Obama Brings Athletes' Work Ethic to Washington
The Advantages of Being an Athlete in the White House
Dec 28, 2008
Aside of the fact that President-elect Obama is the first African-American president; there is another fact about him that deserves equal attention. Obama is an exceptional future president, not only because of his race but also because of his background as an athlete.
He is the first basketball player in the Oval Office. He played on the high school team and kept playing after graduation. That says a lot about his personality and work ethic. An athlete, who learned to work hard to achieve a goal, will always approach his tasks with a lot of determination and discipline.
Athlete Presidents
President-elect Obama is not the first athlete-President. President Theodore Roosevelt was a boxer at Harvard who continued to train and box even during his days in the Oval Office. President Gerald Ford was a football player who played center and linebacker at the University of Michigan. George H. W. Bush was the Captain of Yale’s baseball team and was a lifetime 0.354 hitter with two home runs and 23 RBI’s in 175 at-bats.
Once and Athlete is Always and Athlete
Being an athlete means that the person is used to a training schedule and is well-aware of the amount of work that is needed in order to improve and stay competitive. Being an athlete is much more than just having the skills to play a sport well. Growing up training every day for hours and learn the work ethic and discipline to continue training is a quality that stays with every athlete in their lives.
Choosing a team sport also says a lot about Obama's personality. He is a team player who is capable of both leading and playing a part of the team. As a team player, President-elect Obama knows how to work together with others, and as a team leader he learned how to take his team to the top by selecting the best players.
Obama’s Cabinet
It is enough to look at his bipartisan cabinet to recognize heritage of a team player. President-elect Obama did reach across the isle to the Republicans to name the best possible team members so he can have the most knowledgeable cabinet ready to face the economic, social and political issues ahead.
With the current economic crisis, the need to reform healthcare and education, and the urgent need to change American Foreign Policy, athlete-President-elect Obama has the best qualities to take on the White House in January 20th and show what team leadership combined with a desire to succeed can do for this country and for the world.
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