Team Pelé

'ENTHUSIASM IS EVERYTHING'

Team Pelé draws its inspiration from Edson Arantes do Nascimento nicknamed Pelé. He was chosen as our figurehead as arguably the worlds greatest ever footballer, he has used his outstanding skills to promote football and become a world ambassador. In 1992, Pelé was appointed a United Nations ambassador for ecology and the environment.

As one of the 5 teams at The Hayesbrook School, Team Pelé is involved in all aspects of Academy life.

Pelé members take part in all sporting competitions and competitive events of a more academic nature.  They take an active part in student voice and some team members are trained as observers of lessons, feeding information back to the Senior Leadership Team and the Governors of the school.  Pelé team members are also involved in fund raising for our charity "The Pickering Trust" who provides support to cancer patients and others affected by the disease in Tunbridge Wells.  Recently a meal was cooked by pupils for the staff winners of a charity raffle.

TEAM LEADER: MR SMART
PASTORAL SUPPORT MANAGER: MRS ROBERTS
SENIOR LEADER:

Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pelé)

Pelé is the all-time leading scorer of the Brazil national football team and is the only footballer to be a part of three World Cup-winning squads.
In 1962 he was on the Brazilian squad at the start of the World Cup but because of an injury suffered in the second match, he was not able to play the remainder of the tournament. In November 2007 FIFA announced that he would be awarded the 1962 medal retroactively, making him the only player in the world to have three World Cup winning medals.
Growing up in poverty on the streets of Bauru, Sao Paulo, he could not afford a football and usually played with either a sock stuffed with papers or a grapefruit, providing an inspiration to the relatively affluent students at our school.
Pelé's technique and deft touch combined with his dribbling skills and scoring ability cannot be overstated. His most spectacular signature move was probably the "bicycle kick". He scored over twelve hundred career goals in all competitions, the biggest haul by far among famous players. Pelé is certainly one of the most famous men in football, with his nickname being recognized even by those unfamiliar with the sport.

He was voted athlete of the century by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1999.