It didn’t start as something big. It started quietly, in a library during lunch, where a few students sat around talking about and playing video games like it actually mattered. Most people walked past without thinking twice, but for the ones inside, it was already something more.

Junior Kristopher Lacanilao, organizer of the Smash Bros Tournament, saw that before anyone else did. “I felt like I should step up,” Lacanilao said. There wasn’t some perfect plan behind that decision or any guarantee that it would work, just the realization that nobody else was going to build it, so he did.

What people saw in March was the result of planning, organizing, and figuring things out step by step. “It took us 5 months to plan, and then one week to set up everything,” Lacanilao said. That meant meetings during lunch, coordinating with a team, making decisions about rules, and dealing with something most students don’t think about until the last thing, approval from admin.

Getting the administration to say yes was one of the hardest parts. “Anything Nintendo Switch related, it’s all approved by admin… I can’t bring in other games,“ Lacanilao said. But once that happened, the rest came down to effort. 

Fundraising about $600 dollars this year, had to be figured out from scratch. “We sold chips at a Mario Kart tournament,” Lacanilao said. “We made a lot of money from it.” It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked. That money turned into setups, equipment, and a real event.

For students who didn’t have a space like this before, it meant everything. For Angelo Rodriguez, who finished in third place of this year’s tournament, it went deeper than just playing. “I’ve been playing Smash Bros for I want to say… like 12, 13 years at this point,” Rodriguez said. “That kind of time doesn’t just build skill, it builds attachment. It becomes part of who they are.”

But growing up, that passion wasn’t always shared with others. “Usually it would be by myself,” Rodriguez said. “So, walking into a room full of people who understood the same game, it felt different.”

Still, with that came pressure. The year before, Rodriguez had made it all the way to second place, putting all his effort to win the tournament, but he didn’t. “And that one, that one was actually heartbreaking… you know, when you work so hard for something and then it just, you don’t get it… that’s how that felt,” he said. 

That loss doesn’t just disappear. It stays in the back of your mind, especially when you come back for another chance. This year, he placed third, but instead of making excuses, he was honest. “I just didn’t want to play anymore,” Rodriguez said. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do better. His focus just wasn’t fully there.

On the other side was Kyle Miguel, who had his own story, just as consistent but different in mindset. “I got 2nd place over two Smash Bros tournaments,” he said.  “I’ve never gotten 1st in any of them.”

For Miguel, it wasn’t frustration, it was acceptance. “I don’t care… I’m just happy to be there,” he said.  That attitude made him calm and steady, and someone people enjoyed playing against.

At the same time, it raises the question of whether he’s holding himself back from pushing further. “It would make me happy if I could get first,” Miguel said.

In the middle of close matches, everything narrows down to just the screen and the next move. “I can’t really hear anybody… it just goes very quiet in my head,” Miguel said. Every decision matters, and every mistake can cost everything.

Players relied on different things to get through those moments. Rodriguez leaned into instinct and experience. “I tend to go more on reading my opponent,” he said. Miguel approached it differently, studying patterns and habits before even stepping into the match. “I like to study my opponents before… so that I know who I’m up against,” he said. 

When it was over, the results were clear. First place went to Julian Pichardo, who won 6 packs of Pokemon cards, second to Kyle Miguel winning 3 packs of Pokemon cards, and third to Angelo Rodriguez also winning 2 packs of Pokemon cards. 

Lacanilao looked at everything they built and saw something bigger than just results. “They really liked it,” he said. “They wanted to keep doing it.” After the matches ended, nobody rushed to leave. People stayed, talking and laughing, replaying moments.

Because for most of them, it wasn’t just about winning. “I connect with others… I get to be with my friends,” Miguel said. 

The tournament gave students a place to go and something to be part of. “I think it allows a lot of people… to join like a little community and they can have a blast,” Miguel said. 

And as everything settled, Lacanilao was already thinking ahead. “Next year… will be the biggest tournament we have ever made,” he said.