Lionel Andres Messi was a role model and a leader since he was always willing to assist his colleagues during practice. Messi is an excellent coach. He coaches players and tosses the ball to them during games to help them improve. He has also been praised for his work-rate off the field with charities such as la liga bien jugada (a league that is well played) and C'entro (an organization that provides education to children in underprivileged communities). Messi has been called many things including "arguably the best player in the world", "the king of soccer", "football's poet" but perhaps the most accurate description of him is by his own father who called him a "little god". As a child, Messi showed an interest in football from an early age and this interest grew over time. He practiced daily with his friends until the age of 12 when he went to school instead. He has said that if it weren't for this change in lifestyle, he would never have become such a great player. After graduating from college, Messi joined Barcelona as a youth player and soon became one of the team's star players. He has won several trophies including four UEFA Champions League titles.