Editing Hayes Noel (section)

== Historical significance ==

=== Origins of paintball ===

Noel was one of the principal figures involved in developing the concept that became modern paintball.

His discussions with Gaines provided the original competitive premise.

=== First organised game ===

Noel helped organise and participated in the first widely documented twelve-person paintball game.

=== Commercial development ===

He contributed to the establishment of National Survival Game, which helped transform the activity into a commercial recreational sport.

=== International expansion ===

The business model developed by National Survival Game contributed to paintball's expansion beyond the United States.

=== Historical documentation ===

Noel's 1998 speech and later interviews provide firsthand evidence about the sport's origins.

=== Spectator development ===

His comments at the 1998 International Masters demonstrate early interest in adapting paintball for television and wider audiences.