Alan was born in Seattle, Washington, where he lived until he was about just seven years old. Right before he left Seattle to move to Arizona, he had picked up Ping-Pong as one of his favorite things to do. The family had bought him a kid's size Ping-Pong table a few months before they moved. Alan really wanted to take the Ping-Pong table with him but the parents decided not to. In Phoenix, he kept asking for a Ping-Pong table. It took them a few months before they got him another one. Alan loved playing and always bothered his dad and brothers to play with him.
At the age of ten, Alan started playing multiple sports. He loved playing right about anything, but Ping-Pong was still his favorite game. His parents had split up and he had gone with his mom rather than his dad. He did not have anyone to play with as much. Alan always invited his soccer friends over to play Ping-Pong but it was never a challenge to him as they were not very good and uninterested in learning. He slowly stopped playing Ping-Pong.
Alan went on to play soccer as his main sport, but played basketball and football as well. Alan was a competitor and was best at football because of his athleticism, even though he was into soccer more than he fancied football or basketball. Soccer required a lot of footwork that he had not picked up when he was younger. Alan regretted that he did not play soccer as early as he should have. By the age of sixteen, he had loved the game of soccer that he quit basketball and football.
Alan moved to Minnesota a few months after he had given up football and basketball. He tried out for a soccer team in Minnesota and made the top team. His friends all played Ping-Pong and he felt he had hit the jackpot. Alan was very rusty playing Ping-Pong. Since his parents divorce, he has not been as serious with Ping-Pong but still played here and there. He found out that his friends are actually better than him at Ping-Pong. He decides to buy himself a table so he can practice at home. Alan picks it up again and now regrets not having playing Ping-Pong during the last few years as much as he should have.
Alan went on to win many trophies with his soccer team, as well as get very competitive playing Ping-Pong. He became the best one out of all his friends. It was at age nineteen when Alan started playing Ping-Pong tournaments and was very talented. He went on to play some tournaments in Europe, and while in Europe for Ping-Pong, Alan got a deal to play on a local competitive soccer team. Alan was very excited and decided to move to Germany. After two years in Germany playing soccer, Alan had to move back due to injuries. He still played Ping-Pong competitively and for fun. Alan currently lives in Seattle, Washington. The place that got him into Ping-Pong is the place where he ended up.
Alan started coaching soccer and did not know if he should stop coaching or continue to do so. When he first played soccer, he regretted he did not play earlier to pick up more footwork, which may have helped him go further in his career. When Alan started playing Ping-Pong with his competitive friends in Minnesota, he had hoped he did not stop playing Ping-Pong when his parents got divorced. Alan decided to keep coaching because he felt that he may coach down the road and does not want to regret not picking up the experience right now. Alan does not want to make the same mistake and continues to coach as well as play Ping-Pong.