Paul DeZarn: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:27, 28 October 2026

Paul DeZarn is an American paintball player, coach and team manager associated with Brimstone Smoke, also known as Team Smoke. His career has included tournament playing, league administration, refereeing and coaching. His published recollections date his introduction to paintball to 1983 or 1984.[1][2]

DeZarn's former teams include the Dayton All Stars, Dyehards, Crow Warriors, Zero Tolerance, Method, Freak Factory, Detroit Fusion and Ohio Black Reign. His later work with Smoke is documented in team announcements and official tournament rosters.[1][2][3][4]

Early paintball

In a first-person account published on 1 June 2019, DeZarn recalled beginning in woodland behind apartments in Springboro, Ohio. He progressed into a local league which selected the Dayton Allstars, a team he said subsequently became the Dyehards.[1]

He also recalled a tournament in Morrow, Ohio, which he had understood at the time to be a world championship. His account qualified both that description and his recollection of the opposing teams; it did not give the event's date.[1]

League administration and refereeing

DeZarn stated that he served as president of the Greater Miami Paintball League and became a NAPRA official during this early period. The account did not specify the dates of either role.[1]

Tournament playing career

Early teams and national competition

Team Smoke's official profile lists the Dayton All Stars, Dyehards, Crow Warriors, Zero Tolerance, Detroit Fusion, Freak Factory and OBR among DeZarn's former teams.[2]

His 2019 account additionally identifies Method and the first Freak Factory team. He described progressing into professional competition with Detroit Fusion and subsequently playing a professional season with OBR.[1]

Detroit Fusion independently included Paul M DeZarn in a former-player list published on 10 August 2020. The list also named Erik Hamre, but did not provide dates for individual players' tenures.[3]

Continued participation

In June 2019, DeZarn wrote that he was still playing and supporting an MSXL team.[1] His subsequent involvement with Smoke included both coaching and team management.[2][4]

Team Smoke and Brimstone Smoke

Coaching appointment

On 19 February 2020, Team Smoke publicly welcomed DeZarn as a new team member and coach. The announcement referred to his previous professional playing and coaching experience. It explained that appointing a coach who was not simultaneously playing would allow tactical decisions to be made without placing that responsibility on the players.[4]

The team's official profile identifies DeZarn as its manager and coach and lists his home field as LVL UP Paintball.[2]

Management responsibilities

A Team Smoke player feature described DeZarn's involvement across the organisation's professional and amateur squads. His responsibilities included sponsorship arrangements, event accommodation, inspecting fields and developing game plans.[5]

Official records document his presence as checked-in staff at the 2022 ICPL Windy City Classic, held at The Badlandz from 29 September to 2 October.[6][7]

PBLeagues subsequently recorded him as a checked-in coach at the 2025 Classic Cup and the 2026 Windy City Classic.[8][9]

Classic Cup victories

Team Smoke won the professional ten-player division at the 2025 ICPL Classic Cup, with DeZarn registered as a coach. The team finished fourth in the overall 2025 professional ten-player standings with 265 ranking points.[8][10]

Competing as Brimstone Smoke, the team won the professional ten-player Classic Cup again in 2026. It finished second in that year's season standings with 286 points, behind Chicago Aftershock on 292. Its other 2026 finishes included second place at the Pittsburgh Open Classic.[11]

Year	Competition	Division	Team name recorded	Result
2025	ICPL Classic Cup	Professional ten-player	Team Smoke	1st.[10]
2026	ICPL Pittsburgh Open Classic	Professional ten-player	Brimstone Smoke	2nd.[11]
2026	ICPL Classic Cup	Professional ten-player	Brimstone Smoke	1st.[11]
2026	ICPL season standings	Professional ten-player	Brimstone Smoke	2nd.[11]

These are team achievements during DeZarn's coaching and management involvement, rather than individual playing titles.

References

I started playing somewhere around 83, 84. Paul M DeZarn, Complete History of Paintball Films & Discussion, Facebook, 1 June 2019. First-person retrospective account.
Paul DeZarn. Team Smoke Paintball, official player and staff profile. Undated; accessed 28 October 2026.
FAQs for Professional Paintball Team Detroit Fusion, with Cesare Pizzo. Detroit Fusion, Facebook, 10 August 2020. Includes a list of former players.
Team Smoke welcomes Paul DeZarn as coach. Team Smoke Paintball, Instagram, 19 February 2020.
Player of the Week: Paul DeZarn. Team Smoke Paintball, Facebook, undated team feature. Describes his coaching and management responsibilities.
Team Smoke at Windy City Classic. PBLeagues, 2022 event roster; lists Paul DeZarn as checked-in staff.
Windy City Classic. PBLeagues, official event information, 29 September to 2 October 2022.
Team Smoke at Classic Cup. PBLeagues, 2025 tournament roster; identifies Paul DeZarn as a checked-in coach.
Brimstone Smoke at Windy City Classic. PBLeagues, 2026 tournament roster; identifies Paul DeZarn as a checked-in coach.
International Classic Paintball League: 2025 Season Rankings. PBLeagues, official event and season standings.
International Classic Paintball League: 2026 Season Rankings. PBLeagues, official event and season standings.

External links

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-Paul DeZarn began playing paintball in 1983 on a backwoods lot in Springboro, Ohio, when the sport was still in its infancy. Long before modern professional leagues, standardized player classifications, and ranking systems, Paul was part of the generation that helped shape competitive paintball.
+'''Paul DeZarn''' is an American [[paintball]] player, coach and team manager associated with [[Brimstone Smoke]], also known as '''Team Smoke'''. His career has included tournament playing, league administration, refereeing and coaching. His published recollections date his introduction to paintball to 1983 or 1984.[1][2]
-His journey began with the Dyehards, a team competing in a league associated with the Dayton All-Stars. That early chapter included participation in one of the sport’s first world championships, held in Morrow, Ohio.
+DeZarn's former teams include the Dayton All Stars, Dyehards, Crow Warriors, Zero Tolerance, Method, Freak Factory, [[Detroit Fusion]] and [[Ohio Black Reign]]. His later work with Smoke is documented in team announcements and official tournament rosters.[1][2][3][4]
-What started with a group of players competing on local fields became a lifelong commitment to the sport. Over the next four decades, Paul would experience paintball from nearly every perspective: player, professional competitor, coach, manager, and team owner.
+== Early paintball ==
-The Playing Years: Building a Legacy on the Field
+In a first-person account published on 1 June 2019, DeZarn recalled beginning in woodland behind apartments in Springboro, Ohio. He progressed into a local league which selected the Dayton Allstars, a team he said subsequently became the Dyehards.[1]
-Throughout his playing career, Paul competed with a succession of teams that carried him through different eras of competitive paintball.
+He also recalled a tournament in Morrow, Ohio, which he had understood at the time to be a world championship. His account qualified both that description and his recollection of the opposing teams; it did not give the event's date.[1]
-His playing journey included the Dyehards, Crow Warriors, Zero Tolerance, Method, Freak Factory, Detroit Fusion, and Ohio Black Rain (OBR), the last professional team for which he played.
+== League administration and refereeing ==
-One important chapter began when Paul and Eric Hamre left Detroit Fusion to create Method. The two went on to achieve considerable competitive success together.
+DeZarn stated that he served as president of the Greater Miami Paintball League and became a NAPRA official during this early period. The account did not specify the dates of either role.[1]
-Following that chapter, Paul returned to Freak Factory. He later returned to Detroit Fusion as a professional player. Eric Hamre and several of the Freak Factory players joined Detroit Fusion the following season.
+== Tournament playing career ==
-These years unfolded during a very different era of paintball. Paul competed before the APPA player classification and ranking systems became established features of the sport. His professional career developed during a time when reputations were built through competition, performance, and results on the field rather than the formal ranking structures familiar to later generations.
+=== Early teams and national competition ===
-After his professional career ended with Ohio Black Rain, Paul continued to guest-play on occasion. Although he had stepped away from full-time professional competition, his involvement in paintball was far from over.
+Team Smoke's official profile lists the Dayton All Stars, Dyehards, Crow Warriors, Zero Tolerance, Detroit Fusion, Freak Factory and OBR among DeZarn's former teams.[2]
-His next chapter would take him from the playing field to the sidelines, where he could apply decades of experience to developing other players and building competitive teams.
+His 2019 account additionally identifies Method and the first Freak Factory team. He described progressing into professional competition with Detroit Fusion and subsequently playing a professional season with OBR.[1]
-From Player to Coach: Vintage and the MSXL
+Detroit Fusion independently included Paul M DeZarn in a former-player list published on 10 August 2020. The list also named Erik Hamre, but did not provide dates for individual players' tenures.[3]
-Paul continued his involvement in competitive paintball by coaching a team called Vintage in the MSXL.
+=== Continued participation ===
-His playing experience, understanding of competitive strategy, and familiarity with the demands of tournament paintball provided a foundation for this next stage of his career.
+In June 2019, DeZarn wrote that he was still playing and supporting an MSXL team.[1] His subsequent involvement with Smoke included both coaching and team management.[2][4]
-Coaching offered Paul a different opportunity to influence the game. Instead of relying on his own performance alone, he could help develop players, establish team systems, build confidence, and bring people together around a common objective.
+== Team Smoke and Brimstone Smoke ==
-That experience helped set the stage for his return to a larger leadership role in the sport.
+=== Coaching appointment ===
-The Return: Danny Manning and Brimstone Smoke
+On 19 February 2020, Team Smoke publicly welcomed DeZarn as a new team member and coach. The announcement referred to his previous professional playing and coaching experience. It explained that appointing a coach who was not simultaneously playing would allow tactical decisions to be made without placing that responsibility on the players.[4]
-Around 2017–2018, Danny Manning approached Paul about returning to paintball to coach and manage Brimstone Smoke.
+The team's official profile identifies DeZarn as its manager and coach and lists his home field as LVL UP Paintball.[2]
-That opportunity marked the beginning of a new era in Paul’s career.
+=== Management responsibilities ===
-Returning not simply as a player but as a coach, manager, and organizational leader, Paul brought decades of competitive experience to the program. His mission extended beyond winning individual tournaments. He wanted to develop players, build roster depth, establish accountability, and create an organization capable of competing for championships year after year.
+A Team Smoke player feature described DeZarn's involvement across the organisation's professional and amateur squads. His responsibilities included sponsorship arrangements, event accommodation, inspecting fields and developing game plans.[5]
-Since 2018, Paul has helped lead Brimstone Smoke through numerous tournament victories and championship performances across multiple divisions and formats.
+Official records document his presence as checked-in staff at the 2022 ICPL Windy City Classic, held at [[Badlandz Paintball Field|The Badlandz]] from 29 September to 2 October.[6][7]
-The journey has required more than tactical knowledge. It has demanded leadership, adaptability, player development, and the ability to maintain a competitive culture through adversity, roster changes, and the pressures of tournament competition.
+PBLeagues subsequently recorded him as a checked-in coach at the 2025 Classic Cup and the 2026 Windy City Classic.[8][9]
-Brimstone Smoke: Building a Championship Organization
+=== Classic Cup victories ===
-Under Paul’s leadership, Brimstone Smoke has developed into a competitive program participating across the ICPL and NXL, with players competing in multiple formats and divisions.
+Team Smoke won the professional ten-player division at the 2025 [[International Classic Paintball League|ICPL]] Classic Cup, with DeZarn registered as a coach. The team finished fourth in the overall 2025 professional ten-player standings with 265 ranking points.[8][10]
-Among the organization’s significant accomplishments are:
+Competing as Brimstone Smoke, the team won the professional ten-player Classic Cup again in 2026. It finished second in that year's season standings with 286 points, behind [[Chicago Aftershock]] on 292. Its other 2026 finishes included second place at the Pittsburgh Open Classic.[11]
-* 2025 Classic Cup Champions
+{| class="wikitable"
-* 2026 Classic Cup Champions, securing back-to-back titles
+! Year
-* 2026 Free Flow Open Champions in New York
+! Competition
-* 2026 ICPL Pro Division: Second place overall
+! Division
-* Continued competition across three-, five-, seven-, and ten-player formats, with opportunities to pursue additional tournament victories and series championships
+! Team name recorded
+! Result
+|-
+| 2025
+| ICPL Classic Cup
+| Professional ten-player
+| Team Smoke
+| 1st.[10]
+|-
+| 2026
+| ICPL Pittsburgh Open Classic
+| Professional ten-player
+| Brimstone Smoke
+| 2nd.[11]
+|-
+| 2026
+| ICPL Classic Cup
+| Professional ten-player
+| Brimstone Smoke
+| 1st.[11]
+|-
+| 2026
+| ICPL season standings
+| Professional ten-player
+| Brimstone Smoke
+| 2nd.[11]
+|}
-The 2026 season demonstrated the program’s ability to compete against established teams and perform under pressure. Winning the Free Flow Open and successfully defending the Classic Cup title added further milestones to the organization’s history.
+These are team achievements during DeZarn's coaching and management involvement, rather than individual playing titles.
-Finishing second place overall in the 2026 ICPL Pro Division was another significant accomplishment, reflecting the program’s ability to compete at the highest level of ICPL competition.
+== See also ==
-The 2026 Classic Cup Championship was especially meaningful. Winning consecutive titles reflected the work required to sustain a competitive program and return to the field prepared to defend a championship.
+* [[Brimstone Smoke]]
+* [[Detroit Fusion]]
+* [[Ohio Black Reign]]
+* [[International Classic Paintball League]]
-These accomplishments belong to the entire organization: the players, coaches, staff, ownership, sponsors, families, and supporters who contribute to its success.
+== References ==
-Paul’s role is to help bring those elements together. His focus is on creating an environment where talent can develop, teammates can trust one another, and individual ability becomes collective performance.
+# [https://www.facebook.com/groups/2340461352945517/posts/2343774302614222/ I started playing somewhere around 83, 84]. Paul M DeZarn, ''Complete History of Paintball Films & Discussion'', Facebook, 1 June 2019. First-person retrospective account.
+# [https://teamsmokepaintball.com/blog/portfolio/paul-dezarn/ Paul DeZarn]. Team Smoke Paintball, official player and staff profile. Undated; accessed 28 October 2026.
+# [https://www.facebook.com/DetroitFusion/posts/faqs-for-professional-paintball-teamdetroit-fusion-with-cesare-pizzoq-how-long-h/10157620133018652/ FAQs for Professional Paintball Team Detroit Fusion, with Cesare Pizzo]. Detroit Fusion, Facebook, 10 August 2020. Includes a list of former players.
+# [https://www.instagram.com/p/B8xh5v9h_ph/ Team Smoke welcomes Paul DeZarn as coach]. Team Smoke Paintball, Instagram, 19 February 2020.
+# [https://www.facebook.com/teamsmokepaintball/posts/we-hope-everyone-was-able-to-get-out-to-the-fields-and-have-some-fun-over-the-we/734316538479666/ Player of the Week: Paul DeZarn]. Team Smoke Paintball, Facebook, undated team feature. Describes his coaching and management responsibilities.
+# [https://pbleagues.com/team/roster/nA9sAd4KaWFJV5Ok Team Smoke at Windy City Classic]. PBLeagues, 2022 event roster; lists Paul DeZarn as checked-in staff.
+# [https://pbleagues.com/event/7726/info Windy City Classic]. PBLeagues, official event information, 29 September to 2 October 2022.
+# [https://pbleagues.com/team/roster/NYy8yp6qExuuWHxV Team Smoke at Classic Cup]. PBLeagues, 2025 tournament roster; identifies Paul DeZarn as a checked-in coach.
+# [https://mlpb.pbleagues.com/team/roster/mGfqL1wk6Q7oVfbb Brimstone Smoke at Windy City Classic]. PBLeagues, 2026 tournament roster; identifies Paul DeZarn as a checked-in coach.
+# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2025 International Classic Paintball League: 2025 Season Rankings]. PBLeagues, official event and season standings.
+# [https://pbleagues.com/league/435/seasonRankings/2026 International Classic Paintball League: 2026 Season Rankings]. PBLeagues, official event and season standings.
-For Paul, building a championship organization means developing more than a starting lineup. It means creating depth, preparing people for different roles, and establishing a culture capable of enduring the challenges of a long season.
+== External links ==
-Ownership, Partnership, and Family
+* [https://teamsmokepaintball.com/blog/portfolio/paul-dezarn/ Official Team Smoke profile]
+* [https://teamsmokepaintball.com/ Team Smoke official website]
-Paul remains actively involved in Brimstone Smoke as an owner alongside Anthony Call and Jonathan Call. Milt Call also remains part of the organization’s ownership legacy. Though Milt has passed away, his place in the team’s story is remembered with respect.
+[[Category:American paintball players]]
+[[Category:Paintball players]]
-Brimstone Smoke has become more than a collection of players assembled for tournaments. It is an organization built around relationships, shared responsibility, and the pursuit of excellence.
+[[Category:Paintball coaches]]
+[[Category:Paintball people]]
-Its guiding principles include Communication, Commitment, Connection, and Confidence.
-Those principles reflect Paul’s broader approach to competitive paintball. Success requires players to communicate effectively, commit to the work, connect as teammates, and develop the confidence to perform when the pressure is greatest.
-For Paul, success is not measured solely by trophies and championship rings. It is also measured by the players who develop within the program, the relationships formed along the way, and the culture established through shared adversity and achievement.
-The objective is to build something that lasts: an organization capable of developing talent, competing at a high level, and creating opportunities for players to contribute to something larger than themselves.
-The Next Chapter: NXL World Cup 2026
-Following the 2026 Classic Cup Championship, Brimstone Smoke is preparing for the NXL World Cup, with plans to compete in the three-, five-, seven-, and ten-player formats.
-The organization is also pursuing opportunities to contend for additional tournament victories and series championships.
-World Cup represents another opportunity to demonstrate the depth, preparation, and competitiveness that the program has worked to build.
-For Paul, this is not the beginning of a new relationship with paintball. It is the continuation of a journey that began in 1983 and has evolved through every major stage of his life in the sport.
-The equipment has changed. The fields have changed. The leagues and competitive structures have changed. But the fundamental challenge remains the same: bring talented people together, prepare them to compete, and give them the opportunity to achieve something extraordinary as a team.
-A Career That Continues to Evolve
-Paul DeZarn’s paintball career spans more than four decades, beginning on a backwoods lot in Springboro, Ohio, and progressing through the Dyehards, Crow Warriors, Zero Tolerance, Method, Freak Factory, Detroit Fusion, and Ohio Black Rain.
-He competed during the formative years of the sport, played professionally, continued participating after his professional career, coached Vintage in the MSXL, and eventually returned to help lead Brimstone Smoke.
-His journey illustrates the many ways a person can contribute to a sport over a lifetime. A player can become a coach. A coach can become an organizational leader. And a leader can continue building championship teams long after his own professional playing days have ended.
-Today, Paul remains actively involved in competitive paintball as an owner, coach, and leader of Brimstone Smoke. His experience connects the early days of the sport to its modern competitive landscape.
-More than 40 years after he first picked up a paintball marker, Paul DeZarn is still helping develop players, build teams, and pursue championships.
-His story is not simply about the years he spent playing paintball. It is about a lifetime devoted to the sport, the people who have shared that journey, and the championship legacy he continues to build.

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