1. A few weeks ago you made paintball news sites go crazy about you. Dynasty, Damage, Impact and now back to the Ironmen. Can you sum it up for us chronologically?

Basically, I was in a rough position to decide whether I should run with a money offer or have the time of my life playing with my original paintball friends. I chose to play for the Ironmen because I have friends on the team. The Ironmen practice locally, so for me that also played a factor in my decision making and not to mention they are backed by DYE – which I think is arguably the top paintball company in the sport. Hopefully fans, friends and whoever can eventually understand why and how this chaos came about in the first place. What matters now is that I know I have made the right decision and I’m sticking with it 100%. It will be an exciting year for Ironmen and myself.

2. You and Mike Hinman have quite a history together, starting back in the day with San Diego Aftermath. Was he a key factor for your final decision?

Hinman is for sure one of the best coaches in paintball. I would say that whether or not we did have history, but when it boils down to it, the players on the field are who win games not the coach. I think Hinman would agree but yes it doesn’t hurt having Hinman work with this young and upcoming Ironmen squad we have. He fits with this team. During my first practice with the Ironmen, it was a lot of fun, you could feel the positive energy and focus around the group. We will have a great amount of momentum coming into the first PSP event

3. You already managed to win back-to-back world cup titles with the Ironmen. Why did you leave the team in the first place?

I was young and didn’t know how to make decisions for myself. Actually I still run into that problem.. haha! But it’s a learning process and I will only get better at it with age. Honestly there was really no good reason for why I ever quit. In the end it has all worked out.

4. What’s your personal goal with the Ironmen for 2013 and long term?

Obviously everyone wants to win every tournament – if you don’t then I think you have the wrong mindset going into a tournament. Realistically I would like to at least stay in contention with winning the series and be consistent but also look to improve as the year goes on.

5. Quick flashback: 2012 was your second season with Dynasty and you personally placed 12th in the overall PBA player ranking – a respectable rank. Would you change anything if you could?

Somehow I placed 12th, personally I thought I played worse than that. I think I had trouble adapting to the new snake beams and couldn’t attack down the snake side like my usual style. Maybe the layouts just didn’t fit my personally but this year I don’t want to have any excuses. There is no reason in my mind why I can’t be in the top 5.

6. In a recent interview with Oliver he said “Although Alex is a great player, he was not good for our team. It was a real blessing in disguise to be honest.” Do you want to comment that statement?

Who’s Oliver?

7. Despite your young age, you’ve definitely made yourself a name out there and you’ve been with a quite a few teams – some would say the best in the game. What defines “a real team” in your opinion?

Chemistry is a key factor in order to define “a real team.” It’s possible to win points individually on your own but it looks better and makes it a whole lot easier when winning games is done by a team as a whole.

8. It’s tough being a pro – what do you do personally to stay sharp?

As far as paintball I love to practice and go out and give it a 100% each time I’m at the field and I think just having fun helps. Playing good is just one of the perks when you are having fun.

9. In Europe there is basically no real “pro players” – which means making a living of just playing the sport at its highest level. Are you a full time paintball athlete?

I guess you could say I’m a full time paintball athlete because I like to play paintball every weekend and play all the leagues I can but as far as making a living in the sport is just nonexistent. At least for now…

10. What advice would you give an upcoming player?

Stay motivated and positive. Set goals and don’t let failure be an option!

Thanks for the interview!

You are welcome! Shout out to Sean McDonald!