Saints Earn Two National Esports Organization Awards
St. Clair College’s Esports Director and Call of Duty coach have been recognized by the National Association of Esports Coaches and Directors (NAECAD), earning National Esports Director of the Year and All-American awards.
Shaun Byrne, St. Clair College Esports Director, was named Director of the Year by NAECAD for 2019-20. This award recognizes the significant contribution and outstanding leadership Byrne brought to St. Clair College’s esports team, program, school, and to the entire esports ecosystem.
“Getting recognized for this award is an immense honour but it would not have been possible without the help of dedicated coaches, support staff, players and student leaders. On a tight budget, they have put their hearts and souls into creating tremendous value for St. Clair College and the student body,” said Byrne.
St. Clair College was the first post-secondary institution in Canada to fully embrace varsity esports. Starting in January 2019, Byrne also began serving as program coordinator and faculty lead for the Esports Administration and Entrepreneurship academic program, one of only a handful of programs in the world training students for careers in the esports industry.
Dawson Lovell, St. Clair College’s Call of Duty team captain and coach, was also recognized in receiving All-American status by NAECAD, the only Canadian esports athlete to be awarded the prestigious title.
This award recognizes Lovell for his balance of athletic achievement, sportsmanship and citizenship. While elite performance in-game is important, the All-American award is aimed at recognizing the overall impact the individual has made.
"I'm proud that the amount of work that was put into creating this team from scratch didn't go unnoticed. To be recognized for that dedication feels incredible," said Lovell. "Credit also goes to the hard work and dedication of my teammates as they consistently balanced practices and matches with their school work, which I made clear to everyone, must come first."
Lovell, a first-year interior design student, was the driving factor behind the success of the college's Call of Duty team, which he founded this past January. A leader in-game and out, Lovell leads by example prioritizing his team's schoolwork while maintaining an active practice and game schedule.
Originally starting at the club level with his team, Lovell and his teammates blossomed into one of the college's most successful teams finishing with a 10-7 record in the College COD League (CCL). Their CCL success, in addition to their drive and determination, earned the team a promotion to Junior Varsity status and distinction as the first Saints Academy team. The promotion earned them a position in the Tespa Varsity Invitational League where they compiled a 10-1 record and a 2nd place regular season finish.