“With Overwatch, they actually played at their homes this year,” Rhode said, noting the pandemic has still made certain things difficult. “In the past, they played here in the computer lab. They were all in the same lab communicating and working together … They play against Brookfield, Whitefish Bay or whatever the teams are in the state. They’re organized by size and a little bit by previous reputation.”
The reputation has also helped spread the word within Baraboo’s halls, encouraging people to join as the club develops.
“Our first year, four of the people on our team were seniors, so they graduated. But we had done really well so that’s how we got more people interested.” Ball said, noting that Baraboo’s Overwatch team started to get together every Saturday to practice. “Typically, we just kind of practice beforehand so everyone knows how to play their roles and then when the time comes we work together in our groups. … You can’t rely on one person to win the game, all six people have to actively participate and put effort in.”
More than a game
The esports — and computer sciences — space is growing rapidly. CyberPatriot and National Cyber League are also offered, and see teams of students working to protect computers against cyber attacks.
“It’s basically guarding a castle that has been abandoned,” Green said of CyberPatriot, which Sauk Prairie will start again in the fall. “You need to go in and purge out all the things that are wrong with it and then guard it for the future. You want to take out viruses, you want to take out unauthorized users, you want to authorize users, take away power from those who can’t have it and give powers to those who should.”
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