Community Highlights: Meet Dave Pando of LVL UP SPORTS Paintball & Airsoft Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave Pando.

Hi Dave, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
From the moment I had my first birthday party at a paintball field in Cleveland when I was 12 years old, I knew I wanted to open my own park on day. At 14 I started a “paintball business” out of my garage, hosting kids from my middle school to play paintball in the woods behind my house. After graduating with a marketing degree from Ohio University, I started my career taking a variety of jobs in the paintball industry. I wrote articles for paintball magazines, worked for a high-end paintball gun manufacturer, and eventually moved to California doing marketing for different paintball parks. Once I felt like I had enough experience to do my own, I moved back to Ohio in search of land to start my own paintball business in my home state. After years of searching and fundraising, I eventually got lucky and found a cornfield in Grove City, just south of Columbus, that was willing to lease me 40 acres of their farmland to start LVL UP Sports.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting my own paintball park has been anything but smooth sailing. I started the business with hardly any money, no credit, and all of my credit cards practically melting from being maxed out so hard. I used side hustles to pay my bills and rent so that I could reinvest all the money LVL UP made back into the park for the first four years. Year four was 2020, and Covid took over the country. One of my lucky breaks was that Covid was actually the best thing that ever happened to my business. When our Governor allowed for outdoor activities to be open, although Paintball wasn’t specifically mentioned, I took a risk and opened back up, and my business exploded. As one of the only activities you were “allowed” to do during Covid, my staff and I took full advantage and we have been crazy busy ever since.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Paintball is an incredible experience that is one of those “you gotta try it” type of activities to really understand why it can be so fun, and even addicting. No one ever forgets the first time the play paintball, which makes it a perfect company outing, birthday party, or team building event. Bringing your friends and family together to share an unforgettable experience is what life is all about, and I’m so proud that my business gets to deliver that kind of happiness to every customer.

Paintball is one of the safest sports you can play, believe it or not. Statistically, per 1,000 participants, more people get injured bowling, than paintball every year. Even cheerleading is more dangerous than playing paintball, by a lot! The paintballs do sting when they hit you, but that’s what gives you the adrenaline rush. Rollercoasters are fast and scary, that’s what makes them fun to ride, and the same “fear” of getting shot is what makes paintball so awesome to play.

LVL UP is proud to be named a “Mega Park”, meaning we provide everything our industry has to offer. Our 40 acre property has wooded fields, a castle, 10 different maps, speedball, tournament play on artificial grass, we even play at night with glow-in-the-dark paintballs! Our park has received many awards, including the 2024 Paintball Park of the Year by at the Major League Paintball Summit Awards.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I truly believe that paintball, along with all other “IRL” experience-based businesses are going to explode in the next 5 years. With AI and everything in our lives becoming exponentially digital, any activity that is outside and brings people together beyond a screen is going to be sought after, maybe even a priority, for years to come. Human beings need face to face social interaction, it’s in our DNA, and I believe industries that cater to human connection are going to thrive as screen time averages continue to rise.

Pricing:

• Packages start at just $35
• Groups can make a reservation 7 days a week
• Play privately or with the public

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.LVLUPSPORTS.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lvlupsports
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LVLUPSPORTS