Pele

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"Everybody knows my life. I won a lot of tournaments and scored more than 1,000 goals, won three World Cups but I could not play in Olympic Games" (Pelé). Pelé , born October 23, 1940 in Tres Coracoes, Brazil, is not the brightest of the places to grow up. Pelé grew up in a poor area where their only source of entertainment was barefoot makeshift soccer ball. Pelé 's first professional team he joined was Santos in 1956 at age 15. On his debut he scored four goals. Later that year he joined the Brazilian National team. In 1958 Pelé led Brazil's national team to the World Cup, winning 4-2. Pelé scored two goals that game, and this was when his career skyrocketed. Determination was what drove Pelé forward. Hard-work was what it took Pelé to get to where he is today. Leadership was what made Pelé successful. It took Pelé determination, hard-work, and leadership to accomplish what he has done throughout his life.

Pelé  grew up in Tres Coracoes, Brazil, one of the poorest cities found in Brazil. Yet he still had the determination to become a professional soccer player. "By the time he was 11 years old, he caught the attention of Waldemar de Brito, a famous Brazilian soccer player of the time. Invited to play for de Brito's amateur team, Pelé's talent soon brought him a professional contract offer from the Santos football club" (Pelé ." World of Sports Science). Considering  Pelé grew up in a poor city, this was a life changing opportunity for Pelé. He had the determination to get a professional contract at that age. His career started with Santos, a club in Brazil.  "At the age of fifteen his mentor (an advisor), former soccer star Waldemar de Brito, brought him to Sao Paulo to try out for the major league teams. Pelé was quickly  rejected. De Brito then took Pelé to Santos where he earned a spot on the soccer team" ("Pelé." UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography). Pelé in this situation had the choice to quit once he was turned down. But his determination to play professional soccer is what drove him forward. After Pelé got rejected, his mentor took him to the Santos where he earned a spot on that team. Without Pelé's determination to be professional he would not be where he is today as my hero.

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Pelé started playing soccer at age 5. He started playing professionally at age 16. Pelé's hard work paid off. Pele played for the club Santos. Soon after he made the Santos team he made Brazil's national team. "He played his first professional game with the Santos Football Club on 7 September 1956. The following year he became a member of the Brazilian national team, and in 1958 scored six goals in helping Brazil win its first World Cup" (Arbena, Joseph). Pele worked hard to get Santos. The year after, he made it onto the Brazilian national team. Pele led Brazil's national team to the world cup multiple times. "Two years after joining the national squad, Pele led his team to victory in the World Cup. Only 17 years old, he was a dominant player, especially in the team's victory match, in which he scored twice. He played in three more World Cups, in 1962, 1966, and 1970. Brazil was victorious in the 1962 and 1970 campaigns" ( "Pele." World of Sports Science). Pele led his team to the World Cup at age 17 winning 2 of them. To get to Pele's level of play takes hard work every chance you get and he inspires people to get to that level. Pele had to work harder than ever to achieve what he accomplished throughout his life.

Pele led both, Santos and Brazil's national team, to multiple championships. Pele's career with Santos was spectacular.  "Pele played for Santos from 1956 to 1974. During that time, he scored over 1,200 goals (the most by any soccer player to date) and assisted on over 1,100 others in 1,360 games" ("Pele." World of Sports Science).  While Pele played for Santos he set the record of scoring 1,200 goals. And led Santos to win six championships. When Pele hit the end of the road with Santos, he came to the United States where he played the remainder of his career.  "After Pele retired, he continued to play until he was signed to play for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League for a reported three-year, $7 million contract. A year later New York was at the top of their division, and in 1977 the Cosmos won the league championship" ("Pele." UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography). A year after joining the New York Cosmos he led them to the championship in 1977. Every team Pele played for, he led to a championship or was at the top of their league.

Determination, hard-work, and leadership are what Pele used to be successful throughout his life. Pele made the Brazil national team at age 16 years old in 1958. He helped Brazil win three World Cups. Any soccer player who has an inspiration like me would want to be like Pele. Pele joined a professional team at my age. I can't even imagine being at a professional level at 15 years old. But that's something I still have time to accomplish.  Scoring one thousand goals is something people dream of doing. I can only dream of the feeling of scoring your one thousandth goal. Pele inspires people to follow their dreams through determination, hard-work, and leadership. Pele held every scoring record in Brazil. These facts inspire me to play soccer and one day I will have records of my own.

Works Cited

"Pelé." World of Sports Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007.528-529. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

"Pelé." UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Laura B. Tyle. Vol. 8. Detroit: UXL, 2003.1467-1469. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

Arbena, Joseph L. "Pelé (1940-)." Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. Ed. Jay Kinsbruner and Erick D. Langer. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008. 136. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 28 Jan. 2015.

"Pelé." UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Laura B. Tyle. Vol. 8. Detroit: UXL, 2003.1467- 1469. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 30 Jan. 2015.

"Pele." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2015. 11 February 2015.  http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/pele531347.html