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).
The luger became the first American to snag a medal in his event, and he says the win has given him a host of privileges that were previously unavailable to him.
"The Relish" is a digital sports network for women focusing on social content. The network reaches around 10 million millennial women each month.
The American women are having a rough Olympics in the figure skating rink. All three American competitors fell in the women's individual short program. It's a sharp turn from the years when American women landed on the podium year after year. Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill explains why things have been more difficult for the Americans this time around.
On Between Bells: Talking to kids about gun violence, Dallas Mavericks under fire, restaurant servers fight tip-pooling laws, and more. With Eater, Parents Magazine, and Popular Science.
If someone told you that asthma would help you win gold at the Olympics, would you believe them? Well according to a new study, athletes with asthma are more likely to win at the Winter Games than those without these breathing problems. Popular Science's Claire Maldarelli explains why.
A new report from S.I. details allegations of sexual harassment against the team's former President and CEO, Terdema Ussery.
Amazon launches health products line, Chipotle adds quinoa to the menu, and Tinder reveals the most-swiped athletes in the Olympic Village.
The athlete, who took home the Olympics' top prize at the 1976 Games, says entering the sport is much more expensive these days, and the physical moves are more demanding.
Austin Dillon, who won the Daytona 500 race over the weekend, says this win will add to his grandfather's legacy.
This Sunday the Daytona 500 Race went into an exciting overtime when 27-year-old Austin Dillon finally pulled into first place during the final lap. The Daytona 500 winner joins Cheddar to explain the emotions that came with the big win.
