Professional FIFA player Mike LaBelle says a lot goes into preparing for an esports tournament.
“For this next month, I’ll be playing every single day, where I’m creating content on Twitch, which you can find YouTube,” he told Cheddar in an interview. “The week before, I’ll look to play a lot more offline, because it is an offline event.”
And there’s a physical aspect to his training as well.
“At least for me mentally...if I got good rest, I feel like I’m going to be on top of my game,” he said. “I try not to eat poorly before an event. I wouldn’t recommend fast food.”
LaBelle recently signed on to New York Red Bulls as its first official esports athlete and will represent the club at the EA Sports FIFA 18 gaming league, competing in April’s eMLS Cup and in FIFA tournaments around the world.
LaBelle boasts more than 285,000 followers on YouTube and over 70,000 on Twitch, where he offers FIFA tutorials.
He says there are nuances to the sport that may escape casual gamers and fans.
“I think people who aren’t necessarily involved in gaming don’t understand that there’s a big difference between playing in-person versus playing online. So it’s important to get that kind of practice and repetition and see if there’s anything different so you make good habits.”
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/mls-kicks-it-with-esports).
Cody Garbrandt, who became the UFC Bantamweight champion in December, says he was inspired by Maddux Maple, his 11-year-old friend who survived a battle with cancer.
Gotham Chopra and his Religion of Sports media company may have just entered the filmmaking scene a few months ago, but it has already snapped up an Emmy nomination, which Chopra says feels like "an affirmation."
SeatGeek co-founder Russ D'Souza says that, despite lower ratings and bad PR, NFL ticket prices remain the highest of all pro sports, and he doesn't see that changing anytime soon.
The professional equestrian and daughter of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says bringing the Riders Masters Cup to the city was "a dream come true."
The world's top equestrians gathered in New York City for the inaugural Longine Masters event. Professional Equestrian Georgina Bloomberg explains how this event brings the competition to the masses, through its Rider Masters Cup.
Professional dancer Sharna Burgess paired up with Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman for the new "Dancing With the Stars: Athletes." Having sports stars in the mix increases the competition level because they're "used to winning at what they do," says Burgess. The new season premieres Monday on ABC.
The former Major League Baseball MVP tells Cheddar that these days there are many players who can hit as well as he did, so he's happy to watch from the sidelines.
A lot of times athletes need financial education before they are able to turn their paychecks into long-term investments, says Frank Zacca, managing director of Octagon, a wealth management firm that works with elite sports stars.
A total of 72,000 gamers qualified for the 17-week long video game competition, and only 102 -- "the elite of the elite" -- made the final cut, says Brendan Donohue, managing director of the League.
The obstacle race organizer had to be tough enough to convince the rapper to skip his own workout routine, said Rich Abend, VP of Global Partnerships. "[Flo Rida] happens to be an incredibly fit person," he said.
