I bought a mini for a kid I don't even know

I just bought an Empire Mini for a kid I don't even know. Why would I do this? 

I played a couple of weeks ago and I was playing with a group that wasn't very good. Granted, I wasn't owning the field either but I had played 5-6 hours before I started playing with the rec groups. At my age (54) I am glad to be able to play in the south Georgia heat as long as I do. But I digress.  The one guy I was playing with had a pump marker and he and I had been shot out by someone running around the far edge of the field. As we walked off I saw a kid I had noticed playing with a HK Sabre. If you have ever been with anyone playing with one of these low end markers, you will know they aren't great. I would go as far as to say they suck.  They are loud, like a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerin factory. They're cannons, but not in the good way. In fact, every single time I have seen someone come to the field with one, the next time they come and play, they have spent the money to get something else. No joke.

So this kid is on the field playing with this cannon holding his own in the middle of the field. I said to the pump guy about how loud and bad the Sabres were. He agreed and laughed as the kid went blasting. It got me thinking.  This kid had been grouped together with the "speedball players" (i.e. - electric owners and experienced players) and never complained.  He was doing pretty good.  I have seen him before so I know he plays.  Funny thing, I don't know the kids name or anything about him.  Other than the Sabre, I don't know anything about him, including if he had a decent tank or hopper to go with the Sabre.  But I had it in my head that he needed a marker upgrade. 

I went to Facebook and posted in the Emek groups I was looking for a stock Emek. Mind you, I'm buying this gun out of my own money so the cheaper the better. I had a great guy message me about a mini.  He sold it to me for $30 less than he was asking.  It showed up and works great.  He (Campos Jaime) also threw in a barrel sock and headband.  I am going to the field this weekend.  I don't know if this kid will be there or not but I will bring it with me until I find him again.  I'm going to give it to him and tell him to keep the Sabre to let his buddies use or as a backup.  I'm also going to tell him if he has any issues with it to contact the field owner to look at it. I will let the field owner know if he has trouble with it to take care of it and I will pay him for the repairs when I see them again. Granted, this kids parents could be millionaires or able to help him out but I don't know. All I know is he likes to play, is pretty good and needs something better than that Sabre.  

I will keep this updated as I find the kid. 

UPDATE 7/6/24: I found the kid!  The funny thing is he already had a mini!  He had bought one in the last few weeks.  I was happy for him and I think he might have kicked himself a little for buying one when I was going to give him one.  But he understood and was real good about it.  So I have a mini I will try and find a new home for.  There are some other kids at our field that can use it I'm sure.  The search continues in a new way.