Accosted? No. Scrutinized more closely? Probably. The fact is you ARE a minor, regardless how you behave. That is not a stereotype, that's a simple matter of age. That alone will cause players to be wary of you. As someone who personally prefers not to play with minors, I'd make these recommendations. You might think they are harsh, but I'm just telling you how it is, in my eyes anyways.
1. Keep your mouth shut on the field. You telling people how awesome you (or your gear) are and that you play CoD all the time and have a second cousin twice removed who's a marine that taught you how to shoot is not going to win you ANY points with ANYONE. To the contrary, you just started confirming the stereotypical behavior of minors. Actions speak louder than words. Don't tell us how mature and awesome you are, show us. We'll be the judge of it.
That's not to say you can't be social, but I don't recall ever finishing a game and thinking "boy that kid on our team didn't say a single stupid thing the entire day". If somebody asks you what kind of gun/gear you are using, sure, tell them. But they don't need a 10 minute dialog of why you have the most awesome gun on the planet. I often find myself on the field with some of the more higher end or unique weapons on the field. But to the best of my knowledge I've never once just gone around and started telling everyone on the field that I had the greatest thing since sliced bread. In fact, more often than not, I'm downright indifferent about what I'm using.
2. Take the game seriously. Let me explain what I mean by that, and admittedly this sort of depends on who you are playing with and where. If I'm in a squad/group and we are debating the best way to get from point A to point B or how to accomplish an objective and you just randomly shoot off because your ADD is in full swing and you got bored, you just lost another few points in my book.
I'm not saying to not have fun but airsoft (in most cases) isn't about having your finger on the trigger for every single second of the game. In some scenarios, waiting and/or planning is the proper course of action. Especially in limited respawn (IE ticket style) games. Nothing is more frustrating to watch some kid playing rambo using all of your teams respawn tickets. Obviously, yes, having fun is the whole reason we are out there but if you are having fun at the expense of decreasing your teammates fun then you are doing it wrong.
3. If your team has a command structure, follow it. This is an extension of item 2. Hell, even if it doesn't have a set command structure don't ignore the words of more experienced players just because you don't like taking orders or suggestions. This applies even at small games (such as at Vanguard). It's sucks ass being stuck with some kid who just follows you around using you like a human shield because he's smaller than you. Personally, I don't care if you take the lead or cover our backs as long as you are actually doing one or the other. But if we are in a situation where your smaller size gives you a tactical advantage and I ask you to use it then please do so or explain why you think your skills/abilities are best served doing something else.
For example, last time I was at Vanguard with my brother. They picked him as the VIP and then sent both teams on the field. First team to find him has to defend him until time expires. I happened to find him about 3 minutes in. I escorted him back to our teams spawn zone and placed him in a defensible position. A few times we had team mates come back to respawn and I requested they stay since I couldn't cover 3 hallways at once and the VIP WAS the game objective. One or two stuck around for a minute or two and then just couldn't contain themselves any more and had to find someone to shoot. Once the time limit was hit, (15-20 minutes later I think), I had ONE member of the opposing team shoot at me. Most of them and half our team didn't even know who had the VIP or where he was. What's the point in playing an objective based game if you are going to ignore the objectives? I was a bit annoyed after that game, even though we (well, really I) won.
4. LEARN PROPER WEAPON SAFETY AND TRIGGER CONTROL. This isn't limited to children by any means but it's more common. If we are going down a hallway, I really don't want your barrel pointed straight at my back with your finger on the trigger and your assurances that you aren't planning on shooting me in the back. Nor if we are sitting/ducking behind cover, do I want your gun pointing at my face.
You would be surprised how many adults will notice you observing proper gun safety with your airsoft weapon and that will win you some points in their book. The same goes for trigger control and tactics. You running down a hill with your finger glued to your trigger emptying your entire highcap won't win you any points regardless of how many people you manage to get lucky and hit. Especially if we see BB's bouncing off you in your ego induced rampage. Racking up "kills" with short controlled bursts and/or single shots will get you a lot more respect.
5. Forget every single thing any video game has ever taught you about tactics. Ask anybody who's met me, I'm a pretty big guy (height and weight). Yet somehow I often find myself pulling off ambushes single handedly or with a small group because of people who believe the enemy will only come from one point. Ever. Just because the AI in a video game doesn't learn, doesn't mean people don't. This works both ways. Running from cover to cover to cover as fast as you can does not make you a super soldier. You can often do more damage with a little patience and a spot with good cover. If you are playing an objective based game, camping your objective is absolutely a valid tactic.
6. Treat others with respect even when they don't respect you. Depending who you play with, you may find yourself on the field with people who have been playing together for 5-10 years. They know each other, their strengths, their weaknesses. They trust each other. YOU are the newcomer, regardless how many times you've played in your backyard or your friends, dads, cabin. When airsofting, think of adults as your drill sergeant. They've already proved themselves on the field, now you have to prove yourself to them. You might just learn something in the process.
