Get online with the team
Local play on the couch is not enough. Tuesday practice is on Zoom — teammates join each other over the internet. Do this once so your student can hop into Mario Kart, Smash, and Rocket League rooms when Coach drops the code in chat.
Mario Kart · Smash
Nintendo Switch
Needs a Nintendo Account on the Switch user and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. Without Online, they cannot join teammates from home.
PC or console
Epic + Rocket League
Needs an Epic Games account. Playing Rocket League on Switch also needs Switch Online, then the Epic account linked. Under 13 needs parent consent before private matches work.
Playing all three games? Do both guides. Nintendo Switch Online and game copies are paid by the family — Esports is extracurricular, so planning amounts cannot cover games or subscriptions.
Nintendo Switch Online
This is what lets Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate talk to other Switches. A parent should sit with the student for the first setup.
- 1
Create (or find) the student’s Nintendo Account
On a phone or computer, open accounts.nintendo.com. Sign in if they already have one. If not, create one.
Under 13: the parent creates a child account from the parent’s Nintendo Account (Family group → Create an account for a child). The child does not need their own email.
Age 13+: they can have their own Nintendo Account. Use an email the family actually checks.
- 2
Link that account to the Switch user
On the Switch or Switch 2:
- Open System Settings → Users → the student’s icon.
- Choose Link Nintendo Account (or sign in if it already asks).
- Sign in with the same Nintendo Account from step 1.
If several kids share one console, each player should have their own user icon with their own Nintendo Account. Sharing one user means they cannot both be online as themselves.
- 3
Turn on Nintendo Switch Online
Online play is a paid Nintendo membership. Check nintendo.com/us/online.
Already in the house? Do not buy a second individual plan. Add the student to the parent’s Nintendo Account family group, then use a Family Membership so everyone in the group is covered (up to eight accounts).
Starting from scratch? Buy Individual (one player) or Family (whole household) on the Nintendo eShop while signed in as that user, or from the Nintendo Account website. A parent 18+ completes payment.
You will know it worked when the user can open Mario Kart or Smash and see Online Play without an error.
- 4
Write down their Friend Code
On the Switch Home Menu, highlight the student’s user icon (top left) and open their profile. The Friend Code looks like SW-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
Save it in a note. At practice we may ask them to drop it in Zoom chat so teammates can add them, or we will use a room code instead — either way, they need Online first.
- 5
How they join Mario Kart or Smash at practice
Coach or a captain will put a room code in Zoom chat. Then:
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — Online Play → Friends (or Tournaments / room as announced) → join the room with the code from chat. Wireless (local) will not reach teammates on Zoom.
Smash Ultimate — Online → Smash → Battle Arenas → Join Arena, then enter the Arena ID from chat.
Epic account for Rocket League
Rocket League uses Epic Games for online play and private matches. This is the account that lets them join the team’s lobby — on PC or on a console.
- 1
Create an Epic Games account
On a phone or computer, open epicgames.com/id/register. Use an email the family can open the same day (parent email is fine).
Enter the student’s real birth date. Do not fake an older age — Epic will lock features if the date is wrong later, and under-13 accounts need a parent step anyway.
- 2
If they are under 13, finish parent consent
Epic starts those players on a limited “cabined” account. Until a parent finishes consent, they often cannot create or join named private matches — which is exactly how we play together on Zoom.
Watch for an email from Epic (subject like “Your Child’s Epic Games Account”). Complete the steps at Epic parental consent. The parent verifies they are an adult, then can turn on the features needed to play with others.
- 3
Get Rocket League on their device
PC: Install the Epic Games Launcher, sign in, and get Rocket League (free on the Epic Store).
Switch, PlayStation, or Xbox: Install Rocket League from that console’s store, then link the console to the Epic account. On Switch they still need Nintendo Switch Online for internet play.
- 4
Write down their Epic display name
In Rocket League or at epicgames.com/account, copy the Epic display name. That is how teammates search for them. Drop it in Zoom chat when Coach asks.
- 5
How they join the Rocket League lobby at practice
Coach or a captain will put a match name + password in Zoom chat.
In Rocket League: Play → Private Match → Join Private Match → type the name and password exactly. Cross-play is on by default, so PC and console can share one lobby.
Practice-day checklist
- Student is signed in on Zoom with their PCA email.
- Switch user is linked to their Nintendo Account, and Switch Online is active (Mario Kart / Smash).
- Epic account is created; under-13 parent consent is finished (Rocket League).
- Headset on. Game launched before 3:00 PM so they are not installing updates in the lobby.
- Friend Code (Switch) and Epic display name ready to paste in chat if asked.
Stuck on a Nintendo or Epic screen? Email esports@pacificcoastacademy.org with a photo of the screen (no passwords). We would rather help before practice than lose the hour to account setup.