Barack Obama Stops by High School Soccer Practice, Tries to Juggle Ball

President Obama isn’t Pele, but he’ll give it a shot.

On the second day of his two-day bus tour through New York and Pennsylvania last week, the president stopped for a surprise visit in Tully, N.Y., and spoke with students and faculty at Tully High School.

Part of his tour of the campus included a trip out to the pitch, where the boys' and girls' varsity teams were practicing. 

According to Teri Weaver of Syracuse.com, the president says he saw the players practicing from his tour bus and decided to stop for a kick.

“I was driving by and I thought...I’d like to kick the ball around a little bit,” Obama said.

And kick the president did, even trying a bit of juggling when one of the players surprised him with a pass. It wasn’t the slickest exhibition in the world, but he did manage to pop the ball up. Not bad for a 52-year-old guy who spends most of his time giving speeches, reading reports and weighing policy.

Obama took turns speaking with both teams, starting first with the girls, asking them if they could beat the boys. 

“Oh, definitely,” one girl said.

The president took these tidings to the boys. 

“I hate to stir up trouble,” Obama said to the young men's team, “but the girls said they could beat you.”

Reportedly, the boys disagreed. 

The president then took a moment to speak to the students about their futures, specifically their plans for higher education.

Before leaving, Obama took one last go at the soccer ball, teeing off on a penalty kick in the box. The press members present had retreated back to the bus and weren’t able to see the result, but they report hearing the crowd cheer.

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