As high school esports continues to surge in popularity, competitive gaming is becoming a major part of the student experience. With games like Overwatch 2 at the forefront, young players are honing their skills, learning the importance of teamwork, strategy, and leadership, all while competing at a high level. Schools across the nation are recognizing esports as more than just a hobby, but as a legitimate competitive platform that offers students new opportunities for growth both on and off the digital battlefield.
Today, we sit down with Avin, the captain of Penn Hills’ Overwatch 2 team, to dive into their journey as a leader in the rapidly evolving world of high school esports. We’ll explore their experiences, the strategies that drive their team, and what it’s like to be at the helm of a competitive gaming squad in one of the most fast-paced and team-oriented esports titles.
Getting to know BackToZer0
Let’s start with a little bit of background, tell everyone who you are and a little about yourself.
Well hello everyone! My name is Avin, and I am the captain of the Penn Hills High School Overwatch team, my user being BackToZer0. I’m 16 and in 11th grade hoping to go to college for a major in Computer Science and or Overwatch Esports.
Before we get too far – since the people are going to want to know – how long have you been playing Overwatch?
I have been playing Overwatch for as long as I can remember, since I was 8, back when the game first came out. My current preferred roll is tank but I used to be a dps main. My current competitive rank is plat 1, my peak being diamond 3.
Can you describe your role in the team when playing Overwatch 2? Do you specialize in a particular hero or role (e.g., Tank, DPS, Support)?
I am a tank/dps player specializing in Dva/Zarya for tank and Genji/Cassidy for dps. When I’m on tank my role is to slaughter supports and out of position dps. I usually get very high frags (50 was my last game) and low deaths (2 was also my last game). In games where we win the first round my assistant captain will sometimes go on tank. In these games I average the same amount of kills and death as my assistant(around 30-40 and 3-8).
From Player to Leader
How did you become the captain, and what responsibilities do you take on in this role?
I took the captain role as I was the one to suggest and get together the team. I take on choosing who is on the team during tryouts, when practices are held, starting roster, switching during the game, and what we actually do during practice. I also do callouts in games of who to target, or to backup, or to kite an ult, however I try to get my whole team to do this.
How did you go about selecting other members of the team?
We would ask school announcers to read out a notice about tryouts and put up posters in the school as well as letting people we know play about tryouts personally. I would first consider pure skill, (do you hit your shots, comp rank, time played), then I consider their knowledge of overwatch (counters, characters, team comps, knowing what kiting means, positioning), and finally I consider availability (if I add them will they make it to practice/games?)
Striking the Balance: Managing School, Esports, and the Comparisons to Traditional Sports
How do you balance schoolwork with your commitments to Esports?
I always finish all of my schoolwork before I play any games, helping me stay on track. The only caveat to this is on practice and game days.
What is it like competing in high school esports? Is it anything like competing in a regular sport?
Our team regularly has one game and holds one practice every week. Considering I also play hockey, the competitiveness and teamwork is very similar. During these practices we would start off watching our replays from the previous games, commentating on what we did right, wrong, could do better, etc.
We try to hold scrims with other schools but because Esports is such a new thing among schools, most schools don’t respect us enough to allow players to stay after to play. The best we do is play an extra round or two on game day when we inevitably take the first two and win.
School Involvement
Penn Hills High School has been doing Overwatch for 2 years now, me being the captain both years (It was my idea to start the team).
How long has your school competed in Overwatch?
Penn Hills High School has been doing Overwatch for 2 years now, me being the captain both years (It was my idea to start the team).
What was the teams record last year?
Last year, (2023-2024), our team would only lose 1 game all season(at the beginning). We would later go on to win our division and not be able to participate in finals due to school restrictions.
What kind of school restrictions?
Our school never considered Esports as an actual thing, more a joke, so when finals were out of state, we were not allowed to go.
So, how involved is the school in the Esport?
Little to none, our coding teacher Mr.G pays for the league registration and the pcs. (Shoutout to him he’s the goat)
In Part 2 of our interview, we’ll dive deeper into the game itself, exploring BackToZer0’s approach to team composition, communication strategies during high-pressure matches, and how they adapt to the constantly evolving meta in Overwatch 2. Stay tuned for the next installment!
Don’t miss Penn Hills’ Overwatch team in action – follow PIEA on Twitch
[…] Part 1 of our interview with BackToZer0, captain of Penn Hills’ Overwatch 2 team, we explored their journey into the world of high […]