On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Women’s National Team visited to the White House to commemorate their World Cup victory this summer. President Barack Obama addressed the team in a short ceremony, where he praised their historic win, which was the most-watched soccer match, men’s or women’s, in U.S. history.
“[This team] inspired millions of girls to dream bigger and inspired millions of boys to look at girls differently, which is just as important,” Obama said.
“This team taught all of America’s children that ‘playing like a girl’ means you’re a badass,” he continued. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have used that phrase — ‘playing like a girl’ means you’re the best.”
"This team taught all of America's children that playing like a girl means being a badass" – President @BarackObama. pic.twitter.com/O3eYhNGTGq
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) October 27, 2015
The ceremony opened with 13-year-old Ayla reading a letter that she wrote to the Obamas this summer. While Ayla was watching the USWNT in June, she was upset when her brother came into the room and told her “Ayla, boys are so much better at soccer than girls.”
“I hate the fact that boys’ sports always get the most attention,” Ayla read. “I want to do something about it. It makes me mad that people do not treat girls equally.”
“I don’t know where your brother is right now, but this is some payback here,” Obama said after Ayla introduced him to the small crowd.
"Nothing gives me more hope than knowing that we’ve got a whole generation of young women like Ayla." —@POTUS: pic.twitter.com/RPspqGfuwg
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) October 27, 2015
Obama addressed many of the players on the team individually throughout the speech. He congratulated Sydney Leroux for getting married, commented on Abby Wambach’s “not-so-quiet dominance” and marveled at the corn maze that was made in the shape of Megan Rapinoe’s face.
He also noted that after Carli Lloyd’s hat-trick in the World Cup final, her Wikipedia page was edited by a fan to read: President of the United States.
“By the way, the job’s about to open up. What’s another candidate in the mix?” Obama joked. “I guarantee Carli knows more about being President than some of the folks who are running, but that’s a whole ‘nother topic of conversation.”
The President also pointed out that the team showed how far America has come “on and off the field,” referencing the celebratory kiss that Wambach shared with her wife that was captured by cameras.
The ceremony ended with head coach Jill Ellis presenting Obama with a jersey. “We want you to try out,” Ellis said. “We heard you’ll be free.”