Adrienne Lafond ’26 M.S., a behavior analysis Ph.D. student, was named Scholar of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) at the organization’s 2026 National Convention in July. Lafond also won NACE’s Student Leadership Award and was elected to the NACE Student Affairs Committee.
Lafond, who coaches Florida Tech’s Valorant team, was recognized for her thesis, “Evaluating Precision Teaching to Enhance Learning Agility in Collegiate Esports Athletes.” The study examined whether Precision Teaching, a method that uses timed practice, feedback and goal setting, could improve how quickly and accurately collegiate esports athletes make tactical decisions. Results showed gains in both speed and accuracy that held up over time.
“Esports deserves the same evidence-based approach we’ve come to expect in traditional performance settings,” Lafond said. “I’m excited to keep contributing research that coaches can actually use and athletes can actually benefit from. My goal is not simply to study esports athletes but to evaluate strategies that coaches can realistically implement and use to make data-informed decisions about athlete development.”
While esports research continues to grow, Lafond sees an opportunity for more applied studies that evaluate interventions directly with athletes. Her work draws on behavior-analytic methods to examine measurable changes in performance.
“There’s a growing body of valuable research in esports, and I’m excited to contribute to that work specifically through applied research conducted directly with athletes,” Lafond said. “Having my contribution in that area recognized means a lot to me, especially as I continue exploring how research can inform coaching practices and athlete development.”
Lafond works in the university’s Behavior Performance Coaching program under assistant professor Kaitlynn Gokey ’12 M.S., ’20 Ph.D., where she serves as a performance coach.
Now in her second year of coaching, Lafond said grounding her coaching in behavior science, paired with her own background as a competitor, has helped the program grow.
“We really got to see some really great growth out of our team last year,” she said. “I’m excited to keep going.”
Ryan Brown, assistant director of esports, said Lafond’s research is reshaping how the industry approaches performance.
“I think Adrienne and what she does with her research is the future of esports research,” Brown said. “She’s truly revolutionizing the way that we approach research and, specifically, applied research within esports.”
Lafond credited Brown, Gokey and director of esports Danielle Sirekis ’26 MBA for supporting her work.
“I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without those three people,” Lafond said.
For students hoping to build a similarly interdisciplinary path, Lafond had one piece of advice: Find mentors who understand the vision.
“Try and find one that has at least one or two people who can kind of understand your vision and your pathway and where you really want to go,” Lafond said. “Don’t settle for less.”
