Michelle Obama Takes On John McEnroe

The White House has just released this photo of First Lady Obama in action on a court in New York with tennis legend John McEnroe, seven-time Grand Slam winner. The photo was taken earlier this month when Mrs. Obama visited the US Open for a Let's Move! junior tennis clinic. There's been no word on whether or not Mrs. Obama shouted "You cannot be serious!" at McEnroe, however. The First Lady also played doubles with Serena Williams. *White House photo by Samantha Appleton.

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Michelle Obama Takes Let's Move! To US Open

First Lady gets "fired up" with kids at junior tennis clinic in New York...
September, by President Obama's proclamation, is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and during a visit to the US Open on Friday morning, First Lady Michelle Obama took her Let's Move! message to the tennis courts. She clocked a 55 mph serve as she participated in a junior clinic sponsored by the US Tennis Association. Joined by a big group of excited local kids clad in Let's Move! t-shirts, Mrs. Obama volleyed with tennis legend John McEnroe in the SmashZone at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. She played doubles with a junior partner against Serena Williams, who arrived at the clinic after having just advanced to the Open semifinals. (Above: Mrs. Obama and Williams talk tennis with a junior player)

"I am so incredibly fired up to finally be at my first US Open," Mrs. Obama said as she thanked the USTA for supporting her childhood obesity campaign with a series of programs across the nation.

"I am excited to see so many pumped-up little tennis players right here," she said. Tennis legend Billie Jean King and US Open competitors James Blake, Katrina Adams and MaliVai Washington also joined Mrs. Obama at the clinic.

Now an avid racketeer, the First Lady said she who didn't start playing tennis until she graduated from Harvard Law School. Clad in a white sweat jacket and black pants, Mrs. Obama hailed the sport during brief remarks as one that is a terrific way for kids to stay active, even if they're not good at it. (Above: The First Lady volleys with McEnroe, not pictured)

"I grew up in the city, on the south side. And there were not a lot of tennis courts around," Mrs. Oama said of her childhood in Chicago. "And I’m not really good or anything like that -- that’s the beauty of tennis. You don’t have to be good to enjoy it, because I love the game and my skills are very questionable."

To support Let's Move, USTA has built or refurbished almost 2,000 kid-sized tennis courts throughout the country over the past year, and introduced “10 and Under” Tennis to 26 cities.

"The courts that you’ve built, these kid-size courts, are just amazing," Mrs. Obama said. "They will break that barrier. They’ll make tennis accessible to kids like me who don’t have access to the larger courts."

Tennis, Mrs. Obama said, "is great for kids," and that's why she's introduced it to her daughters at a young age. (Above: Mrs. Obama with her junior doubles partner)

"It gets you moving. It keeps you focused. You’ve got to move your muscles," Mrs. Obama said. "You’ve got to be quick. You’ve got to be strong."

Sasha, 10, accompanied her mother to the event.

"I know people in their 90s that are still playing tennis, and I want to be one of those people," Mrs. Obama said. "I want my daughters to be some of those people. And I want all kids around the country to have access to opportunities and to get some exposure to sports like tennis so that you guys figure out what your loves are."

Tennis isn't the only way to stay active, Mrs. Obama told the kids. Billie Jean King is a member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and USTA has recruited more than 223,000 kids to complete the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) challenge.

"There are so many other ways that you guys can stay fit," Mrs. Obama told the kids. "I mean, staying fit and being active means just jumping up and down. It can be dancing."

The First Lady also gave the kids her signature pitch for healthy eating.

"We want you guys eating right, too, and that’s what the “Let’s Move” campaign is all about," Mrs. Obama said. "We’re trying to get kids engaged in nutritious eating and keeping their bodies moving in all types of ways."

The First Lady later hula hooped and played against kids in a tennis video game at an indoor facility designed to get young players excited about the sport. (Above: Mrs. Obama with USTA Chairman of the Board and President Jon Vegosen, Washington, King, Blake, Williams and Adams)

Mrs. Obama's trip to New York was a day trip; she returned to Washington in the afternoon. She will be back in New York on Sunday to mark the tenth anniversary of 9/11 with President Obama.

*The full transcript of Mrs. Obama's remarks is here. Videos of Mrs. Obama promoting the USTA-Let's Move! partnership and President Obama at a South Lawn USTA clinic are here.

To find out more about getting a USTA tennis court in your community, click here. For more information on the PALA challenge, click here.

After her morning outing, Mrs. Obama and Sasha took in the men’s quarterfinal matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium. They were joined by King and kids from the clinic. There was much hilarity as Mrs. Obama and her guests watched themselves on the stadium's jumbotron (above; Sasha, in yellow, laughs with her mother).

The First Lady had an outfit change to watch the tennis matches, and wore patriotic red.

*Photos courtesy of US Tennis Association

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Transcript: First Lady's Remarks At Let's Move! US Tennis Association Clinic

Let's Move! hits the US Open...
First Lady Michelle Obama made a day trip to New York on Friday to participate in a US Tennis Association kids' tennis clinic at the organization's showcase venue, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. A full post about the event is here.

The clinic was a Let's Move! event designed to inspire kids to get active. Mrs. Obama volleyed with racket legend John McEnroe, clocking a 55 mph serve, and took on kids with Serena Williams as a doubles partner. Billie Jean King; James Blake; Katrina Adams and MaliVai Washington also participated in the clinic. After, the First Lady watched some of the action at the US Open, accompanied by daughter Sasha. (Above: Mrs. Obama during her remarks, with from l Blake, USTA Chairman of the Board and President Jon Vegosen, King, Adams and McEnroe)

The First Lady also joined the kids in a tennis video game, table tennis and other activities in the SmashZone, an indoor facility designed to get young players excited about the sport.

To support Let's Move, USTA has built or refurbished almost 2,000 kid-sized tennis courts throughout the country over the past year. They've also recruited over 223,000 kids to complete the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) challenge, and introduced “10 and Under” Tennis to 26 cities. To find out more about getting a USTA tennis court in your community, click here. For more information on the PALA challenge, click here. (Above: Mrs. Obama with Williams)

The transcript of the First Lady's remarks:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the First Lady
_________________________________________________

For Immediate Release
September 9, 2011

REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY
AT USTA “LET’S MOVE” EVENT

USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center - SmashZone
New York, New York

11:01 A.M. EDT

MRS. OBAMA: Well, this is exciting. Are you guys excited?
CHILDREN: Yeah!

MRS. OBAMA: Are you pumped up?

CHILDREN: Yeah!

MRS. OBAMA: Are you ready to show me some moves?

CHILDREN: Yeah!

MRS. OBAMA: All right. So I’m not going to talk long, because we got to get some smashing done in the SmashZone, right? So if you’re in the SmashZone, you have to smash, right? (Laughter.) So we will be doing some smashing.

But I want to thank several people, not just Jon Vegosen, who is the USTA president. You all have done an amazing job. This is an example of how the nation is answering the call for young people. We asked people to get involved, to step up, to find ways to engage more young people, to help you guys get active and healthy, to eat right, to appreciate exercise. And people like Jon, likes James, like Billie Jean, Katrina, John McEnroe -- they have answered the call with such enthusiasm. And that’s one of the reasons why I’m here. I mean, I have been trying to get to the U.S. Open my entire life. This is the first time I’ve been here. We couldn’t get here last year. So, yes, I’m excited to be here. I am so incredibly fired up to finally be at my first U.S. Open. (Applause.)

But I am equally excited and proud to be standing in partnership with the USTA and all that they’ve done for thousands -- hundreds of thousands of kids across this country. And you all are an example of what we can do when we put our minds to it.

So I am just extremely grateful to all that you’ve done. So let’s give the USTA a big round of applause. (Applause.)

Now, I’m probably like the average kid. I didn’t -- I grew up in the city, on the south side. And there were not a lot of tennis courts around. So I really didn’t get exposure to the sport until after law school, when I just sort of picked it up and started playing with some friends. And it’s the kind of sport that you just develop a passion for. And I’m not really good or anything like that -- that’s the beauty of tennis. You don’t have to be good to enjoy it, because I love the game and my skills are very questionable. (Laughter.)

But that’s one of the reasons why I introduced the sport to my kids early on, because it’s the kind of thing that -- it’s great for kids because it gets you moving. It keeps you focused. You’ve got to move your muscles. You’ve got to be quick. You’ve got to be strong. Gets those arm muscles going, gets your heart pumping. But it’s a sport you can do forever. I mean, that’s one of the beauties. I know people in their 90s that are still playing tennis, and I want to be one of those people. I want my daughters to be some of those people. And I want all kids around the country to have access to opportunities and to get some exposure to sports like tennis so that you guys figure out what your loves are.

It may not be tennis, because there are so many other ways that you guys can stay fit. I mean, staying fit and being active means just jumping up and down. It can be dancing. It can be, you know, playing table tennis. It doesn’t have to be tennis, because not everybody is going to love tennis, not everybody is going to have access to the sport.

But what we hope to do through efforts like this is to introduce young people to the vast array of opportunities that they have just to keep their bodies moving.

In addition, we want you guys eating right, too, and that’s what the “Let’s Move” campaign is all about. Have all of you guys heard about “Let’s Move”? I see you have our t-shirts on, so I’m assuming you know a little bit of something about “Let’s Move.” We’re doing this for you, because we want the next generation of kids to be healthy and happy and strong, because if you’re not healthy it’s tough for you to pursue any other dreams that you have.

So we’re trying to get kids engaged in nutritious eating and keeping their bodies moving in all types of ways, and tennis is one of many ways you can do it.

So I am excited to see so many pumped-up little tennis players right here. And I am, again, grateful to the USTA. The courts that you’ve built, these kid-size courts, are just amazing. They will break that barrier. They’ll make tennis accessible to kids like me who don’t have access to the larger courts. And it also helps to make the sport approachable for kids, because I know that my kids didn’t like it early on because it’s a little intimidating to play with a hard ball on a big court. Your arm’s not strong enough to hit it over, so then you’re frustrated and you don’t want to play anymore. But these courts give you the skills and introduce you to the sport at your level so that you can learn to love it and then graduate up to the bigger court. So I think this is just phenomenal.

So I’m so proud of the USTA. I’m proud of all of you. And I’m going to start -- stop talking so that we can start playing, right? Are we ready to move?

CHILDREN: Yeah!

MRS. OBAMA: All right, let’s move! Let’s move! (Applause.) You guys can really move. I know they told you to be still, but you can move.

END 11:06 A.M. EDT
##
*Photos from USTA

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Love & Let's Move!: Michelle Obama Joins US Open Players For Junior Tennis Clinic

First Lady travels to Queens, New York, for USTA kids' fitness event at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center...
UPDATE: The post about the event is here.
Since moving into the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama has repeatedly said that tennis is her favorite sport. There's a court on the South Lawn, and Mrs. Obama has made good use of it. On Friday, the First Tennis Player will get to test her skills against some of the world's best players, when she travels to New York for a special Let's Move! tennis clinic with players participating in the US Open. The East Wing just announced the outing; Mrs. Obama and local kids will swing their rackets at a junior tennis clinic sponsored by the U.S. Tennis Association, which has made major commitments to help young people stay active in support of the Let’s Move! initiative. (Above: Mrs. Obama and a junior player in a promotional video for the Let's Move-USTA partnership)

The event will be at USTA's showcase venue, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, according to the First Lady's Press Secretary, Hannah August. King is herself a member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and joined the First Lady at the White House in May to launch a special Let's Move! initiative for military families. Mrs. Obama's visit to New York will be a day trip, August said.

According to August, the tennis superstars who will join Mrs. Obama for the clinic include Billie Jean King; Serena Williams; John McEnroe; James Blake; Katrina Adams and MaliVai Washington.

To support Let's Move, USTA has built or refurbished almost 2,000 kid-sized tennis courts throughout the country over the past year. They've also recruited over 223,000 kids to complete the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award challenge, and introduced “10 and Under” Tennis to 26 cities. In August of 2011, President Obama dropped in on a USTA-Let's Move! tennis clinic on the South Lawn, where he confabbed with excited junior tennis players, as well as Doubles superstars the Bryan Brothers, identical twins who have proved themselves unstoppable:



Mrs. Obama starred as a "ballgirl" in a video with husband and wife tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, promoting USTA's Let's Move! partnership in a video released in March of 2011.

"Now, it's easier to play an hour a day every day," Mrs. Obama says onscreen, before she's shushed by a junior tennis whiz:



*To find out more about getting a USTA tennis court in your community, click here. For more information on the PALA challenge, click here.

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