Although college athletics almost always include athletes ranging from 18 to 23 years old, junior Tanner Gullett proves to be an exception at 17. Playing for the University of Arkansas paintball team, Gullett competes with many other athletes around the nation and balances his high school life with the competition of a national stage.

“But school is my main goal,” he said. “I can go to the University of Arkansas to major in biomedical engineering.”

Gullett began at the age of 10 following his brother’s footsteps into the sport. He didn’t actually begin learning the game until he was 13. As his talent continued to grow, his brother’s attendance at the University of Arkansas opened new opportunities for both paintball and Gullett’s education.
From Chicago to Dallas, Gullett’s team spans the nation in search of competition, including the annual National Championships in Lakeland, Fla. Gullett also travels to Fayetteville three times a month for practice. Although he said the hardest part is the costs of the sport, averaging $400 a month, Gullett believes another tough factor is commitment.

“You have to leave what you’re doing now to actually go and do it,” he said. “If you want to win, you have to play. Simple as that.”

And of course, the biggest obstacle to accomplish is the age difference.

“It’s a little different,” he said. “Others say it’s not a sport, but these people are college athletes. Some of these guys get their school paid for just to do this sport.”

While playing with older athletes took time to adjust, he has proven himself worthy. Gullett intends to continue his career in the sport, so an athletic scholarship will pay for the costs of college.