Lawrence Tech's Esports program donates headsets to Detroit PAL

Matt Roush

Mar 30

SOUTHFIELD—Lawrence Technological University's Esports program has passed along some high-tech equipment to the Detroit Police Athletic League.

LTU Esports donated eight Rig 300 Pro HC gaming headsets to PAL's fledgling computer lab and Esports program. Rig is a sponsor of LTU's Esports program in order to raise the profile of its video game equipment among collegiate gaming teams.

"Through that sponsorship, we were able to obtain and donate these headsets to Detroit PAL," said Danielle Sirekis, LTU Esports head coach. "We hope to be able to support PAL on an ongoing basis and continue this collaboration."

Justin Cook, youth enrichment coordinator for Detroit PAL, said the nonprofit organization has traditionally focused on youth sports since its 1969 founding.

But now, he said, "with the rise of Esports in Michigan, it just makes sense to be able to offer it to our kids and families. It's part of our Digital Equity Program with Rocket Mortgage--they gave us $30,000 to establish a computer lab that will include an Esports program. It's a great way to get kids interested in STEM." (Sirekis and Cook are pictured above with some of the headsets.)

Esports is a form of competitive video gaming with players in which players, generally on teams, compete in events and tournaments against other organized teams. Lawrence Tech established Esports as a varsity program in 2021. Team members compete in an Esports arena on the LTU campus with 12 high-end gaming computers. LTU fields teams that compete in several multiplayer battle games, such as Overwatch, League of Legends, Call of Duty, and more. Athletic scholarships are available for the program, which emphasizes physical fitness as well as gaming skill. For more information, visit https://ltuathletics.com/sports/esports .

Lawrence Technological University, http://www.ltu.edu, is one of only 13 private, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation's top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation's top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, "theory and practice" education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech's 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.