All Americans

All Americans is an American paintball team based in Pennsylvania, established by brothers Bill Gardner and Adam Gardner during the late 1980s. The team became one of the leading professional tournament organisations of the 1990s, winning major 5-man and 10-man competitions in the United States and internationally. [1][2]

Closely associated with Smart Parts, the paintball equipment manufacturer founded by the Gardner brothers in 1989, the All Americans were influential in the development of professional sponsorship and tournament equipment. The organisation later provided the foundation for the Philadelphia Americans, which won the first two National Xball League (NXL) championships in 2003 and 2004. [1][3]

The All Americans name continues to be used in competitive paintball, including professional classic 10-man tournaments. [4]

History

Formation and early competition

The All Americans were established following the Gardner brothers' introduction to tournament paintball in the late 1980s.

According to the Gardners' company history, they initially competed in local recreational games before assembling a team for the Wolf's Lair 20-man tournament. The group finished second behind the PMI Piranhas, winning a cash prize of $10,000. The experience encouraged the brothers to establish the All Americans as a dedicated tournament team. [1]

The team subsequently competed in the Line SI tournament series, gradually progressing through the rankings before winning the 1991 Masters Championship in Tennessee. [1]

In 1989, the Gardners founded Smart Parts, initially developing paintball barrels and accessories that could be used by the team. The relationship between the company and its tournament players became a central part of both organisations' development. [1]

Professional success (1992–1996)

The All Americans won the professional 10-man division of the 1992 World Cup at Plattekill, New York, finishing ahead of the British UK Predators and Chicago Aftershock. [5]

During the early years of the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL), the All Americans were regarded as one of the three leading American professional teams, alongside Aftershock and the Ironmen. [2]

The team was particularly successful in professional 5-man competition between 1994 and 1996.

Its recorded victories during this period included the 1994 NPPL Los Angeles Open, the 1994, 1995 and 1996 World Cup 5-man competitions, and multiple Splat-1 Indoor Championships. The team also won the 1995 and 1996 NPPL professional 5-man season championships. [6]

Internationally, the All Americans won the 1996 Brazilian Masters 5-man competition in São Paulo. [6]

The team's original professional roster included members of the Gardner family and other prominent tournament players. Karen Barber, who competed for the All Americans, was identified in contemporary tournament reporting as the first woman to attain professional status in the NPPL. [7]

Late 1990s and early 2000s

The All Americans remained a major professional competitor as tournament paintball transitioned from woodland fields towards artificial bunkers and concept-field competition.

The team continued to participate in NPPL 10-man events and also maintained a second squad, known as All Americans II or All Americans 2, which competed separately in national tournaments. [8]

At the 2000 NPPL World Cup in Orlando, the All Americans won the professional 5-man division. [9]

In June 2001, the team won the professional 10-man division at the NPPL Chicago Open, held at Badlandz Paintball Field in Crete, Illinois. The All Americans finished ahead of the Southern California Ironmen, Avalanche and San Diego Dynasty in the final standings. [10]

The published 2001 NPPL professional roster listed Bill Gardner as captain, alongside Adam Gardner, Mark Biletnikoff, Dave Boyzk, Frank Connell, George Davison, Jason Green, Dan Kerszencwejg, Kevin Kline, Roddy MacDonald, Spesh Robinson and Hans Semelsberger. [11]

The All Americans also reached the professional finals of the 2001 NPPL Atlantic City Gambler's Open, finishing third behind Aftershock and the Ironmen. [12]

Philadelphia Americans and X-Ball

The introduction of the National Xball League in 2003 marked a significant development for the All Americans organisation.

Bill and Adam Gardner established the Philadelphia Americans as a professional NXL franchise, building upon the existing All Americans programme. [3]

The Philadelphia Americans won the inaugural NXL championship at the 2003 PSP World Cup in Orlando, defeating the Oakland Assassins in the championship series. [13]

The team defended its title in 2004, defeating Detroit Strange in the NXL final. [14]

The original All Americans name continued appearing separately in divisional X-Ball competition during this period, while the Philadelphia Americans competed in the franchised professional league. [4]

In 2004, the Gardner organisation also acquired the Miami Effect NXL franchise, which was subsequently staffed by players associated with All Americans II. [14]

Classic paintball and later competition

The All Americans name continued in tournament competition after the original NPPL and early NXL eras.

During the 2010s and 2020s, the team participated in open and classic-format events, including competitions organised by the International Classic Paintball League (ICPL). [4]

The team won the Open division at the 2022 New York Classic and finished first in the Open division at the 2022 and 2023 NXL World Cup events. [4]

In April 2026, the All Americans won the professional division of the ICPL Golden State Classic, finishing first among ten teams. The team also placed third at the 2026 Pittsburgh Open Classic professional competition. [4]

Smart Parts and equipment development

The All Americans maintained an unusually close relationship with the paintball equipment industry through their association with Smart Parts.

The Gardner brothers used the team's competitive experience to inform product development, initially concentrating on barrels and other equipment intended to improve marker performance. [1]

The company's early products included the All American barrel, while later equipment associated with Smart Parts included the Smart Parts Shocker, Smart Parts Impulse and Freak Barrel System. [1]

The All Americans served as a prominent tournament team for demonstrating and promoting Smart Parts equipment. The connection between the professional team and its equipment manufacturer remained a defining feature of the organisation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. [1][2]

Notable players

Players documented with the All Americans include:

Bill Gardner – Co-founder and captain of the 2001 professional roster.
Adam Gardner – Co-founder and prominent professional player.
Karen Barber – Early professional player and World Cup medal winner.
Frank Connell – Professional player during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Roddy MacDonald – Member of the 2001 professional roster and later associated with the Philadelphia Americans programme.
Dan Kerszencwejg – Professional player known as "Snack".
Hans Semelsberger – Member of the 2001 professional roster.

[7][11][14]

Selected tournament achievements

Year	Competition	Result
1991	Masters Championship, Tennessee	Champions [1]
1992	World Cup, Professional 10-man	Champions [5]
1994	NPPL Los Angeles Open, Professional 5-man	Champions [6]
1994	NPPL World Cup, Professional 5-man	Champions [6]
1995	NPPL World Cup, Professional 5-man	Champions [6]
1995	NPPL Professional 5-man Series	Series champions [6]
1996	NPPL World Cup, Professional 5-man	Champions [6]
1996	NPPL Professional 5-man Series	Series champions [6]
1996	Brazilian Masters, Professional 5-man	Champions [6]
2000	NPPL World Cup, Professional 5-man	Champions [9]
2001	NPPL Chicago Open, Professional 10-man	Champions [10]
2001	NPPL Atlantic City Gambler's Open, Professional 10-man	3rd place [12]
2022	New York Classic, Open	Champions [4]
2023	NXL World Cup, Open	Champions [4]
2026	ICPL Golden State Classic, Professional	Champions [4]

Legacy

The All Americans were among the most successful American tournament paintball teams of the 1990s. Their achievements in both 5-man and 10-man competition, together with their international appearances, helped establish their reputation during the early years of professional paintball. [2][6]

Their close association with Smart Parts also demonstrated how professional tournament teams could participate directly in equipment development, marketing and manufacturer sponsorship. [1]

The team's history extends beyond its original championship period through its involvement in the Philadelphia Americans NXL franchise and continued participation in classic-format competition. [3][4]

References

External links