larry said that after praying for guidance, he knew what he had to do.
"God told me to use my business to help kids, and to do it for free."
He is looking for sponsors to help with costs - the paintballs are $50 a box. Program participants also throw in a buck or two on occasion, but youth ages 12 to 18 don't have to pay.
The paintball outings start with a mentoring session, and life skills are taught in the playing arena.
"Identify, plan, and execute is an important message that translates from paintball," Larry said. "You identify your target, come up with a plan with your team, and execute the plan."
He wants to keep the program going during the winter, and is trying to find an indoor space for his mobile paintball equipment. He hopes to eventually put together teams in Rock Falls and Dixon.
Kids have learned about the program through social media and word of mouth.
"A friend told me about it, and I figured I'd go because I like paintball and just wanted something to do," said Drake Dunaven, a 16-year-old Sterling High School student.
Aron Gomer, 15, another SHS student, said he hopes the group will continue somewhere else when the cold weather hits.
"This is a fun way to make new friends, and the messages motivate you," Gomer said.
Matthew Hilligoss of Rock Falls, a longtime paintballer, has helped Larry with XCP Young Guns. He said he'd like to get more volunteers involved, and expand the program.
"It's good to see something other than a mainstream sport out here, and it presents a great opportunity to work on team-building exercises."
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Source: The (Sterling) Daily Gazette, http://bit.ly/2bcNh9m
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Information from: The Daily Gazette, http://www.saukvalley.com
This is an AP-Illinois Exchange story offered by The (Sterling) Daily Gazette.
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