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).
After years of protest, the Cleveland Indians will remove Chief Wahoo from their uniforms starting in 2019. Chat Sports Founder and CEO James Yoder explains the timing behind the team's decision.
Hope King joins Austin Lucas, Assistant Manager at Gotham Archery in Brooklyn NY, to learn how to navigate the world of bows and arrows!
Ken Block has made a name for himself as an action sports star, turning his love of sports into a career. Alyssa Julya Smith caught up with Block on the mountains of Park City, Utah during the Sundance Film Festival to talk about his latest Amazon Prime original series, "The Gymkhana Files."
Cody Gough, podcast host for Curiosity.com, cooks up some surprising statistics about Super Bowl food and explains why daydreaming might be good for you.
Action sports legend Ken Block and our very own Alyssa Julya Smith take to the mountains in Utah to talk about his new Amazon Prime Video series "The Gymkhana Files"! Check it out.
Jemele Hill is out at SportsCenter. Moviepass is no longer available in some of AMC's highest-traffic theaters--and they're not revealing why. Stormy Daniels will appear on Jimmy Kimmel live after the State of the Union.
CEO and Founder of CityRow, Helaine Knapp, talks about the boutique fitness club's first franchise in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The location is a natural fit considering Knapp is a University of Michigan alumnus.
Mastering the sport of polo is no easy feat. Now, polo player and model Ashley Busch is taking on a new challenge - launching her own swimwear line.
Former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar is likely going to spend the rest of his life in prison. Axios reporter Shannon Vavra joins Cheddar to discuss the long-lasting consequences from the very public seven-day hearing.
Ashley Busch, model and Polo player, says that she uses digital platforms to show the presence of women in the coed sport, and to encourage more women to pursue it.
