LThere is an old saying, “game knows game.” It’s a reference to rivals respecting one another for their play. Or in some cases, an older player showing respect for a younger one.
That’s the subtext between the conversation that former President Barack Obama had with Caitlyn Clarke when she was practicing with fellow WNBA All-Stars at a gym in the new Obama Center.
In their conversation, caught ona hot mic, the older man praised her tenacity in the face of the hard fouls—along with the criticism—she has received.
“Don’t let all this nonsense get you down,” the president told her. “I always say one of the things that was luckiest for me was that I didn’t get famous ’til I was like 45. So I was an old-ass man. I mean, you’re my daughter’s age. And to have that much burden and, you know, nonsense. So don’t lose that joy. The game’s, like, the game. And you’re a hooper. And you hoop.”
“I try—sometimes,” Clark replied.
“You’re always hooping,” he said. “And you’re on a nice little run right now.”
Sally Jenkins, long-time sports journalist and best-selling author, wrote in The Atlantic, “There was a sweetness in the moment, a subtle teaching. In the nicest way, Obama shored Clark up, but also reminded her that she is a greater player and public figure when she just plays the game, accepts the inevitable bad calls and frustrations, and doesn’t let the web-brewed poisons into her blood.”
As much as Clark is praised, she knows how to stand up for herself, even pushback. “Sometimes, I think, people don’t always realize, like, I’m 23 or 24 years old and I’m trying to navigate a lot of different things while trying to play basketball at the same time,” she revealed after meeting Obama. “So, it was cool to hear that from him and I think, honestly, it’s probably a good reminder for all of us to treat people with respect, treat people with grace.”
As Sally Jenkins pointed out, Obama did not delve into the double standard that so many Black players face in the WNBA, in particular with few opportunities for endorsement contracts. As much as Clarke may be maligned, Black stars do not receive the same degree of leeway when they commit fouls.
Integrating grace into play – in this case her profession – Clark is demonstrating what it means what sport is supposed to teach us – respect for the game and those who play it. Same applies to the workplace. You can disagree without being disagreeable.
Still, as Jenkins concluded, “Clark already knows how to win. But Obama gave her a lesson in how to be winning.”