Post-season Interview #7 - Mirabel Impact

      This interviewee was first introduced to paintball through a friend’s birthday party at Commando Paintball in Ottawa. It wasn’t long before he bought his own gear and started playing woodsball. At that point, Alistair Macdonell met the owner’s children who had a CX4 franchise called Orleans Fishtiks and began to practice with the team. When they purchased an RXL franchise in 2009, Alistair had the chance to help fill the roster by joining the team.  He moved through the divisions rather quickly as Fishstiks merged with the Montreal based MXL team called Cowboy Kids for the 2010 season. 

        Cowboy Kids had a great season, tying for first place but losing out on medals based on plus/minus. Luckily for Macdonell, his team was able to swap their MXL franchise with Mirabel Impact who had lost much of their core group and were seeking to have a season to rebuild in at the MXL level. After a hard fought season in the CXBL, Alistair and his teammates finished the season just short of making NAX. Financial woes forced the team to disband following the 2011 season leaving Macdonell seeking a new team. 

        Having been in contact with Shawn Monk, the coach of Mirabel Impact, Alistair was graciously offered a spot on the 2012 Impact squad. Mirabel had redeemed themselves winning the 2011 MXL season earning once again a CXBL position. Together with his Impact teammates, while not earning a chance at NAX, Macdonell proved that he deserved a CXBL spot by finishing the 2012 season ahead of Toronto Rockstar and Scarborough Hustle. 

        Prior to this season, Alistair had always been a snake player. When the team came together for the 2012 season, he was moved over to the Dorito side of the field which he describes as a, “hard learning curve having not much experience on that side of the field.” That being said, he learned to like enjoy his new position. Macdonell plans to continue the Xball grind and has plans to seek out a CXBL team to join should Mirabel choose not to come back. He also hopes to play a few PSP events in the 2013 season. Like many of you, he has a passion for the sport that keeps him coming back for more!

 Photo Credit: Sheldon Carless

• What is your general impression of the 2012 Elite standings? Were there any major surprises or did the season finish as expected?

“I was very pleasantly surprised with how Daytona finished in the standings.  I had them pegged to finish 1 spot above/below us but they played with a lot of heart and deserved everything they got.”

• What do you feel was your team’s greatest strength this season?

“I give our coaching staff a lot of props. More often than not the team that gets relegated is the team that is the most disorganized in the pit. Our coach Shawn Monk did a great job of keeping everyone’s egos in check and keeping us ready for the next point.  I think it made the difference in the games we won this year.”

• Impact was one of few teams this season who did not have “help” from PSP or NPPL professional or division 1 competitors. What was it like to play against those athletes with only your local players? Do you feel that playing with and against such players will elevate the skills of Canadian paintball players such as yourself?

“I always enjoy playing against Pros. It’s a great learning experience.  I do however think the league could benefit from limiting the number of Pros per team for future years as It will let teams with less funding compete on a more level playing field.”

• What are you able to take away from the 2012 season that will allow you to develop as a player and as a team throughout the off-season?

“This was the first year I've ever played almost exclusively the Dorito side of the field, so just adding that into my repertoire will be huge when moving forward. As a team this year has been a huge learning experience for a bunch of our players, many of whom now have a full season of CXBL under their belts which will make a big difference next year.”

• This was Impact’s first season (with this roster anyway) as CXBL competitors, having won the Eastern MXL division in the 2011 season. While you won’t be competing at NAX this year, you finished the season ahead of Toronto Rockstar and Scarborough Hustle. Are you pleased with how your team played this season? What are your goals for the 2013 season? 

“At the beginning of this season I think we all expected to make NAX as I would think any team coming into the CXBL would.  Unfortunately, we lost a few key players before the first event due to personal reasons and I think those losses really hurt us.  Nevertheless we had some guys really step it up to fill those gaps in our roster and I think going into next season Impact will be a force to be reckoned with.”

• What was your highlight of the season?

“I’m going to go with our game against Hustle at border battle. It was the first time my parents had ever seen me play and up until then as far as they were concerned paintball was just something that made me quit hockey (big no-no in my house). I think that actually being there at the event and breathing in the atmosphere that the border battle brings really helped them understand what it’s all about.”

• Some had Impact pegged as one of the teams to face potential relegation in the 2012 season. Your team successfully managed wins over Toronto Rockstar and Scarborough Hustle meaning that your CXBL Elite position was safe. Did you and your teammates feel a lot of pressure to prove that you deserved a spot in the CXBL Elite or were you confident from the beginning?  

“I don't think relegation ever crossed anyone’s mind on our team.  We knew we would be the underdogs for the majority of our matches, but that lack of expectation was a big weight lifted off our shoulders.  Sometimes not having that pressure to win every point can really relax your game and make good things happen on the field.”

• Which individual on your own team do you most respect as a player and why?

“I am going to say Marc-Andre Caron. He's possibly the most skilled player I've ever played with. Once he learns to speak English I predict he will be unstoppable!”

• If you had to choose a team most likely to win NAX, who would you choose and why?

“I have to say I think Tremblant will take it this year, but since it’s no fun to just pick the favourite, I’m going to say Cambridge will do much better at NAX than the season standings reflected.  They dropped the ball hard at the last event but I think they'll pull it together for the finals.”

• Is there anything else you would like to add?

“I would like to thank all the guys on my team, our coach Shawn Monk, and our main sponsor Hugo Bigras and the Impact pro shop for making this season possible.  Also shout out to all my brothers on Scrub Life for taking home first in Eastern MXL event 3!”


Alistair, Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions! You are a Canadian inspiration, having moved through the ranks so rapidly and I think you have many seasons of solid xball remaining in your paintball career if you continue to allow your love for the sport to direct you. You have my best wishes for the 2013 season – no matter whom you play for! 

Signing off,
The Paintball Wife