158 attendees gathered at the University of Akron from June 16-18 for the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors (NAECAD) 9th Annual National Convention.
Aimed to bring together coaches, directors, and organizations across the scholastic esports space (encompassing both K-12 and collegiate), the 9th iteration of the convention featured a variety of professional development sessions, round-table discussions, and impactful keynotes.
This year’s convention allowed attendees to dig deeper into important discussions around coaching methodology, bridging the gap between your organization and administration, and much more.
Additionally, the pre-convention served as a testing ground for different initiatives like a recruiting combine and snappy lecture series.
The LeagueOS recruiting showcase featured showmatches aired on the Roku Channel and “speed dating” where students had the chance to speak to recruiters from various schools and learn about their offerings.
This year’s convention featured a brand new 10-minute lecture series, inviting individuals to speak across a variety of different topics of their choosing. Topics this year included: AI, Drone Racing, Esports Director Performance Metrics, and more.
NAECAD’s Executive Director, Connor Alne, noted that the 10-minute lecture series format would play a role in selecting speakers for future conventions.
In the convention’s opening ceremony, NAECAD and the Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation (MOSEF) announced a partnership – through the partnership, the two organizations will “continue to establish coaching standards within Missouri,” with MOSEF requiring their coaches to be Level 1 certified with NAECAD.
The Level 1 Esports Coaching Certification covers several high-level pillars of coaching, including building team culture, how to plan practices, developing your personal coaching philosophy, and more.
NAECAD also announced an additional partnership with the Iowa High School Esports Association.
Throughout the 3-day event, attendees opened card packs featuring convention speakers and attendees, engaged in round-table discussions, and connected with fellow scholastic esports folks.
“Historically, in the past, a lot of these conferences have been really beginner friendly, beginner focused, as a lot of programs are newer and not doing a lot,” Jono Eaton, Esports Broadcast and Content Coordinator for Michigan State University, shared. “This year, I think, they’re really diving into the meat of a lot of things, and I think that’s a sign of the industry maturing.”
Eaton hosted a session on finding your target audience on your campus, through understanding your university’s mission statement and analyzing your university’s audience.
Professional development sessions covered a swath of topics: from esports spaces and hardware to coaching (game planning, game-specific coaching), to recruiting, to event management.
Keynotes from Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich (Director of Athletics at the University of Akron), Mark Deppe (Esports Director at UC Irvine), and Sari Kitelyn (Director of Esports and Project Development at Full Sail University) served as engaging touchpoints throughout the convention.
Goodrich spoke about what it means to build culture as an athletics director, talking through his methodology of creating a cultural blueprint with his teams. Deppe reflected on 10 years of esports at UC Irvine, one of the longer-standing programs within scholastic esports, and what the current landscape might tell us about the future of the space. Closing out the convention, Kitelyn talked about the importance of sustainability, both in terms of individual leadership as well as on an organizational/program level.
Additionally, the convention celebrated individuals making an impact in the scholastic space with the NAECAD awards.
2026 award winners included:
- Rising Star: Jenna Savage (Youth Tech & Esports Navigator at Life Remodeled)
- Outstanding Commitment: Mark Deppe (Esports Director at UC Irvine)
- Outstanding Leadership: Henry Johnston (Director of Esports at Baker College)
- Coach of the Year (K12): Shayne Trail (Esports Coach at Lake Shore High School)
- Coach of the Year (College): Nate Rodemeyer (Esports Coach at Marshalltown Community College)
- Director of the Year (K12): Stephen Jacobson (Esports Director at Sturgeon Bay High School)
- Director of the Year (College): Joey Gawrysiak (Executive Director of Esports at Syracuse University)
“The true impact of a convention isn’t measured by what happens while we’re here. It’s measured by what happens when we go home,” Alne shared in his closing statement. “It’s the new idea you bring back to your program. The relationship that turns into a collaboration. The student who benefits because of something you learned this week. The coach who stays in the profession because they found a community that understands what they’re trying to accomplish. For nine years, that’s what this convention has been about.”
The 10th Annual NAECAD National Convention is set to return to its roots in Iowa for June 15-17, 2027. For more information, be sure to follow NAECAD on socials.
