To call it a “new era” at Trackside might be an exaggeration, but on Friday, May 29, the teen center will host its first video game tournament — a Super Smash Bros. competition slated to be played on the big screen.
Organized by teen center head Mark Ketley and his son, Ryan Ketley, a video game illustrator, the tournament will begin at 4 and run until about 7 p.m.
“My son will be at the tournament because I don’t get it,” Mark Ketley said with a laugh last week. “What do these things do?” he added, referring to a Nintendo Wii controller.
“I’ve been getting calls all week asking things about the tournament, like ‘can we use a nunchuk?’ I’ve got no idea. But, he’s been really good with his responses and it’s cool to see him do it.”
The event is a beta-test for the teen center, which has never hosted a video game event of this size.
But, the teen center coordinator says the response has already been positive, even though the only promotion they’ve done is put up posters in Middlebrook.
“It’s just another event, but it’s also something different. We do the dances and the band nights, but there’s a big group of kids that love gaming and it’s exciting to think they'll come here on a Friday night, eat some food and have fun,” Ketley said.
Information: 203-834-2888 or trackside.org.