AVGL High School Program Season 1 Player Highlight


IGN: STIKMAAN
SUPER SMASH BROS. ULTIMATE, STEVE
THE CENTER SCHOOL, SOMERSET, NJ


Led by Esports Leader and Coach Victor Cardona, 

This past week, Stikmaan from Center School located in New Jersey, found himself in the winner’s circle in AVGL’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament with a featured prize pool of $150. Led by Esports Leader and Coach Victor Cardona, and Brian Dobler, Center School is taking a strong headwind into the AVGL High School Program with their Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Team. Stikmaan, losing initially to his grand finals opponent, came back with a 2-0 victory. Following his victory, we interviewed Stikmaan below to find out a bit more about him. Check out our short interview below: 

What inspired you to start participating in tournaments? 

I started all the way back in the Smash 4 days with a sideways Wiimote, but I mainly played for glory at the time. When I got Smash on the 3DS, I broke out of the Wiimote habits I developed when I was younger and started to perform better, eventually picking up Kirbo as my first main and getting a majority of my wins.

I actually bought Ultimate on release and got a Gamecube adapter. I was aware of the competitive scene before, but I never really considered going competitive until Coach Cardona found some tournaments I could attend —  this was around the time I was maining Banjo and Kazooie. Somehow I won my second tournament and it just continued from there. 

Who do you main in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate? 

I typically have differing mains. Previously it was Banjo, but then I simply got tired of his playstyle when Terry happened. I’ve always wanted to play Steve in Smash, but at the time, Steve wasn’t announced yet so I gladly took Banjo and his W O N D E R W I N G.  I currently main Steve now though.

Is there anyone that inspired you/your gameplay?

I had my playstyle established a while ago, and from there it was refined with school practice. I found a few worthy opponents at a tournament that I conquered. I ate some hot wings afterwards. 

Have you won other tournaments in the past before for Super Smash Brothers Ultimate? 

I attended some third-party organization tournaments in the past and won a tournament with Banjo. Honestly, I don’t see many players use the same fighters I play, so I’m hoping that can give me an edge. 

Are there other games you find enjoyable or hope to compete in aside from Super Smash Brothers Ultimate? 

I actually played a bit of competitive Rocket League, but I still have a long way to go. I might consider Splatoon if there is enough interest at school. 

Do you have any future plans for esports?

I’m in it for the competition, so I plan on attending and competing in more tournaments in New Jersey.

More information about The Center School and their esports initiative can be found at their Official School Website.

If you’re interested to have your students and school featured, sign up now for the AVGL High School Program! There are 4 months more of events coming up for you and your students to get your foot in the door for a taste of the competitive scene. Exclusively for high school esports teams and individuals, our tournaments are currently all remote, which means all participants will be playing from home. See upcoming events below:

AVGL High School Scholarship Showdown ft. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Event Link: https://avgl.org/highschoolesports/23009/events
Date: February 21st, 2021 @ Noon PST / 2 PM CST / 3 PM EST


AVGL High School Scholarship Showdown ft. Minecraft
Event Link: https://avgl.org/highschoolesports/23009/events
Date: February 25th, 2021 @ 3:30 PM PST / 5 PM CST / 6 PM EST