Playing in front of a crowd was a new experience for Brenda Sanchez. The 17-year-old Poway High School senior was used to playing Super Smash Bros. alone in her room with headphones.
But she had six members of her family — three generations — with her on May 20 cheering her on.
“It’s so different to have a crowd watching. Having an audience cheering you on, even if you’re losing, I love the energy that comes out of it,” Sanchez said Tuesday.
“They were very into it,” she said about her family.
With her grandmother and others supporting her, Sanchez took home the first-place trophy for the Poway High team. She was the only female to compete in the North County Esports Championship tournament, which will come to a culmination on June 10 at Rancho Bernardo High School Performing Arts Center at 5:30 p.m.
Each of the top three competitors from previous bouts will vie for the championship, which will come with a trophy, prizes and the chance at college scholarships through Next College Student Athlete. In all, 12 members of teams from Poway, Westview, Del Norte and Mt. Carmel high schools will compete in the championship.
“It’s going to be a bigger crowd,” Sanchez said. “As the only girl in the tournament, there’s more weight on my shoulders. It’s a little bit nerve wracking.”
Matthew Iske, a teacher at Abraxas High School in Poway, is the founder and general manager of the Unified Esports League. He said the first competition had about 40 or so people in attendance. For the last round for Poway High, the ticket sales quadrupled the previous competitions.
“It was like a football stadium. It was crazy,” he said.
Sanchez started playing video games when she was about 10 years old. Since then, she has done a few online tournaments. She said her family has always been supportive of her gaming and allows her time to practice.
Sanchez said she was surprised she took the top prize for her team because she practices with the top three players on a regular basis, and she doesn’t usually beat them. She said she enjoys being the only girl on the team.
“I feel great about myself because I am out there representing,” she said.
Sanchez generally opts to play with Rosalina and Luma — a 2-in-one character. She said she likes them because they are feminine and not very popular to use.
“I just like her style. I can’t put my finger on why,” she said.
She sees a positive of gaming as helping her to relax.
“Unless you’re playing competitively, then that’s a little harder to do,” she said.
Playing games also helps her come out of her shell a bit. Gaming makes her more social when she’s playing and allows for another topic of conversation, she said.
Sanchez said she’s not sure if she’ll continue directly with Esports once she graduates. She wants to study game design when she’s older.
(courtesy photo )
Peter Patrico took first place for his team – Mt. Carmel.
(courtesy photo )
Dino Mrakovic, in center, took first place for Westview.
(courtesy photo )
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