*By Max Godnick*
Any professional athlete faces the pressure to win, but the stakes are higher in the World Cup, where soccer players carry the added burden of an entire nation's expectations. Some crack. The winners rise.
"If you're for yourself, you're not going to play as hard or as well," said Jon Gordon, the author of "The Power of Positive and Leadership" and a team-building adviser to athletes and executives. "If you're playing for your team or your country, you're going to play a lot better."
Gordon has worked with teams (the Los Angeles Dodgers) and companies (Google) on the foundations of successful team building. He advised the 32 national soccer teams hoping to hoist the 2018 World Cup trophy in Russia next month to use the stress of playing for national pride to help them perform better.
"They have to have a shared vision and a greater purpose," he said, encouraging athletes to ask themselves, "Are we playing for ourselves or for our country?"
The same principles apply to all sports, regardless of what type of ball is being kicked, thrown, or shot. But certain disciplines do require more tailored advice. Because of the number of players and its fast-moving style, Gordon said that soccer, like basketball, requires greater trust between players.
"You have to trust that that player is going to get you the ball," he said. "You have to trust that they're going to be where they need to be on defense."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/world-cup-winning-secrets-from-a-team-building-expert).
PUBG announces their global league for 2019, Red Dead Redemption 2 releases, and Riot faces down a lawsuit for workplace discrimination. Featuring Guy Blaze, ESL brand partnerships SVP Paul Brewer, and CEO of Electronic Gaming Federation Tyler Schrodt.
Alex Garfield re-enters esports, Cloud9 pulls off a miracle, Rocket League executes a win, and Z-Event raises 1 million euros. Featuring ESL SVP Brand Partnerships Paul Brewer, VP Pro Gaming Michal "Carmac" Blicharz, and Former MLB Professional Pitcher Jim Hoey V of Logitech G
SonixFox wins IPS 2 and donates 10k, the Game Award Nominees, Pokemon Let's Go, and big changes to Overwatch and Fortnite. Featuring NYXL Head of Business Development and Events Ben "MrBitter" Nichol, ReKTGlobal Esports VP Kevin Knocke, Cameron Davis, and Astro Gaming's Thadeous Cooper.
League of Legends World Championship, the Overwatch World Cup, and Serral's incredible victory at Blizzcon. Featuring
Unikrn CEO Rahul Sood, Aziz "Hax$" Al-Yami, and Kelsey Moser.
Amazon is reportedly looking to expand its foothold in live programming, with an eye on the 22 regional sports networks that Disney must spin off as part of its acquisition of 21st Century Fox. For Amazon, it would be the extension of a grand strategy that has been both simple and consistent: drive more Prime subscriptions.
PlayVS, a start-up created to build an infrastructure for high school esports, has announced a new Series B funding round of $30.5 million, led by Elysian Park Ventures, a firm that operates on behalf of the Los Angeles Dodgers ownership group. The new funding will also bring in new investments from Adidas, Samsung NEXT, and Plexo Capital, and angel investors include Sean “Diddy” Combs.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, Nov. 19, 2018.
Mike Sepso is a gilded name in esports. His latest win? The senior VP of Activision Blizzard was recently appointed a strategic partner of Overwatch team league New York Excelsior. And he also happens to be the leader of Major League Gaming, which he founded with partner Sundance DiGiovanni in 2002. But before he assumed his throne, Sepso conceived MLG during a single lazy summer when he and his partner were basking in the glory of their previous company, Gotham Broadband.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Friday, Nov. 16, 2018.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
