Barack Obama put a smile on kids' faces — and ours — when he visited the Nationals Youth Academy in Washington DC to play some after-school games and deliver words of encouragement. The nonprofit is focused on enriching youth from underserved communities in DC by using baseball, softball, and after-school programs to encourage character development and academic achievement. On Wednesday, a group of the organization's scholar athletes got a surprise from the former president, and together they tossed a football, played baseball, and went to the weekly farmers market.
In addition to seeing how much fun everyone had, the sweetest part was the mini pump-up speech Obama gave at the end. With all the kids circled around him, he said, "You know, when I see what you guys are doing, I think everybody here, if you work hard in school, listen to your coaches, you guys are gonna do great things. I'm gonna be on the lookout for ya. 'Cause I think you're gonna do something important. You guys are gonna make a real difference. We're gonna be really proud of you."
There's no doubt those words from the former president will have a lasting impression on them. Watch the sweet video above.