The esports season closed with Redondo going up against El Segundo in a match of Super Smash Bros. The team was first required to play against themselves before facing the other school at Parras Middle School on Tuesday. There were 24 teams originally in the tournament, and the best two teams, Dah-Ga-Ma and Banh Mi Bros, headed into the final against El Segundo. While it was a close game, El Segundo ultimately pulled through in the final, winning three out of five rounds. Kelly Lewis, the supervisor of the club, was hopeful for the championship and made sure his team was well prepared.
“Preparing for the competition was tough,” Lewis said. “This was [our] fourth year doing this tournament. In the previous three years, we haven’t won. Mira Costa won. There was a lot of pressure on our kids to do well this year. Mira Costa ended up pulling out this year, and El Segundo wanted to be part of it, so they stepped in.”
Lewis helped the team practice by not only playing the game with them but also preparing them psychologically. The team prepared over a six week period for the competition.
“Coaching [the esports team] is different from coaching [a regular sport]. I play with them sometimes, especially with the less experienced kids. But our top teams are incredible players. So, for me, the coaching is more mental,” Lewis said. “It’s about keeping their minds right through the competition because it can be challenging”.
One of the teams participating in the final, Dah-Ga-Ma, was composed of senior Aizik Fujiwara and junior Aidan Boyd. They played against El Segundo’s team, Subway, and played with the characters Corrin from Fire Emblem Fates and Bowser from Mario. They prepared for battle with a couple of playing sessions, experimenting with the new game.
“I was going with the mentality of let’s see how [far] we can get before we lose,” Fujiwara said. “It was more of a fun thing for me”.
Boyd agreed that although the competition was stressful, they maintained a positive attitude, focusing on enjoying the experience. The championship was an “exciting experience for him.”
“I wasn’t super worried,” Boyd said.“But after [the finale], I was frustrated with myself, but we were also really close [to winning]”.
Even though the season ended with a loss, Lewis remains upbeat and uses the championship as a stepping stone for future opportunities.
“I think the lows and highs of any competition make it exciting,” Lewis said.“I think being able to see that we were so close, we knew we could do well. And in the end, we still performed strongly.”
The esports club attracted more players due to the recent switch of games. Lewis elaborated that the influx of members was due to the game’s ability to bring people together.
“We choose Super Smash Bros. because it allows us to play more locally,” Lewis said.“ Instead of communicating on the internet, we can play in person. In person allows you to play directly with your competition, to laugh, to talk [some] smack, and have fun.”
Lewis wants to continue to welcome new members into the community and is excited to see the esports team and club expand and thrive.
“We have a great group of kids that are coming in excited to play, not just as a club but as a community,” Lewis said.“I want to be able to see that community continue to grow and be supportive and positive, even when we are losing or winning. At the end of the day, we’re just all having fun and building up one another”.