Trump makes push for youth team sports in executive order


President Trump has moved "sports" to the front of the title of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Now called the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, Trump's directive breaks with former first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move agenda to promote kids' team sports specifically.
As a companion to the executive order, Ivanka Trump wrote in an op-ed for NBC News on Tuesday: "Whether a student aspires to be an Olympic athlete or simply enjoys being a part of a team, youth sports gives children and young adults a unique opportunity to develop their talents, to learn how to work with others, and to persevere in the face of adversity."
Although President Trump has been encouraged to exercise more himself, it is no secret that he is personally a big fan of team sports. He is outspoken about NFL protests, a friend of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and was reportedly once so good a baseball player that the Philadelphia Phillies scouted him in high school. SportsBusiness Journal named Trump the most powerful person in sports in 2017.
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The establishment of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition also indicates that Trump will not be dropping "nutrition" as a focus of the council, even though it was introduced by former President Barack Obama. Former bodybuilder and Incredible Hulk actor Lou Ferrigno is rumored to be in talks to head Trump's council.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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