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).
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Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Tuesday, November 25, 2020:
Kim Ng, who started her Major League Baseball career as an intern, has become the majors' highest-ranking woman and Asian American in baseball operations.
Justin Turner was removed from Los Angeles’ 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 6 of the World Series after registering Major League Baseball’s first positive coronavirus test in 59 days.
Bill Reiter, NBA insider for CBS Sports, joined Cheddar to talk about the trend of big-time athletes like LeBron James entering the big-time business world.
FanDuel CMO, Mike Raffensperger, joined Cheddar to discuss fantasy sports amid the coronavirus pandemic. Raffensperger also discuss how the company is handling bets, particularly in the NFL as players contract the virus.
The Tennessee Titans find themselves back in a waiting mode hoping the NFL allows them back inside their headquarters by Tuesday with their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers postponed until later this season by the league’s first COVID-19 outbreak.
The Tennessee Titans have suspended in-person activities through Friday after the NFL says three Titans players and five other personnel tested positive for the coronavirus.
Less than five weeks after the conference announced it would push football and other fall sports to spring because of the pandemic, the conference changed course.
Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons owner and Home Depot co-founder, joined Cheddar to discuss business values beyond making a profit and the NFL's stance on racial inequality issues today.
