San Diego Dynasty has been at the top of the game for over 20 years, with more wins than any other team in paintball history, most people at some point wonder what does it take to play on San Diego Dynasty and how do you get on Dynasty? While each player has their own story of how they joined the team, there are some particular things that the team is always looking for and there are some things that you as a player can do to catch the attention of Dynasty.
First and foremost, if your goal is to play professional paintball you have to put in the time and effort to get to the top, it is not as easy as you would think, you have to spend countless hours practicing, doing drills, and focusing on your skills in the game. Once you have honed your skills you have to prove yourself on the field as a formidable opponent, a team player, and a clutch player that can change the outcome of the game. The best way to do this is to come up through the tournament paintball scene, that can be playing local events or national events such as the CEPL (Capital Edge Paintball League) or NXL (National Xball League), these tournament series typically offer a variety of divisions and formats that you can play, then you just have to climb your way to the top!
While most professional paintball teams scout and attempt to poach players from other pro teams, some will keep an eye on the higher divisional players and teams to try and snag an up and coming player so they can help to mold them into the player that the team needs. San Diego Dynasty has done exactly this multiple times over the years, giving new players the chance to stand out on the largest stage in paintball. Some higher level divisional teams will work with members of Dynasty and bring them on for some additional coaching, it is not uncommon for one of the players from the divisional team to be on Dynasty's radar, other times players may stand out at practice or at a field that members of the team may play at. The most common way that the team finds new players is simply by competing against them. Every player at the highest level of the sport, whether they intend to or not, makes a mental list of standout players from teams that they have faced previously, and when it comes time to discuss who the team wants to try and pick up, these standout players are obviously at the top of the list.
Here are a few players made their way onto the team in various ways over the years:
Grayson Gladstone played with Dynasty in 2021, he was picked up from a divisional team called Gummy Bears, he played with the team for multiple events before going to AC Diesel and then on to San Diego Aftermath. While playing with the Gummy Bears, Grayson had been coached by members of Dynasty, after seeing him play they saw his potential and brought him up. Dynasty was Grayson's introduction to professional paintball, he learned a lot while with the team, and has been able to continue his career at the highest level of the sport with the skill and knowledge that he was able to hone playing with the dragon!
2023 will be the first season that Chris Schehr will be playing with Dynasty, previously he played for Revo, where he was a standout player on the Dorito side of the field. Chris's timing and gunfighting made him a very strong opposing player, so when the team needed a D-side attacker he was an obvious choice to pick up and since he had already played professionally, he was able to jump right on to the starting line for the team!
Along side Chris Schehr, 2023 will be the first year that Harrison Frye plays with San Diego Dynasty. Harrison is known as an aggressive player, taking a specialty to either side, and has played for Los Angeles Infamous, Seattle Thunder, and New York Xtreme in his early professional career. Dynasty picked him up to primarily be an attacker on the snake side. Harrison's dedication to the sport is exemplary. Whenever he is not on an adventure, he typically puts in a lot of time doing drills to further improve his skills.
So while there is not one defined way to play with San Diego Dynasty, if you get out there, work hard to make a name for yourself, and put yourself in the right position to get to the top of the sport you will have a chance to be on their radar!