When Dustin Boulton heard about paintball, he wasn't exactly fired up.

The Valley Center resident didn't like guns and didn't think the sport was for him. But he was soon talked into trying it by a cousin who wanted to give it a shot.

Four years later, Boulton loves paintball so much that he's the captain of Team Kolohe. The North County-based squad, which has 12 members, is consistently ranked in the top five for many local and national events throughout the year.

While Team Kolohe's play is down this year, another team Boulton started is making waves.

Two-and-a-half-years ago, he founded Kolohe Kidz, a team for players ages 12 to 16. The idea is to give players an introduction to paintball and an edge going into a higher level of competition.

Paintball is a sport in which players run around a field littered with obstacles. The players can shield themselves and eliminate opponents by hitting them with paintballs shot from a compressed gas powered gun.

The popularity of paintball has surged in recent years. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association estimates that 10 million Americans play paintball each year. Kolohe Kidz has seen a rise in popularity, too.

"Its been great because it is 12- to 16-year-olds, and the parents have been really supportive," said Boulton, 31. "The kids remain excited about the sport, and to watch them go through the learning process of the sport has been amazing."

In the team's first year, Boulton had five members competing primarily in three-player events. Now he has 13 members and two teams competing under the Kolohe Kidz name. And if he had time, there could be more.

"The amount of response I got when we first started this, I couldn't keep up with unless I turned it into a business and quit my day job," Boulton said. "What I like to see are kids that continue to e-mail me and show a want to be on the team."

Kolohe Kidz has placed in the top four at all five National Professional Paintball League tournaments it has attended. With the recent success, Boulton hopes the team can compete at the national level.

"This team has been great so far," he said. "It (has) had its up and downs because it is a very expensive sport, and I've seen a lot of good kids come and go. But even with that, this team has done some great things."

Kolohe, which means "troublemaker" in Hawaiian, is a name that Boulton said has helped generate interest.

"The cool thing is that almost every team at every event ask us about it," he said. "Most people know it by now when we go to the events, but if they don't, they come up and ask. It creates some curiosity from some of the people and it has helped turn heads."

One head-turning player is Blake Stephens. Paintball has enabled the San Pasqual High freshman to learn teamwork that he can apply to other sports.

"There is a ton of teamwork involved, and it is just an awesome sport," Stephens said. "It is nonstop, and you don't finish until that final flag is won."

Stephens has been playing paintball for five years and is a team captain for Kolohe Kidz. But he also plays on the freshman football team and an under-16 rugby team, and he plans to play tennis for the Eagles.

"It's just a lot of fun," Stephens said of paintball. "I enjoy it. It is a great adrenaline rush."

- Contact staff writer Matt Null at mnull@nctimes.com.