First Lady Michelle Obama Welcomes Kids to a Let's Move! Event with the LA Galaxy

The First Lady: Hey, again, you guys, rest your selves, rest yourselves.
You're the champs, you can have chairs.
Hey, again, guys.
I got to hang out with the kids earlier.
We got quick pictures, but we are excited to have you guys
here at the White House.
We're in the State Room.
The State Dining Room is where we greet special official
guests, and you guys count as our special official guests.
We're excited to have you here.
I want to start by thanking all of you kids for joining us here
at the White House today.
Tell me -- yell out -- tell me the organizations you're
representing -- somebody?
See, you guys are from all over the place -- some here,
some from all over the country, right?
Well, thanks for coming and visiting us.
I also want to thank the members of the L.A.
Galaxy soccer team for taking the time to come and answer some
questions, and share some wisdom and some advice for all of you.
So let's give them a big round of applause.
(applause)
So as soccer players, you know who these guys are, don't you?
Children: Yes.
The First Lady: They're pretty cool, right?
They are some of the best soccer players in the entire country
and the entire world.
Amazing, huh?
And they're here!
They're right there, they're right there.
And I want to congratulate them -- join in with my husband in
congratulating them on winning the third MLS Cup.
Very cool, very cool.
But one of the things I want you guys to remember -- all the kids
here to remember, is that these stars were not born
superstar athletes.
They weren't superstar soccer players from the beginning.
In fact, many of them started out just like many of you --
playing on a team at school, or just kicking a ball around
on the playground with their friends.
But they stuck with it.
And I tell this to my girls all the time.
I mean, you get to the point when there are things that you
enjoy, they get to the point where they start getting hard --
that's when you know you're getting good,
and you have to stick through it even when it
starts getting hard.
For some of you, soccer has always been fun,
will always be fun, but sometimes,
when you start growing, you get to the point where you really
have to work hard.
Well, they all hit that wall, and they stuck with it.
They practice for hours every day doing all their drills and
scrimmages, doing everything that their coaches and mentors
told them to do.
And that's how they got to be national champions.
But remember, they didn't do all of this just because they wanted
to win their games.
Winning is great, right?
We all know how to win.
Winning is the easiest thing in the world to do.
But what is the toughest thing?
Is learning how to lose, right?
So they didn't do it just to win.
They didn't do it because they wanted to grow up to be famous.
They played soccer because they love the sport.
And they played because it was challenging and fun,
and because it made they feel strong and healthy.
And that's what sports like soccer are all about.
And they're learning about new skills.
They're learning how to compete.
They're learning how to lose gracefully,
how to win with dignity.
All of that stuff is important with sports.
And that's one of the reasons why when the weather is nice --
because it was raining; we were supposed to be outside,
but they said there were would be thunderstorms.
We're usually outside.
We've been hosting all kinds of fitness activities and clinics
on the South Lawn.
Have some of you guys participated in those?
Nobody has had -- I thought -- we've had --
(laughter)
-- yes, we've had some fun on the South Lawn.
We were supposed out there today,
but because they projected thunderstorms,
we thought we wouldn't have you out there getting struck
by lightning.
That wouldn't look good.
(laughter)
So we brought you inside.
But we've been hosting these clinics on the South Lawn,
which is our backyard here at the White House,
because we want to show kids just like you that there are all
kinds of ways to be active, and that being active is also a
whole lot of fun.
So a lot of what we do while there are soccer drills and
things like that going on, we're doing a lot of playing around
and laughing, and realizing that that's what being healthy
is about.
It's not always work; most of the time it's a lot of fun.
And that's also why in connection with the Olympic and
Paralympic Games that are coming up -- you guys know about that?
You know that we're going to be in London competing with teams
all across the world.
You know that?
And I'm going to be leading the delegation.
I'm not playing a sport or anything --
(laughter)
-- I am not an Olympian.
But I get to lead the delegation that represents
the United States.
But as part of the Olympic Games, the U.S.
Soccer Federation has made a really important commitment that
I got to announce yesterday.
They're going to be working to help increase opportunities for
kids to get involved in a whole variety of sports,
especially soccer.
Soccer has really stepped up.
They're going to be hosting more clinics and more after-school
programs in cities all across the country so that more kids
like you get exposure to opportunities that maybe
normally you wouldn't, or it gives you even a little more
excitement to get even more committed into your sport.
Because the Federation also knows and these guys up here
know that being active and learning new skills doesn't just
help you become a better soccer player or a better athlete.
It gives you the energy that you need to keep you from getting
sick, to do well in school, to be able to focus on your bigger
dreams -- because there is life after soccer.
There is something more important than sports,
and that's becoming a well-rounded person.
And being healthy and eating the right foods,
and staying active is a part of that.
And that's what everybody here is trying to promote.
And that's why I'm so pleased with our U.S.
Olympic Federation and all the teams that have made a
commitment to invest in kids like you across the country.
So that's one of the reasons why we're here.
But we're also here because this team, these guys,
they wanted to talk to you.
They're here because they were getting congratulations from the
President, but they also said they wanted to talk to kids just
like you.
And I'm really pleased that you guys are so interested in taking
the time not just to play the game but to spend time with
young people, talking to them about a whole range of things.
So they are here for you.
And I'm going to leave and let them step up.
But feel free to ask them any kind of questions.
And I've already talked to you all -- you all are not shy.
None of them are. Right?
So speak up, ask questions.
Ask about anything you have on your mind.
Don't be nervous.
You're at home.
And have fun, okay?
And keep playing hard, working hard, doing well in school,
and eat your vegetables.
(laughter)
All right?
All right, I'm going to get out of here and let these
guys take over.
Thanks so much.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: You guys all right?
Children: Yes!
Landon Donovan: Good. Anybody have questions?
Not yet, but anyone have questions?
Shellie Pfohl: They've been thinking about it.
Landon Donovan: They have?
Shellie Pfohl: Yeah.
Landon Donovan: That's good.
Shellie Pfohl: Let me grab that real quick.
Hi, guys!
Children: Hi!
Shellie Pfohl: I'm Shelly again, right.
We met early.
We've been practicing.
We've been quizzing these guys a little bit on their practice
habits and their eating habits and so forth.
Before we throw it out to questions guys,
I had a question that I wanted to go down the line
and ask you guys.
Actually, it's four things you got to remember.
So four things I need you to tell the kids.
Number one -- and I know these guys know who you are,
but just in case.
So your name, how long you've been with the LA Galaxy,
your favorite activity besides playing soccer,
because you know, cross training is important, right.
So favorite activity besides playing soccer and your favorite
healthy snack.
So name, how long you've been with the team,
favorite activity beside soccer and favorite healthy snack.
You want to start down here?
A.J. DeLaGarza: Hi. My name is A.J. DeLaGarza.
This is my fourth year with the LA Galaxy.
My favorite activity would be probably running around with
my dog in a dog park.
And my favorite healthy snack would be pineapples.
(applause)
Todd Dunivant: Hey, everyone.
I'm Todd Dunivant.
This is my fifth season playing with the Galaxy.
My favorite activity would probably be ping-pong.
I used to always play with my brother.
Shellie Pfohl: Does anyone play ping-pong?
Table tennis?
Todd Dunivant: And then favorite snack has got to be any kind of berry.
Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries.
We got some love out there.
(applause)
Landon Donovan: All right. Hi, guys.
My name is Landon Donovan.
I've been with the team -- I'm getting old.
I think this is my eighth year with the LA Galaxy.
My favorite activity -- like A.J., I have dogs at home.
I love walking along the beach with my dogs.
That's one of my favorite things to do.
And it's good exercise in the mean time.
My favorite healthy snack.
I really love fruit.
So pretty much any fruit I'll eat and love.
(applause)
Yes! Yes!
David Beckham: Hi, guys. I'm David Beckham.
I've been with the Galaxy -- this is my sixth season,
so six years.
I have four children.
I have a 13 year old boy, a 9 year old boy,
a 7 year old boy and a 9 month old little girl.
So my favorite activity is spending time with them at the
park, playing soccer of course.
And my favorite snack would have to be -- when I was your age,
I was told that carrots would make me see in the dark.
So I love carrots.
(applause)
Sean Franklin: Hi, everyone. I'm Sean Franklin.
I'm in my fifth season with the LA Galaxy.
Besides soccer, I like playing basketball.
And probably my favorite healthy snack is trail mix but the bag
that has the M&M's in it.
(applause)
Michael Magee: My name is Mike Magee.
This is my fourth year with the LA Galaxy.
Like David, I have a two year old daughter.
And I think my favorite thing is, you know,
chasing her around the house and playing games with her.
And my favorite healthy snack is definitely mangos.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Thank you. All right.
Anybody like mangos?
Who's had mangos?
Oh good! This is a good group.
We've got some groups said they don't even know what a mango is.
You guys are on it.
Very good.
Well, this is the time that you guys get to ask questions.
I know some of you guys have some questions.
I need you to raise your hand and then we're going to get a
microphone, right.
So we want you to speak into the microphone so everyone can hear.
Who has a question?
Let's start in this section over here, and then we'll go around.
Wait until we get the microphone.
Child: My question is, is it hard to play soccer and
be a professional one?
Landon Donovan: I'm going to start since I'm -- not the
oldest but been here the longest.
It is at times very hard, yes.
How old are you?
You're nine?
So at your age, it was very easy for most of us because it was
just fun, no responsibility, and you can just enjoy it
in that way.
When you get older, as a professional,
there's a lot of hard work that comes along.
So maybe if you see us play on a Saturday afternoon,
you think oh, that's great.
But meanwhile, what's happening all week is we're working very
hard so that we're ready to play on Saturday.
So it's still very fun.
It's fun in a little bit different way.
You have to work a little harder.
But I don't think any of us would be doing this still if
we didn't enjoy it.
So yeah. We like it.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Let's take a question from this section.
How about this young lady on the inside here.
Yep.
We'll get a microphone over there.
Child: My question is what inspired you to play soccer?
Shellie Pfohl: What inspired you?
Someone want to start on that one?
Maybe someone over here?
Sean Franklin: I'll start.
It was Christmas of 1994 and my mom had bought me a World
Cup tape of all the games.
It was highlights.
And I would watch it over and over.
I would watch it before club soccer games, high school games.
That was like my motivation.
That got me going.
And ever since that video, I've enjoyed soccer.
And I thank my mom for starting, for helping my career.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Great. Great. Anybody else?
What inspired you?
Todd Dunivant: I had a brother that was six years older than me.
And I wanted to do everything that he did,
and not only do it but do it better than him.
We were really competitive.
So we always -- I said ping-pong was my favorite thing.
We would play that all day long.
We'd play soccer, basketball, every sport you could think of.
And soccer was his main sport.
And so I just tried to follow in his footsteps.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Great. Thank you.
How about this section?
All right.
Can we get the young man in the back?
There we go.
Child: I have a question for Landon.
When was your first game with LA Galaxy?
Landon Donovan: Do you want to take a guess?
Child: No.
Landon Donovan: No? It might have been before you were born.
How old are you?
Child: Eight.
Landon Donovan: You're eight?
So you were probably maybe one years old.
My first game was in 2005.
And it was very exciting for me because I had played in Germany
before that and then in Northern California.
But I'm from Los Angeles.
So I had a chance to come play for my hometown team which was
really cool as an athlete.
All my friends and family were there.
And I got to play.
It was fun.
Good question.
Shellie Pfohl: Tell us your name and where you're from.
Child: Christian.
Shellie Pfohl: And where are you from?
Child: El Salvador.
Landon Donovan: El Salvador.
Shellie Pfohl: El Salvador.
Wonderful. Yes. Thank you.
And then we'll take someone from over here.
And if you'll tell us your name and where you're from,
that would be great.
Child: My name is Demontré Bledsoe [phonetic].
Shellie Pfohl: Yeah!
Landon Donovan: He doesn't need a mic.
Shellie Pfohl: That's right!
Child: My name is Demontré Bledsoe [phonetic] and
I am from St. Louis.
All right, David Beckham.
(laughter)
What did it take to become the man that you are today?
Shellie Pfohl: Wow! Whoa! Look out media!
David Beckham: I think the President's got some competition.
It took a lot of hard work, a lot of dedication because when
we were all your age, which for myself was quite a few years
ago, I wanted to enjoy myself playing soccer.
I loved playing soccer.
It was something that I always wanted to do and to be,
a soccer player.
So there was a lot of hard work involved,
but I wanted to enjoy the sport.
I wanted to enjoy doing something like soccer and
continue to do it.
So I was very lucky throughout my career.
I stayed dedicated.
I had a lot of good people around me,
family and my friends.
But it's about hard work.
It's about looking after yourself.
It's about eating the right things,
drinking the right things, and working hard.
And the enjoyment part is the biggest part.
And I still love playing soccer like I did when I was your age.
Thank you.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Great question.
Let's come back over here.
I think we had a question -- second row on the end here.
Second row on the end.
Let's come right here.
Child: What position do you play?
David Beckham: My position is on the right of mid-field.
It's a position where you don't score that many goals but you
have a lot of assists.
So that's what I tell the coach anyway.
(laughter)
Shellie Pfohl: Team is important, right guys, the whole team.
All right. Let's go back over here.
Got a question from this section?
Right here, second row.
Child: How does your coach coach you?
Shellie Pfohl: Great question.
Yeah, let's take that one.
A.J. DeLaGarza: Since he's over there in the corner,
he's a very good coach, one of the greatest coaches ever in the
United States.
He was the national team's coach.
He used to coach D.C. United here.
When I was growing up -- I was born in D.C., and my favorite
team growing up was D.C. United.
He was the head coach then, and it's fun to play with him now.
Shellie Pfohl: Anybody else want to take that one?
(laughter)
They're not touching it, coach.
They're not touching it. They're not touching it.
All right.
We got some great youth coaches right here in this room.
So how about -- let's have a hand for your coaches, right!
Yeah! Awesome. Awesome.
These coaches are so important to the program.
So make sure you thank them every day, for sure.
How about over here?
We have another question over here?
Yes, sir.
Child: What inspires you to be in this team?
David Beckham: Mike, you take one.
Mike Magee: That's a good question.
I think a lot of things inspire you growing up.
I was from Chicago.
So I think growing up, you know, watching Michael Jordan and,
you know, seeing the things, you know,
that team did and the way they competed, you know,
kind of inspired me to be active and play sports.
And obviously, I'm playing a different sport now,
but I think that was a pretty big influence for me.
Shellie Pfohl: Great. Thank you.
(applause)
All right.
Who's got another question?
Right up here.
Yep, second row here.
I knew we would get to you!
Child: Well, this is for David Beckham.
You know, I'm a Madrid fan, so I just wanted to tell you that.
Why did you move from Madrid?
David Beckham: I moved from the Madrid because -- I used to play for Manchester
United for 12 years.
And then I moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid where I
played for four years.
And I won the championship in my last year.
And then I had the opportunity to come to this great country
for a different challenge, playing a sport that is not
one of the biggest sports in the country.
And I love a challenge.
I love being part of a team.
I've got great teammates, great coaching staff, great fans.
So I wanted to come play here and be successful here and
win a championship.
And it's one of the reasons why we're in the White House today,
because we won the championship.
So that's one of the reasons why I moved.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Great. Have you all been to a professional soccer game?
Who's been to a professional soccer game?
All right.
Most of you but not quite all of you.
So that's a good aspiration, to get you guys to a game for sure.
All right.
Question over here?
How about the young lady here, yeah,
with the orange shirt underneath.
Child: Hello. My name is Jada.
And this is for David Beckham.
Do you inspire kids to be the best?
David Beckham: Another great question.
Yeah, of course.
When I was growing up, I wanted, you know,
to look up to role models such as some of the great soccer
players that played for our country and played for
Manchester United which was the team that I supported.
So I always -- I think it's important for children to have
role models, like Mike was saying about Michael Jordan.
It's always important to have someone to look up to and aspire
to be.
And I hope you've all got someone that you look up to and
aspire to be because it's very important in life and in sport.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Great. Good question. All right.
While we're over here, the gentleman in the third row,
I guess, while we're over on this side.
Tell us your name and where you're from.
Child: My name is Santes Williams [phonetic].
I'm from St. Louis, Missouri.
This is for Mike.
Is it any kind of food that you like to eat before the game?
Shellie Pfohl: Ah, good one.
Mike Magee: I tend to always eat the same thing on game days.
I start off every day eating cereal,
which I don't know if that's maybe the best thing,
but I enjoy it.
And then always pasta and fruits.
I try not to eat too much because I don't want to be full.
And you know I'm not that fast of a guy to begin with.
So I don't want to eat too much and be slowed down.
So I just try to eat just the right amount.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: The First Lady obviously talks a lot with the Let's Move campaign
about the importance of good nutrition and
good physical activity and the importance of both.
And you guys have to live that every day.
So it's about what you put in your body is how you get
the most out of it.
And have you guys had to really learn that?
Did you pay attention to that earlier in your careers?
Or has that been part of kind of an evolution for you in terms of
really focusing in on the fuel part, the nutrition part.
Landon Donovan: That's a good question, because I think when you're younger,
as you guys probably experience, you can kind of get away with
eating whatever because you have lots of energy.
But as you start to get a little older,
you realize how important what you put in your body is.
And unfortunately, as you get older,
you can't get away with eating whatever because you don't feel
well if you do.
And especially as athletes, if you don't eat right,
you're not going to be able to play in the game right.
So if you guys are all coming to a game and excited to watch
us and we haven't taken care of ourselves and eaten properly the
night before or the same day, we're not going to perform well.
And it's going to be disappointing for everyone.
So aside from that, above all of that,
I believe it's more enjoyable to put things in your body that
make you feel good.
And I think the more you can experiment and see what's
healthy and what also can taste good -- because there's a lot of
healthy foods that taste very good -- you'll not only be a
better and healthier person, but you'll feel a lot better too.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Great. More questions?
Oh, we got some up front here.
How about right here?
Then we'll go here.
Name and where you're from first.
Child: Hi. My name is Ingrid Melvar [phonetic].
I'm from Washington, D.C.
What's your favorite skill you like to do the best?
Shellie Pfohl: Favorite soccer skill?
Child: Yeah.
Shellie Pfohl: Okay, guys?
Todd Dunivant: This might not be as glamorous as most people would think,
but there's three defenders up here.
So we not only have to do good things with the ball but we also
have to take it from the other team.
So for us, tackling is a big thing.
So tackling is actually a skill.
And defending is a skill.
And you can't win championships without good defending.
So I think, for all the defenders,
we like a good tackle.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Great. Now, we had another question right up front here.
Child: This is for Landon.
Shellie Pfohl: Name and where you're from.
Child: My name is Francisco, and I'm from the United States.
Shellie Pfohl: Wonderful. Francisco from the United States of America.
You're on!
Child: Are you ready for your match versus Brazil?
Landon Donovan: Am I what?
Child: Ready versus Brazil?
Landon Donovan: Am I ready for the match versus Brazil?
Hi Francisco.
Nice to meet you.
He's asking -- I also play, actually a number of us have
played for our countries also.
So we play for the Galaxy in Los Angeles but David
also plays for England.
Us three also play -- actually, everyone up here besides David
plays for America.
And we have a match actually back here in D.C. against Brazil
at the end of May which will be very fun.
As most of you maybe know, Brazil is kind of known as one
of the best teams in the world.
And we're going to play at Fed-Ex Field, I think,
where the Redskins play, which will be a lot of fun.
So I'm excited about it, yes.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: I think, in other words, Francisco is saying, y'all
better be ready.
Be ready for Brazil.
So we've got time for one more question.
Who haven't we gotten yet?
How about in the back?
Yep. In the back.
Child: Hi. My name is Ramone and I'm from El Salvador.
This question is for all the players.
What do you think soccer is mostly about?
Shellie Pfohl: Nice.
David Beckham: Well, soccer is mostly about having fun.
When you play at a professional level,
it still needs to be about having fun.
When you're your age, again, it's all about having fun.
It's great to win.
Like the First Lady said, it's great to win.
But you also have to learn how to lose gracefully.
Because like I tell my children all the time,
you can't win every game.
But it's about enjoying yourself.
It's about taking part.
It's about looking after yourself and having fun.
Sean Franklin: I would say it's a lot -- I say mentally you
really got to be in it.
It's tough for -- to be in a game 90 minutes,
to have your head in every single play,
being aware of every situation.
You could be the best player on the field.
You can have the best skills, but you also have to have it
up here.
And that's something that's tough to do over the course
of a game.
And I think that's one of the more important
aspects of soccer.
(applause)
Mike Magee: I would definitely agree with what David said,
you know, in terms of just enjoying playing.
You know, obviously, if you don't enjoy it,
you're not having fun, then maybe you should find something
that you do have more fun doing.
So yeah. That's all.
A.J. DeLaGarza: Well, I think as an athlete, we all enjoy competitive games.
We're competitors.
That's why we do what we do.
You want to win.
And that's kind of what drives us.
(applause)
Todd Dunivant: For me, it's a lot about team work.
And it's about relying on the guy next to you and backing up
the guy next to you.
If he slips, if he falls, you're right there to make the play for
him and vice versa.
And anything you do in life, it's really hard to get ahead
just relying on yourself.
You have to rely on other people, work with other people.
And sports is an amazing way to kind of learn those lessons and
to thrive on, you know, the camaraderie that you get from
being in a team.
So for me, it's all about a team and sharing championships with,
you know, these guys up here and all of our teammates.
That's what you really enjoy.
That's what I enjoy.
(applause)
Landon Donovan: I agree with everybody up here.
Certainly you have to enjoy it.
I think the team work aspect is a lot of fun for me personally.
There's a lot of individual sports people play.
But there's something really special about getting together
with a bunch of guys and doing something really special.
And before we leave, I think -- the reason we're all here
is because we have these rings on.
Did you guys all see these?
Pretty cool right.
I'm going to hand this -- don't steal it.
There's a lot of security here.
But you guys can pass it around and look at it.
Don't steal it, okay Francisco.
But the reason we're here is because we all came together
as a team and did something really special.
And that's a really cool feeling.
And it's not just six guys here.
It's 20 something other guys at home.
It's all our coaching staff and the people who support us.
And that's a really cool feeling,
to come together with a bunch of people and do
something like that.
So that's what I enjoy.
Audience Member: I have a question.
Sitting in here, looking at all of these kids who look up to you
all on the stage, being a DC Scores coach -- this is my
eighth year coaching this group of kids right here
from Brightwood.
But anyways, what kind of advice would you give them?
Like one word or one sentence from each of you to just keep
that momentum going.
If you have one piece of advice that you could just give each of
these kids in this room.
Because obviously everybody in here is here for a reason.
They love soccer.
We love to play the game.
We hate to lose, but we love to win, you know, that whole spiel.
But if you could just say one thing to them, what would it be?
Landon Donovan: I'll start.
My mom always said to me that if you don't enjoy it, don't do it.
And I've heard a lot of guys say similar things
in different ways today.
And it seems like all you guys are soccer fans or may have
played or do play, right?
There's very few people who become professionals at this.
But there's tens of millions of people who love this game
and enjoy it.
And if it's not this, find something you're
passionate about.
Whether it's another sport, whether it's reading,
whether it's writing, whether it's being a mathematician or a
scientist, find something you're passionate about and
you love doing.
And I think you'll go a long way in life.
(applause)
Shellie Pfohl: Anyone else?
I think that said it pretty well.
Well, let's give one more round of applause for our wonderful LA
Galaxy folks.
(applause)
Guys, thank you so much.
Congratulations again.
It's wonderful.
And again, we're so proud to have you as
wonderful spokespeople.
Chris and I work with the President's Council on Fitness,
Sports and Nutrition.
So it's really important that, from a youth sport standpoint,
that we have great role models that these kids can look up to
and gain such great wisdom from and learn from because you're
doing it and living it every day.
So thank you so much.
(applause)