‘Playing like a girl’ means being the best. It means drawing the largest TV audience for a soccer match, men or women’s, in American history, it means wearing our nation’s crest on your jersey, taking yourself and your country to the top of the world. — President Obama
President Barack Obama honored the U.S. Women’s National Team on Tuesday for winning the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The USWNT defeated Japan, 5-2, on July 5 in the final at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada. It was the third Women’s World Cup title for the United States and the first title since 1999.
Introducing the President was 13-year-old Ayla, who wrote to President Obama after her brother told her that “boys are so much better at soccer than girls!”
Watch 13-year-old Ayla introduce @POTUS and congratulate World Cup champion @USSoccer_WNT: https://t.co/gtjlYQmRWJpic.twitter.com/CTOAKWx1Oj
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 27, 2015
President Obama’s congratulatory remarks were wide-ranging, from Sydney Leroux’s dog, Boss Leroux, to “Christie Rampone’s leadership, Alex Morgan’s playmaking, Heather O’Reilly’s game face. It took Becky Sauerbraun’s quiet dominance and Abby Wambach’s not so quiet dominance.”
The President’s final thoughts were delivered loud and clear:
“This team taught all [of] America’s children that ‘playing like a girl’ means you’re a badass.”
Our Game Magazine’s Cynthia Hobgood was there and captured these moments:
Watch the President’s remarks in full:
[divider]About the Photojournalist[/divider]
Cynthia Hobgood is a Washington, DC-based digital communications consultant, photographer and writer. Hobgood started covering soccer as a journalist in 2000 for weekly/daily publications and ultimately, the Associated Press (while also covering other pro and NCAA sports primarily in the DC area.) She previously helped launch a national youth sports nonprofit and started Full 90 Communications earlier this year. Hobgood has a master’s degree in sports management from The George Washington University School of Business and master of arts degree in English from Baylor University.