2019 FTW Blog Recap!!

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Welp, I knocked out my first full year of FTW Blog! It's been a heck of a ride and steady growth from where I started back at the beginning of 2019. 

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Before I jump into the 2019 Recap, I wanted to thank my family and especially my wife. She has put up with me taking after-work meetings, Saturday meetings, "playing Xbox for intro meetings," fixing my poor grammar in posts, and being so supportive of high/lows that come with running a new venture like FTW Blog. She's amazing.

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2019 was filled with new adventures such as: becoming a medical provider to local Esports teams, working with companies in the health/wellness sector, and random excursions in media. 

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Teamwork Recap

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Cavs Legion GC

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I was privileged to work with the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA2K team for their 2nd season in the NBA2K League. My role was to provide musculoskeletal care in the form of:

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  • Adjustments/mobilizations

  • Manual therapy and Rock Taping

  • Ergonomic education

  • Therapeutic exercise recommendations/walkthroughs

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This upcoming season I plan to implement much more in regards to addressing wellness in the form of a unique gamer based training program (I'm finishing up development), overall education, and increasing availability for player communication. I'm also hoping to bring in other experts in the Cleveland area to give Cavs GC a massive edge in the upcoming 2020 season. 

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Cavs Legion also unveiled their Legion Lair, which is their new gaming arena here in Cleveland. The Lair is a perfect mix of brick, steel, and state of the art tech. I'm looking forward to spending more time in the space, but also getting the proper individual ergonomics set up for the players. 

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Cleveland State Esports

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With CSU, I've primarily been in a health advisory role, but I have had the opportunity to work with a few players. I've been able to attend a couple of their events as well. My goal with CSU is to provide as much education as possible. As with a majority of the gaming population (and myself at that age), I had little understanding of proper wellness practices surrounding gaming. Education in the wellness/ergonomic space is a must for any org.

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I'm hoping the team will have a facility of their own shortly. There is no denying that Esports is here to stay, and providing scholarships/resources will only attract more students to the University. 

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Company Recap

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Welldesk

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At the beginning of 2019, I connected with a company called WellDesk. They're a U.S. based company focusing on wood-based products for the office. I was able to try the laptop stand and the rocker board for this year. I loved the laptop stand, but it has since changed hands to my wife, who uses it every day.

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I would highly recommend this for laptop users that do a minimal amount of typing and focus more on editing or run a laptop in a dual monitor setup. 

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Read the review here!

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Raynor Gaming

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I was finally able to work with an endemic in the gaming space this year, which was a highlight for me. I was able to briefly partner with them and purchase the Energy Pro Series. I tested and reviewed the chair in a post, which you can find ------> here.

Raynor is the official partner of the NBA2k and multiple teams in the league, including Cavs Legion. They recently implemented TempurPedic material into their chairs, which is a substantial addition to the overall chair composition. I'm looking forward to their continued tweaking of chair material and design for this upcoming year. 

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Dygma Labs

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I've been following Dygma Labs for almost two years, as they've been working on a high-end split keyboard with gamers in mind. Many of the current ergonomic keyboards lack the high-end feel, tech, and bells/whistles that gamers crave. They've managed to incorporate all of these components while focusing on solid ergonomic concepts. My review of the specs and design can be read here.

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I'm hoping to continue this relationship in the future and to help the company in designing more peripherals that have gamer health at the forefront of design. More companies should take this approach of user-health first, with flashy RGB lights coming after. 

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Haworth

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The inner wellness geek in me was freaking out when I had the chance to work with Haworth. Haworth designs and manufactures premium office equipment with emphasis on ergonomics. 

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I reviewed the Fern, the most recent addition to their chair portfolio (read here). I've been using the chair daily for almost two months, and I can't stop singing its praises. I leave work with no low back pain whatsoever and feel more energized throughout the day. 

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As a gamer, I would be hard-pressed for someone not to fall in love with the chair. I continue to challenge quality non-endemic brands to enter the space with their stellar design. The gaming market continues to grow, and it's not going away. Get in and get it now!

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eFuse

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If I told you there was a social platform that :

  • Connects the gaming industry to every sector within the game industry

  • Allows you to show your stats, highlights, and projects in a one-stop-shop

  • Is a hybrid of LinkedIn and Twitter but the best qualities of each

  • Is based here in Ohio

  • Was made by gamers for gamers

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Well sport, it exists, and it's called eFuse. I was fortunate enough to test out the beta the past December and post some exclusive content. My experience on the site has been one of gamers helping other gamers in whatever capacity they can, whether it's a streamer going live, a content creator posting a new video, bloggers with new posts, or the eFuse team asking for feedback.

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The team is also actively giving away scholarships from huge names in the gaming industry like Keem, Lazarbeams, and Chocotaco. 

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eFuse has massive potential as the go-to platform for gamers. If you're in the gaming industry and you haven't hopped on, you're missing out..period. 

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Cleveland Public Library 

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CPL has been running gaming and Esports events for 10+ years (yes, that's before it was cool) with an all-star named Tristan Wheeler. The events are typically monthly with a range of games from fighters, music-based games, console, and PC. 

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The 2020 season is looking to incorporate some of the incredible talent right here in Cleveland, and I'm thrilled to be included in that group. I'll be giving a few presentations throughout the year, which will help spread my message of improving gamer wellness. 

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Appearance Recap

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Throughout 2019 I was able to hop on a couple of podcasts/Youtube series. I've listed them below if you're feeling ambitious and want to kill some time. 

Project Esports appearance: We talked about current gaming events and the age-old debate of Bubly vs. La Croix. 

Games on Lock: At the tail end of last year, I stopped by the new 1Life2Play facility to chat about current gaming news and FTW Blog. 

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Launchouse presentation on Office Ergonomics

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Recappin' the Recap

As you can see, I've been putting numerous irons into the fire over the course of 2019. I hope to continue to work with more orgs, companies, and start some of my projects as well.

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The blog has seen four consecutive months of 1k plus views. I want to thank everyone that has continued to support my efforts through sharing, likes, and reading my content. I hope that the material from FTW Blog has helped you become a healthier/happier person or climb out of bronze. 

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Here's to 2020!!!

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Best,

Dr. Drew

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Haworth's Fern Review