Each weekday, ESPN RISE brings you five vital stats from athletes across the country.
Erick Nader is a soccer dynamo who learned the game by playing in the streets. Nader grew up playing soccer on the busy streets of Brazil where waking up at 6 a.m. to kick the ball around was the norm. The Framingham, Mass., senior brought the skills he honed in Brazil to the U.S. and has been a dominant force since. Now he's telling us the five biggest differences between Brazil and the U.S.
1. Playing soccer in the streets
"Everywhere you go you see little kids and 20-year-olds playing in the street. Every street has cars stopping from people playing. They have to live with it."
2. Neighbors are closer
"In Brazil, everybody from my neighborhood is close. I know everybody. I live with them and talk with them in the street everyday. Everyone knows each other and is very friendly."
3. Environment is different
"I lived in a rural area. There was a lot of grass and trees. It's better to live with environment. I don't see much of that in the U.S., I don't see as much nature."
4. Living conditions
"The houses are totally different. In Brazil, it's a different image. In Brazil, when you wake up you have a different view. I would wake up and go outside and my grandmother was making a nice breakfast. Here I wake up and I don't see anyone. Also, I wake up late here. In Brazil, I wake up at 6 or 7 and go outside."
5. The weather
"In Brazil, I wake up and it's 80 degrees. Here, I live mostly with cold and snow. I miss the weather. That's a big adjustment. Most Brazilians can't stand it here because of the weather."
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