Aaron Stiles spent the majority of his time as a teenager engaged in two activities – playing soccer and gaming.
"I played club soccer, that was my main focus, and I played Call of Duty," Stiles said. "I'd go to soccer, then after I'd play Call of Duty."
Stiles now has the opportunity to share his passion for gaming as the head coach of Roberts Wesleyan University's eSports program.
A native of Horseheads, N.Y., Stiles was hired to lead the Redhawks in November and has been busy recruiting since coming on board.
The Redhawks have added seven new members to the program since Stiles came on board and are looking to add three more players to the current roster of nine before the season starts on Feb. 2.
"I'm super excited to be at the collegiate level," Stiles said. "It's a great way to get a lot of students participating and a lot of players playing. I'm really excited about Roberts because it is a fresh start and the sky is the limit."
The Redhawks will be playing Rocket League, League of Legends, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate this season. Stiles, who holds a degree in film and video production from SUNY-Fredonia, has previous experience working as an eSports coach running camps for the YMCA and conducting events for a company called Tech Adventure.
Stiles and his wife, Grace, who is the Senior Director of Clinical Education at Roberts have a 3-year-old son, Owen. He also works as a licensed home inspector and with his father's video production company. In his spare time, he enjoys gaming and playing hurling and Gaelic football with Roc City Gaelic.
