From June 16-18, 2026, the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors will host its members in Akron, Ohio.
Within the esports industry, starting from the bottom, building connections, and gaining experience is not that simple. For many, it takes years of diligence, patience, and practice, but with NAECAD, things are getting easier.
NAECAD is the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors. After speaking to Connor Alne, NAEACAD’s Executive Director, he described the organization as “the primary professional organization for competitive esports coaches and directors at all levels of competitive play.”
The organization’s vision focuses on the success of esports coaches and directors. “NAECAD’s vision is for esports to be viewed as a prominent competitive sport with highly trained NAECAD members leading the professional development, growth, and quality of competitive esports.” Alne shared.
With NAECAD’s ninth annual convention, people may ask. Why join NAECAD? What are the benefits of being part of this organization?
When it comes to building the foundation and skill set as a coach or director, NAECAD can help make your journey easier, offering advice from different levels, personal connections with some of the best in the business, and a community to bounce ideas off of.
As an official member, coaches and directors at all levels of competitive play have access to resources such as memberships, certificates, courses, a community Discord, and even a national convention to attend.
Alne shares why members within the community should become a member: “You should be a member of NAECAD so that you can be part of a community that you can learn from, connect with, and ultimately help contribute to help advance standards and establish best practices.”
While NAECAD is able to provide members with resources, there are many things that coaches and directors can learn from the environment. Within the community, there is passion to succeed and invest in yourself.
Additionally, Alne shares the biggest key to success as a coach or director: “You have to invest time into developing yourself and learning from others. Thinking that you know everything gets you nowhere.” He believes that NAECAD can help accomplish this goal with success in mind.
While showcasing what NAECAD can provide, the organization focuses on its connections within the industry, not as one university or member, but a community that connects with everyone. Within NAECAD, the organization does not prioritize one age level, but all.
In the industry, NAECAD also does not provide any work with students or any competitions, just a model to support coaches and directors from an outside perspective.
Furthermore, Alne expands more about the organization’s experience. “We exist solely for the staff members to have a place where they can go to learn, connect, and celebrate the hard work that goes into running an esports program. This means our events and community might be the only time a coach in one league interacts with a coach in a different league. That crossover is what allows us to see the full picture and our members to have meaningful conversations.”
With the NAECAD ninth annual convention right around the corner, members are invited to Akron, Ohio, from June 16-18, 2026, at the InfoCision Stadium.
The convention will provide lectures and discussions on topics such as recruiting for collegiate, creating sponsorship opportunities that sell, what organizations are missing, esports marketing proposals, and much more.
With the opening ceremony commencing at 10 a.m., presented by Connor Alne, the schedule is full of riveting topics for all those in attendance.
The convention also provides opportunities for connections with a close connections roundtable on the first day, an award ceremony to network at, and even a social event following the lectures.
With each of these unique experiences that NAECAD provides through its memberships and conventions, one thing is most important: setting standards in the industry.
When talking about their multitude of connections within each industry, Alne focuses on the variety of connections and what it means for NAECAD.
“I think our connections put us in a unique position to help establish standards. You need a group like NAECAD – not tied to any league or competition – to be an objective and unbiased voice to create professional development opportunities, certifications, and best practices.”
Overall, NAECAD concentrates its strength on being unbiased, setting a standard, and setting all coaches and directors up for success.” Alne stated.
With the final presentation by Sari Kitelyn of Full Sail University, the convention will conclude on June 18, 2026, with its closing ceremony at 4 p.m., and doors will close at 5 p.m.
In less than 48 hours, NAECAD’s ninth annual convention will commence. With the convention on its way, Alne shares a few things that members and fans should be looking forward to.
“We have a couple big announcements lined up including next year’s convention location, a partnership that is going to help advance our mission, and, of course, attendee trading cards!”
To become a NAECAD member, you can find more information on their website or Twitter/X account.
For updates about the event, keep up to date with the event through NAECAD’s social media for daily updates from Akron, Ohio!
