Leander Paintball Alliance • Leander

Leander Paintball Alliance • Leander

Written by Mark Collins Friday, 18 July 2008

Many homeowners dream of a yard with a manicured lawn, thriving trees, vivid flowerbeds and maybe a pool. Tim Leek has a paintball field.

“We created Leander Paintball Alliance because we wanted it to be an alliance for people who wanted to play for the fun of the sport,” owner Tim Leek said. “All we wanted to do was cover our expenses because it is sitting in my backyard.”

Leek had never played paintball before he and several co-workers who were curious about the sport founded the alliance in 2001. As more players joined the alliance and his passion for the sport grew, Leek said he realized other paintball facilities were charging exorbitant rates. He opened his backyard to the public with the mission of providing paintball to the masses at a reasonable price.

A day of paintball is $10 regardless of how long a player is on the field. The alliance also has equipment rentals, a snack bar with hamburgers and hotdogs, fire pits, picnic tables and a swimming pool. The field is used for tournaments, company events and birthday parties.

“I wanted [this place] to be family friendly. I wanted it to be a place where I don’t care what age you are or what level of player you are. You can come out here and have fun and still do it in a competitive way,” Leek said.

The alliance also provides an ideal location for beginner paintballers. New players are given an introductory lesson covering gun safety, what to expect and the layout of the course.

“After that, you’re on your own,” Leek said. “You’re part of the family — good luck, good-bye. We kick ’em out there, and they will play all day long.”

The course is spread over 2 3/4 acres and is filled with homemade obstacles. When Leek first began playing, the field had one bunker and an abandoned car. Now it is filled with two-story structures and hideouts with nicknames like Doll House and Rat’s Nest.

“Basically the players run the field: They decide the games. They decide on what they’re going to play. They decide when they’re going to play,” Leek said. “Everything has been bought by the players and built by the players. It makes it better if you do it that way.”

Leek, nicknamed The Sloth by his fellow players because he doesn’t move very quickly, expects to spend a lot of time on the course in years to come.

“This is what I want to do when I retire; this is what I want to spend my time with. I want to continue to have these birthday parties and get these kids out here and get them involved in something,” Leek said. “That’s what I do it for; that’s what I love about it more than anything.”

Paintball Games

Owner Tim Leek has an ever-expanding list of more than 50 games that can be played at Leander Paintball Alliance. Some of the more popular games include:

Attack and Defend – One team is given a structure to defend, and the other team’s goal is to take it from them.

Bad Moon – Rival groups are in a shoot out when the police show up. Players must choose whether to continue fighting each other or gang up on the police.

Alien – An alien ship has landed, and the farmers go to check it out. Farmers who get shot by aliens join their team, and aliens who get shot are out of the game.

President – A team of secret service agents must transport an unarmed player to a rally point while a team of terrorists tries to assassinate the president.

Quidditch – Based on the game from the “Harry Potter” series, this game has the same characters and objectives, only in a paintball setting.

Leander Paintball Alliance, 25009 Ranch Road, 560-5884, www.leanderpaintball.com

Open Saturdays in the summer, Saturdays and Sundays in the winter