Double trouble: Twins team up for Trine esports

In competitive esports, it helps to have teammates who think like you do.

Twins Teddy and Julia Yagodinski bring that advantage to Trine University’s esports team, where the brother and sister duo teams up to take on competition playing Overwatch.

Both Angola, Indiana, residents, Teddy is a computer science and information technology major focusing on cybersecurity, while Julia is an elementary education major.

“Being a twin makes the dynamics of being on a team fun due to us having similar thought processes,” Teddy commented, “Being able to execute plays is something we can do efficiently and comfortably thanks to our sibling bond.”

Julia mentioned that she and her brother have always played games together.

“Teddy was the one who introduced me to Overwatch,” said Julia. “A lot of the time I find him to be one of my favorite people to play with, so being on a team with that chemistry really helps both of our performances. We both have solid strengths in our roles; he is the backbone of the team, and I’m the shot caller. We work off each other well, even though we may be a bit competitive with each other at times.”

Teddy got interested in esports by watching Fnatic, a British professional esports organization, play in the early days of CSL, the intercollegiate league for North American colleges and universities.

“I got into Overwatch in 2016, and ever since, I’ve been glued to the competitive scene and I strive to improve to be even half as good as the professional players,” said Teddy.

Julia has competed on different teams for the past three years, but never met her teammates due to them being spread across the country. She was very interested in an in-person esports team.

Julia had heard amazing things about the esports program at Trine University, so when she was looking to transfer from her previous college, she chose Trine.

“Gaming is a whole other beast, one that is very similar to an actual sport,” said Julia. “You need to have relationships with your teammates, constantly practice, and receive coaching.”

Looking forward, Teddy plans to graduate from Trine and get a job as an IT specialist. Julia hopes to join the Marines and serve for four years once she completes her degree, then plans to teach. While teaching, Julia hopes she can run a theater and esports department at her school.

Last Updated: 02/23/2022