MONROE — Eric Justiniano doesn’t fight kids over screens. He builds games that make them forget screens exist.
Justiniano is an elementary Physical Education teacher at Parkside Elementary with over 10 years of experience and the founder of WatchOut, LLC, an active play company based in Monroe. He was invited to present and run live demonstrations at the 2026 SHAPE America National Convention & Expo (March 17-21, Kansas City, Mo.) — one of the largest gatherings of PE and health educators in the country. His message to the room: the same technology pulling kids toward screens can pull them into the PE.
“They want to do this because of how happy it makes them feel,” Eric said. “The brain is releasing dopamine and serotonin — the same thing they get from video games. But this is real life. They’re physically active. They’re connecting with each other. It encompasses everything.”
That insight shapes everything about WatchOut, LLC — which Eric founded to bring ZTAG to his community. ZTAG is a wearable active learning platform that equips up to 24 players simultaneously with wrist-mounted devices featuring screens, speakers, and proximity sensors. A central unit runs live game modes — Zombie Survival, Math Match, Word Match, and more — turning any gym into a world kids want to be in. These programs are designed to meet kids where they are — using elements they already understand from gaming, such as scoring systems, roles, missions, and wearable technology — to transform screen-driven engagement into real-world movement and connection.
For Eric, the contrast with traditional PE is the whole point. “Old-school PE was waiting in line to take a turn,” he says. “That public humiliation and pressure — ‘I gotta throw this ball at the target, and if I don’t, my whole team’s affected.’ Nobody wants that. Nobody thrives in that.” ZTAG removes the pressure entirely. Every player is moving, every player has a role, and no one is standing on the sideline waiting to be judged.
“PE has changed,” he says. “If you’re doing it the right way, it doesn’t make kids feel singled out. You’re teaching the whole student, every student.”
At SHAPE America, Eric ran live ZTAG demos on the conference floor — putting the platform in the hands of PE educators from across the country. His setup had been engineered deliberately: booth design, format, positioning, and placement all calculated to show the system at its best.
“What Eric is doing is exactly the thesis ZTAG was built on,” said Quan Gan, Founder and CEO of ZTAG, Inc. “The kids who disengage from traditional PE are often the same kids who are most fluent in digital interaction. ZTAG speaks their language and redirects that energy into movement, teamwork, and presence. Eric has been proving this in his gym and his community for years. Watching him bring it to SHAPE America — to thousands of PE educators — is a moment we’ve been working toward.”
Eric operates WatchOut, LLC out of Monroe, running a weekly ZTAG League at the Green County YMCA, open play nights, and private events. His philosophy is consistent across every program: no pressure, no tryouts, no judgment — structured, high-energy play that builds confidence, community, and physical activity in the kids who need it most. The result is simple but powerful — more participation, more confidence, and more kids choosing to move.
The impact is both visible and measurable: students who once disengaged are now active participants, programs are growing, and more kids are experiencing movement as something they enjoy — not something they avoid.
“I want to make sure that everyone has fun,” he says. “That is the most valuable thing. When something is fun you tend to do it more often. If we make movement fun everyone benefits.”
For more information about WatchOut, LLC, visit watchoutlasertag.com or follow @watchout.llc on Instagram.
About ZTAG, Inc.
ZTAG is a wearable active learning platform that combines physical games with technology to build movement, teamwork, and learning in K-12 students. Each system supports up to 24 simultaneous players using wrist-mounted devices with screens, speakers, vibration motors, and IR/proximity sensors, coordinated by the ZUES game unit. ZTAG is used in after-school programs, schools, parks & recreation departments, and youth organizations across the United States. ZTAG is headquartered in Valencia, California. Learn more at ztag.com.
About WatchOut, LLC
WatchOut, LLC is a Monroe, Wisconsin-based active play company founded by elementary PE teacher Eric Justiniano. WatchOut runs movement-based game experiences using ZTAG technology and traditional laser tag for schools, community organizations, private events, and YMCA leagues. WatchOut exists to turn movement into something kids want to do — no pressure, no tryouts, no judgment. Learn more at watchoutlasertag.com.
