    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [April 6, 1998]
    [Pages 508-509]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Major League Soccer Champion D.C. United and an Exchange
    With Reporters
    April 6, 1998

        The President. Thank you very much. Welcome to the Rose Garden on
    this beautiful spring afternoon, Congresswoman Norton, Mrs. Barry, Councilman
    Evans.
        In addition to being a magnificent spring day, this is also National
    Student Athlete Day. So I want to give a special welcome to those who
    have joined us to celebrate the achievements of students across the
    country. I want to thank Richard Lapchick,
    the director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at
    Northeastern University, and Ron Stratten
    of the NCAA for your work to promote academics, athletics, and community
    service among our Nation's youth.
        I also want to welcome Kevin Payne, the
    president and general manager of D.C. United, and Coach Bruce
    Arena and the members and the staff of this very
    talented team. You've all worked hard to make D.C. United the most
    successful team in Major League Soccer history, winners of the 1996 and
    1997 MLS Cups. Each year, despite torrential rains during the
    championship games, you've shown us you are strongly united. And with a
    great record this season,

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    you're well on your way to a ``threepeat,'' something the law prevents
    me from trying to equal. [Laughter]
        D.C. United and Major League Soccer are making soccer more and more
    popular in the United States, especially among young people. Last year a
    record 3.2 million children across our Nation played youth soccer, more
    than any other sport. My daughter taught me all I know about soccer. It
    was a great experience for me to watch her grow up in her soccer league,
    and I know it's making a difference in the lives of millions of children
    all across this country.
        D.C. United is linking America to the world and the love of soccer
    in bringing Americans of all backgrounds together and, unless my ears
    have given out on me entirely, bringing some people beyond America
    together on this team. Last year, despite those rains, over 57,000 fans
    went to RFK Stadium to watch you win the championship. The D.C. United
    fans come from nearly every country on Earth. Their diversity and spirit
    add to the life of this, our Capital City, as I'm sure the
    representatives here would attest. Kevin Payne
    says that the fans are the 12th man in your winning efforts.
        We can also all be proud of how united you are with the community of
    Washington, DC. Your partnership with DC Scores supports after school
    reading and writing programs, combined with the joys of playing soccer.
    And I'd like to give you a special thanks for that.
        I also want to acknowledge the winners of that program's essays
    contest who are here with us today, and they're standing over here: Anoa
    Hunter and Anton Kent-Trout, who wrote outstanding essays on ``What United Means to
    Me.'' I just read their essays. I wish all of you could read them. I
    think it's an inspiring and important question for all of us to think
    about.
        Congratulations to all of you, and now I'd like to turn it over to
    D.C. United's president, Kevin Payne.
        Kevin.

    [At this point, Mr. Payne and Coach Arena made brief remarks, and the President was presented
    with an official team jersey advertising Major League Soccer's primary
    sponsor, Mastercard.]

        The President. I'll have to stay current on my Mastercard if I wear
    this. [Laughter] I like it. Thank you.
        Thank you very much. Let me, before we close and I walk over here
    and we take a formal picture with the team, again thank the First Lady
    of Washington, DC, and Congresswoman
    Eleanor Holmes Norton, and all the DC
    city council members. I see at least three that I overlooked the first
    time. Would all the members of the DC city council who are here stand
    up? I think they're all here. We have a quorum in case any of you have a
    particular problem you'd like solved. [Laughter]
        And I'd also like to ask the student athletes and the coaches that I
    just honored in the Oval Office who have come here from around the
    country, who have done outstanding things. Many of them have overcome
    considerable personal obstacles to be outstanding athletes, outstanding
    students, and servants in their communities. I'd like to ask them to all
    stand please. Thank you very much.
        We're going to take a quick picture, and then we'll be adjourned.
    You can all stand up. We'll visit a little, have a little fun. Come on.

    [At this point, the President posed for photographs with the team.]

    Middle East Peace Process

        Q. Mr. President, is another Middle East peace summit here a
    possibility? Chairman Arafat, Prime Minister Netanyahu left open that
    possibility. Would you consider it?
        The President. We're working on it.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:37 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Cora Masters Barry, wife of Mayor
    Marion Barry of Washington, DC; Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans,
    District of Columbia council; and Ronald J. Stratten, group executive
    director for education services, NCAA. A reporter referred to Chairman
    Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Authority; and Prime Minister Binyamin
    Netanyahu of Israel. A portion of these remarks could not be verified
    because the tape was incomplete.