As a mother of boys, I am proud of the men’s hockey team. They are great athletes and role models. As a mother of girls, I am proud of the women’s hockey team. They teach our daughters that anything is possible.
President Trump welcomes US men’s hockey team to White House
President Donald Trump welcomed the 2026 Olympic gold medal winning U.S. men’s hockey team to the White House ahead of the State of the Union address.
We’ve seen a lot of controversy surrounding the U.S. team at the Italian Winter Olympics.
I don’t understand that and I think as Americans we should reject it.
I don’t know about you, but I am inspired by the extraordinary Olympians on Team USA. As a mother of two boys, I am proud of the men’s hockey team. They are great athletes and role models. As a mother of girls, I am proud of the women’s hockey team. They inspire my daughters and show them that anything is possible. As a woman who has given birth four times and misses her days as an athlete, I am amazed at the strength of these Olympic mothers (nine of them).
I think we can learn a lot from these Olympians about how to deal with our own wins, losses, setbacks, and successes, not just in sports, but in life.
The US hockey controversy is nonsense. Should I be angry about everything?
The U.S. men’s hockey team won the gold medal on February 22 with an overwhelming 2-1 victory over longtime rival Canada. It was their first gold medal since defeating the Soviet Union in 1980. It was historic. The team’s victory filled the locker room, where they received a phone call from President Donald Trump.
After congratulating the team and inviting them to Washington, D.C., President Trump joked that he would “probably be impeached” if he didn’t invite the women’s team.
Fueled by adrenaline, his teammates laughed and continued talking about their well-deserved celebration.
On February 24, the President announced most of the members of the men’s hockey team during his State of the Union address.
President Trump said the women’s team is expected to come to the White House at a later date, but that is not yet certain. Controversy arose: Did the women’s team disrespect the president because of his comments? Why did the men’s team laugh at Trump’s sexist jokes?
Everyone needs to calm down. First, U.S. women’s hockey star Kelly Panek reiterated that her team’s absence from the State of the Union was due to logistical issues, not President Trump’s joke. Second, Trump’s jokes were unnecessary, but as a woman, I didn’t find them offensive. Should I be angry about everything? I’m afraid not. Third, some people actually felt bad laughing when the men’s team came down from their incredible high.
Reporters asked goaltender Jeremy Swayman about the incident, and he said he and his teammates “should have reacted differently.” Afterwards, Swayman spoke passionately about the women’s team. “I know we are very excited about the women’s team. We have so much respect for the women’s team and being able to share the gold medal with them is something we will be forever grateful for.”
I’m happy for the men’s hockey team. They seem like good role models. I want my sons to strive for greatness, celebrate when they succeed, and have the courage to admit in hindsight that they should have done things differently.
Women achieved historic success at the Olympics. There’s plenty of Olympic inspiration.
I still find hope and inspiration in that manufactured controversy.
While I commend the men, it is important to note the historic success of the women in this game. i love this. As a mother who is an athlete or has a daughter who is an athlete, this touches me. Among them was figure skater Alisa Liu, who became the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in women’s single figure skating in 24 years. Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson won gold in alpine skiing, bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor became a legend, and Elizabeth Lemley dominated. Freestyle moguls, and of course the U.S. women’s hockey team. This should be a bigger story. That’s the story I tell my daughters.
Applause for female Olympic athletes does not undermine the success of male Olympic athletes, and vice versa. There is room in the world for all of us to pursue our dreams, achieve our goals, and succeed. These Olympics showed that even well-intentioned actions can become political, and that even the most extraordinary moments can be tainted by politics. But you don’t have to allow that in sports or in life. There’s a much bigger lesson here.
Most of us will never become Olympians. It is the privilege of only a select few. But far beyond ice rinks and ski slopes, there are lessons in every athletic activity.
- It’s better to lose gracefully than win with pride.
- Victory sometimes takes decades. Please taste it when you come.
- Life’s challenges can cause teeth to break and bleed. Expect that, get up and keep going.
You may finally achieve your lifelong dream, only to be made into a joke by someone else. That doesn’t make winning any less valuable. In fact, it might make the game more appealing, and it doesn’t make the game any less inspired.
Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four children. This column originally appeared on USATODAY.com
