Obama Honors National Champion College Athletes - East Idaho News
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Obama Honors National Champion College Athletes

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020713 PresidentObama?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1394527294401Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) — President Obama Monday honored college athletes from across the country at the White House, saying they embodied the championship spirit on the field and in their communities.
 
“No matter what sport you play, no matter where you come from, for the rest of your lives every single one of you is going to be able to call yourselves a national champion,” the president told the students, who all won NCAA Division I championships.
 
“A title like that means not just performing your best when the spotlight is on and the game is under way, but also pushing yourself even harder when nobody is watching… That’s the championship spirit that we’re celebrating today — not just the trophies in the display case back home, but the drive and the toughness and the teamwork that put them there,” he said at the ceremony on the White House South Lawn.
 
The athletes represented a wide range of sports, including soccer, volleyball, hockey, lacrosse, fencing, golf and tennis.
 
The president also praised the students for being role models and giving back to their local communities. “That’s the kind of ethic that shows this is not just about winning.  It’s about learning how to lift other people up. That’s what makes a true champion,” he said.
 
Obama lauded the women’s teams in particular for paving the way for his own two daughters. “There was a time when college women’s athletics was relegated to second status.  And all of you here are showing the incredible strides that we’ve made over the last couple of decades,” he noted.

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