EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT 

Dear Pam, 

I am pretty sure that you’ve followed the events of Pele’s death. Of course, he was the O Rei-the King! The legend of football. I was reading his autobiography when I stumbled on something I want to share with you. 

I know you’ve probably fallen into the trap that school is scam. 

Also, I am pretty familiar with the mindset that football is a career that does not require education hence a lot of young boys just focus on the skills without education. But is that true? Is it true that football does not require education? 

It appears Pele disagrees with this. In 1971, after three world cups to his name. Pele had just one more wish! Guess what? A college education. Yes, Pele had dropped out of school after primary school. Although he played the game and gained global fame, he realized that his life was limited without education. Pele’s writing about education had a tone of regret. 

“During the playing season I was often called upon to speak at various universities, or high schools, or even hospitals, telling those who attended these lectures all about football, its history, its skills, my travels, and anything else they cared to question me about. I always had to ask Professor Mazzei to accompany me to handle any questions I was unable to handle; and these proved to be more than I cared to admit. I had always realized my education was inadequate, but these lectures and seminars proved it in a most embarrassing manner. I had no grounding, or almost none. I met a lot of people who were better educated than me and decided I had to make up on all that lost time. 

Besides, I was determined that my children would be given every educational advantage, and I felt it would be more of an example for them to have a father with a university degree, rather than one who was merely a fourth-grade drop-out….

I was resolved not to repeat the errors of my youth. This time I took school seriously, with the result that eventually, five years after I had first started to cram for my secondary certificate, I put on my cap and gown and graduated with my class.” 

It turns out the King himself regretted missing school and made up for it by going back to school many years later. You are starting out now, you’ve got your life ahead of you and you’re still young, you can get it right and do it once. You don’t even need to struggle like Pele who had to return to school at 34 years! By the way, that can be a good motivation too. At 34, with 4 World Cups to his name and over 1,000 goals to his name, Pele returned to school. That should tell you how important this is! 

By the way, it is not just Pele who went back to school, many other players including Samuel Eto of Cameroon, Venus Williams, Michael Jordan, Lewandowski, Iniesta, Juan Mata and so many others who are not publicly recorded. Education is important. The stars know this. You can learn this from them! 

Champ, we are counting on you. 

I wish you the best. 

Yours, 

LT.