If you happen to stumble into the Athletic Center Range Room on a Wednesday night, you might just see your childhood dreams coming true. By today’s standards and practices, the idea of introducing foam dart blasters to any sort of physical education class would be considered in poor taste. Luckily, all members of the U of G Nerf Club are adults who have decided that they’ll do what they want.
Nerf is a sport that embraces the rush of paintball, and the warm spirit of Ultimate Frisbee. It is based on comradery and good sportsmanship. Unlike Ultimate Frisbee, there are objective judges on the field that act more as observers and less like referees. Players will not always know if they’ve been hit because of the softness of the projectile, so the judges are there to give that head nod of yes, or no.
Towers of strategically placed boxes are spread across a fitness studio floor to act as obstacles and provide cover for players. If there is one main rule to know, it’s don’t run into the glass. One wall in this studio is all mirrors, and if you slide into one, you might be dealing with more than foam. Since the founding of the club in 2009, there has only ever been one incident, and Nerf Club President Vincent Yong was quick to note that the physical resources department graciously replaced the mirror without cost to the club.
Unlike traditional sports that have a fixed game type, Nerf Club presents many options for its players. The Nerf blasters are just a tool of the game; how or which form of the game is played is totally up to club members, and limited only by their imagination.
“All of our game types are inspired by video games,” said Yong. This type of emulation can be seen in paintball and Airsoft sports, but Nerf brings the added benefit of foam darts. Instead of being pinged in the leg with a paintball and getting a gnarly bruise, you get hit by foam and are left no worse for wear. Safety glasses are still mandatory playing attire, but this has been embraced by some as a chance for expression. Many players bring their own safety gear that have been tricked out to look like masks, or specifically selected to represent an in-game persona. In addition, players must also bring their own Nerf Blaster. For simplicity, the entire club only uses branded Nerf Blasters. This is also in part where the club name comes from.
If shooting a Nerf Blaster is not for you, then how about a foam sword battle? Nerf club occasionally hosts melee night.
“It’s close to, if you ever do any, live action role playing,” said Yong.
If you want to check out what Nerf club is about in person, head to the Range Room in the Athletic Centre on Wednesday between 8:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m. There is a $10 registration fee to join the club, but if you wait until January there will be a “try before you buy” event happening.