Pele

One of the most influential people in my life started out as a normal little kid on the streets of a small town in South America. His name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but the world knows him as Pele. Through his many accomplishments, he greatly revolutionized the sport of soccer, and made it the number one sport in the world. Playing inside left forward, Pele skillfully lead his native Brazil to three dramatic World Cup titles. He is considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Pele stood out on the field, developing a full range of assets from powerful kicking, to keen vision, skillful ball control with both feet, brilliant passing and field strategy.

Born in the small village of Tres Coracoes, Brazil in 1940, Pele started playing this sport at a very young age. At 15, Pele observed his father Joao Ramos do Nascimento, or "Dondinho," play soccer for hours, hoping that someday he would become a professional player himself. When he was a child, Pelé and his family moved to Baurú, in the interior of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, where he learned to master the art of "futebol". Pele played soccer with his neighborhood friends, often going barefoot and improvising with coconuts for balls and cans as goalposts. His father had been a professional player who had to abandon the sport because of a knee accident. It was clear that the great abilities of Dondinho were passed down to his young son, Pele.

Pele stood out on the field, developing a full range of assets from powerful kicking, to keen vision, skillful ball control with both feet, brilliant passing and field strategy. Many minor leagues were anxious to sign him up.He joined the Santos Football Club in 1956, and eventually became the only player to participate in three World Cup victories. He led the Brazilian national team to titles in 1958, 1962, and 1970. By 1970, he had scored his 1000th goal, becoming the most prolific goal-scorer in history. By 1974, when he retired for the first time, Pelé had scored 1200 goals in 1253 games and had become a Brazilian national hero. From 1975 to 1977 he came out of retirement to play in an attempt to popularize the sport in the United States.

Of all the events that made Pele popular, the one that has probably changed the most lives in the United States is when he came to play for the Cosmos. This not only what added to his global recognition, but also what showed millions of people a sport they had never seen or heard of before. Without him, the sport of soccer would not be what it is today, and I might not be playing the sport. This is why I consider Pelé my hero.