By Audrey Atiyeh

Niko Podesta looks like a graffiti artist went to town and he’s the wall. On an early-August afternoon at the midtown Petaluma paintball center Playland, he’s marked by neon-green splatters from paintballs hurled at him by his dad, Ryan Podesta, at 200 miles per hour. 

But this is just practice. In a game where the object is to not get hit, the Petaluma High School sophomore has skills – and will bring them to the world stage as one of the youngest paintball players in the United Paintball Federation’s Paintball World Championship in Dreux, France, on Sep. 2 and 3. 

For the second year in a row, it will be a family event, as Niko competes in the Under-16 division while Ryan joins the Veterans division. Ryan has competed twice before, winning one gold and two bronze medals in 2024. Last year, Niko’s team took home the gold while Ryan’s earned bronze. Both father and son are now buzzing with excitement about once again sharing the field at the sport’s most high-profile tournament. 

“It’s pretty cool being able to play on the field where all the other teams watch you and see how good you are, and then they’re really worried because you’re one of the best teams,” Niko said.

This shared passion began with dad Ryan. He fell in love with the sport and now has 31 years of experience, including multiple appearances in the Paintball World Championship games. His love for the game proved infectious. Once Niko was taken onto the field at the age of 3 and allowed to shoot his first paintball, there was no turning back. Now 15, Niko has been playing paintball for more than half his life. 

This unique dynamic of being teammates who are also father and son seems to make the pair all the more formidable as paintball players. They know it’s a special moment in time.

“Not many parents play sports with their kids [professionally],” said Niko. 

Niko and Ryan say paintball is a game for people who like an adrenaline rush paired with tactical skill and resourcefulness. The Paintball World Championship is an opportunity for paintball’s best of the best to represent their home country. There are five divisions: two youth divisions – U16 and U19 – as well as the Men’s, Women’s, and Veterans categories. In 2025, 21 countries competed, from Canada and Mexico to Germany and Malaysia.

Participation in the Paintball World Championship is coordinated through national paintball organizations registered with the United Paintball Federation. In addition to the United States, other countries confirmed for this year’s event include Colombia, Denmark, Kuwait, and Malta. A couple hundred people come to watch each year, and there are ways to follow along online, as well.

The father and son spend every Saturday together training on the paintball field at Playland, which Ryan opened in 2013 and operates, mostly so they have their own place to practice. They run drills together, improving their speed, accuracy, moves, and reaction time.

Like a football squad, Niko and Ryan also prepare simulations and scenarios that might come up during a paintball game. During these drills, Ryan often coaches Niko through a specific scenario and helps him hone his physical and mental game. Afterward, they review what went well and what aspects could be improved. 

“Niko and I train more than most people,” Ryan said. “A lot of people start at 10 [in the morning] and go until 1 or 2 [in the afternoon]. But Niko and I will go from 9 to 3.”

Getting hit with a paintball doesn’t typically hurt, they say, because adrenaline helps stave off the initial shock – though both have sustained minor injuries like welts and broken skin after being shot at close range. 

As Niko has grown in the sport, he has set his sights on a new goal: playing shoulder-to-shoulder with his dad, on the same team. And it seems like he’s just about there.

“I’m really excited,” Ryan said. “It’s been a goal of mine to play with him for a long time and now he’s finally ranked up and skilled enough to play with me. [It’s] like living a dream.”

During competition, while the games themselves are thrilling, it’s the moments off the field that make the experience memorable. Ryan and Niko say they’ve made friends from all over the world, and cherish the time they get to spend sharing a passion as father and son. 

“It used to be just me,” Ryan said. “Now there’s people saying [to both of us], ‘Come to Thailand, come to Taiwan, come to London.’ And he’s 15 years old. I opened the door but his drive and skill is what took him through it to get these opportunities.”

https://youtu.be/9zF-wE8eTJg

Audrey Atiyeh is an intern at Petaluma Voice and a senior at Petaluma High School. She can be reached at aatiyeh07@icloud.com.