Editing Dave Youngblood (section)

== Tournament career ==

Youngblood's first national tournament was the [[1988 PMI Poconos]], where he played for a Carter Machine team called the Widowmakers. The team also included [[Jessica Sparks]], [[Jerry Braun]], [[Jim Lively]] and Sam Caldwell. Later in 1988 he represented Sudden Death at the National Survival Game Championships at Hermitage Landing in Nashville, Tennessee.[1]

During the following years he played for several teams. In a 1993 interview he recalled spending one season with [[Constant Pursuit]] and another with the Black Diamonds, as well as playing for the Master Blasters and industry teams including Force 10 and Friendly Fire. He also continued making occasional tournament appearances with teams assembled by Carter Machine.[1]

Youngblood was documented as an Ironmen player by 1995, during the team's period of success in the early [[National Professional Paintball League]] seasons. An ''Action Pursuit Games'' feature described him as a mobile player without a fixed field position and showed him alongside Ironmen players [[Shane Pestana]], Bret Blanca and Brahim Estephan.[3]

At the [[1996 Paintball World Cup]], Youngblood competed with the Ironmen while also operating the DYE trade stand. Contemporary reporting described him moving between playing duties and promoting DYE's barrels and clothing.[4]

Following Bob Long's departure from the original Ironmen organisation in late 1996, two teams competed under variations of the Ironmen name. The continuing organisation became associated with Youngblood and was commonly identified as the Southern California Ironmen or Dave Youngblood's Ironmen. At the 1998 NPPL Chicago Open, the two organisations met in tournament competition for the first time, with contemporary reporting distinguishing them as Dave Youngblood's Ironmen and Bob Long's Ironmen.[5]

Youngblood remained closely associated with the Southern California Ironmen through DYE Precision as the team continued competing during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The organisation later developed into the [[Los Angeles Ironmen]].