 Well, we were worried about you perhaps catching cold, so we moved this in from the east lawn out here. I know that you'll be pleased to know about that. Nancy and I are especially pleased to welcome you to the White House, our national home this afternoon. I realize that many of you have broken training to be here, and we appreciate that. We ask, however, that if you feel a sudden urge to run wind sprints, just avoid the rose garden. Just add it, replanted. No one belongs on these grounds or in these halls more than you. Someone once said that youth was America's oldest tradition, but I would amend that to be youth striving for excellence. You live that tradition. You've worn your country's colors in contests around the globe, setting world records and winning world championships. You've made your countrymen proud. And in you we've looked for courage, excellence, and honor, and in you we have found it. Each of you has had moments of glory in your career, but one recent moment typifies the inspiration all of you have given to our people. I'm sure you can guess that moment in tennis that I'm thinking of. After six and a half hours of play, the largest indoor crowd in Davis Cup history had been whipped to a frenzy and were stomping and shouting, USA, USA. When they say the crowd couldn't sit down, the players could barely stand up. It had been the longest match that John McEnroe had ever played, 79 games in five sets of grueling exquisite tennis. In the fifth set, I was feeling it, John said, but I hung in there. Well, that was John's moment. As physically, emotionally, and mentally drained as he was, he reached within himself for the talent and tenacity to persevere. You know, someone once said about heroism that a hero is no braver than anyone else. He's just brave five minutes longer. Well, we had six and a half hours of that. We won the game and we'll go on to face Australia in September, but at least one newspaper reported that by the time it was over, the game didn't seem as important, the reporter wrote. It seemed they were fighting for excellence. Well, on behalf of all Americans, I want to thank John and each of these athletes here for the inspiration they've given us on snow as well as on the courts. If every American strives for individual excellence, we can find it together as a nation. Watching you, we renew our faith in ourselves and our country. It's a thrill to have the Davis Cup here at the White House and to celebrate with your tennis and skiing accomplishments. Your country is very proud of you, and we thank you for the honor you bring us. Wish you luck in the future and leave you with a very American challenge that you continue to live up to the best and the highest standards that you know. Thank you very much. We thank you for having us. Someone said to me before, we'll be back next year. We would certainly look forward to that. I'm Ed Hamerley. I'm the president of the US ski team. I perhaps have the best job in the world. I don't have to ski as fast or hurt myself and I like it. The fact of life is that the team was the best in the world this year, and we want to tell you that and we thank you for having us. We won also, for the first time ever, the World Cup in Nordic skiing this year. We've never even come close. So behind you, you've got all of the best skiers. The women were number one in the world. Phil and Steve Mayer are here who won all sorts of World Cup medals and we're just proud as anything to be here. We have taken this opportunity to induct you both into the ski team. We've shopped around and found the color that we think you would find appropriate. This is for you, President Reagan. We thought the colors were particularly appropriate, and this is for you, Mrs. Reagan. There's also pants to go with them, so. I was beginning to worry. We're very proud to have these. Thank you very much. Thank you. I'm probably the only one here that remembers a time growing up in Illinois as a boy when we used to cut intertubes for rubber bands and then nail them to a pair of barrel slats and ski. We'll have to try that. That's why I gave up. That's why I gave up horseback. I'm turning the horse back to riding. Thank you very much. Two days ago in London. Oh, really? Yes, I know. I'm trying to work on that. So far, I haven't done very well. I don't think you're overcoming that. Oh. No. Stay right there. Right where you are. No. I like it.