Florida Tech’s newest Director of Esports, Danielle Sirekis, has been gearing up to transform the university’s esports program. Having drawn from her experience as the former esports head coach at Lawrence Tech, where she laid the groundwork for a formidable esports program, Sirekis is ready to elevate Florida Tech esports to new heights.
Sirekis discovered her love of esports as a student at Lake Orion High School in Michigan. A former swimmer, Sirekis spent her free time between classes and swim meets playing video games in the school’s library with her friends. It was during these sessions that her love of competition ignited her passion for competitive gaming.
After graduating from college, Sirekis took a break from gaming to focus on a career in healthcare. However, her love of gaming still lingered, so when Sirekis saw that Lawrence Tech had posted a job opening for its first ever esports head coach, she applied. Sirekis got the job and joined Lawrence Tech in November 2020.
Twice a finalist for the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Director of the Year, Sirekis established the varsity program at Lawrence Tech from scratch, prioritizing the development of an inclusive community and fostering high-level competition. Under her leadership, the program saw its first All-Conference First Team student-athlete in Rocket League, with four additional athletes earning Second Team honors across various games.
In 2023, when Sirekis learned that Florida Tech was looking for its next director of esports, she jumped at the opportunity. As one might expect, moving from chilly Michigan to sunny Florida could be quite a change, but it was a move Sirekis desired for a long time. “I like smaller universities like Florida Tech because they have a closer connection with students. I was already sold once I found out that Florida Tech was by the ocean, but when I saw the campus, its beauty took my breath away,” Sirekis said.
Another factor in Sirekis’ decision to make the move to Florida Tech is the fact that it has one of the few standalone collegiate esports facilities in the country: The 5,800 square-foot Ruth Funk Center.
“Florida Tech’s esports center pulled me in. It is everything I wanted. The program is already well developed, so I felt like I could grow here and be a part of something bigger,” Sirekis said.
A rarity in the esports industry, Florida Tech’s esports program has only ever been led by women. Sirekis’ predecessor, Dana Hustedt, served as the program’s first director and was instrumental in the program’s initial success. Now, the esports program is home to not one, but two full-time female employees. Assistant Esports Operations Manager, Anna Patterson, has been a key contributor to the program’s positive, respectful, and inclusive culture since her arrival in January 2023.
“It is definitely not easy being a woman in esports because it has a pretty strong culture of being toxic to women, but I think that all the women that I have met in the space do an incredible job of managing and keeping on top of everything,” Patterson said.
“Working with the students here, they completely respect everything that we have to say. If you know your stuff, then they will respect you and if you respect them, they will give it right back to you.”
Patterson is no stranger to esports. As a student at Florida Southern College (FSC), she competed in Overwatch for four years. While there, she served as the team captain and In-Game Leader (IGL). In these roles, she was responsible for guiding and strategizing her team during gameplay.
Patterson attributes her seamless transition into a leadership role at Florida Tech to her prior leadership experience at FSC. Currently, she coaches Florida Tech’s Overwatch teams and has been pivotal in the teams’ success. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, Patterson handles marketing for the program, management of most of the sub-teams, management of the student staff at the facility, and general building maintenance.
As Patterson explained, in a male-dominated field such as esports, women are at a disadvantage and being in a position of leadership can be a difficult task. Fortunately, Patterson has helped instill a positive culture of respect and inclusivity in her time at Florida Tech. She hopes that other young women who are interested in the program look to her and Sirekis as inspiration to get involved.
With Patterson’s help, Sirekis is eager to propel Florida Tech esports to prominence. “I am excited to work with Anna and combine our visions to foster a collaborative environment,” Sirekis said.
Since stepping into her role in January 2024, Sirekis has established goals and has been working to expand and develop the esports program. “When I arrived in January, I wanted to assess how the program was running and then figure out where I could help and make improvements. Now, our focus is to create structure and leadership,” Sirekis said.
According to Sirekis, the first major step in developing the esports program is creating a production room to serve as a professional streaming studio. The second step involves hosting events in the facility to engage the broader student body and eventually inviting student organizations to use the space for their own events. The third step focuses on fostering a shared culture within the team and strengthening the bond between the players.
Sirekis wants the esports program to have a significant and lasting impact on Florida Tech students and the community. She believes that focusing on the outreach of high school students and participating in major state and national events could greatly boost recruiting efforts and increase the program’s competitiveness.
In addition to expanding the program, Sirekis wants her players to have positive experiences that lead to lasting memories. “I want to create an experience for students that makes them feel connected to the university. I have students who would not have gotten involved with other student organizations or traditional athletic teams, so the goal is to give them a connection to Florida Tech. When they come back here in 10 or 20 years, I want them to say, ‘I was on the esports team, and it changed my life,” Sirekis said.
To help foster such valuable experiences among students, Sirekis plans to introduce intramural programs, game night events, and community service opportunities. Through these initiatives, she hopes to promote inclusivity in a less competitive environment that caters to everyone. Ahead of her first full season as the Director of Esports at Florida Tech, Sirekis is excited about the future.
“I really love how much the school supports esports and wants it to grow. We plan to host more events, and I am eager to see our community grow and know that we have an entire esports building dedicated to them. We want to see more students come and hang out and give them more to do. We are adapting to the needs of the public and showing them that they have a say in how we develop the program,” Sirekis said.
- Article courtesy of Florida Tech News, Written by Trey Avant -
ABOUT THE NECC
The NECC fosters innovative competition experiences, provides quality broadcasting services, and works to support an inclusive community within collegiate esports. The NECC was started to provide the collegiate gaming community with the respect it warranted and deserved. The conference prides itself on responding to the needs of its schools, directors, coaches, and most importantly - its players.
With more than 500 colleges and universities currently competing, the NECC strives to be a positive home for the collegiate gaming community.
For more information about the NECC, their schools, games, and community, visit their website at https://necc.gg/
