John F. Kennedy and his unrelenting passion for sports

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was deeply passionate about sports, it defined many aspects of his personality and he made it a top priority for Americans. He was a very sporty President and one of the very few to ever participate in Army-Navy games.

President Kennedy's love for sports couldn't be faked, after a lifelong dedication to American football, swimming, sailing, and tennis. At times, it was difficult to keep the President put, and away from the playing fields as either a spectator or player.

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For the 35th president, the world of sports presented a momentous escape from the draining world of politics. Mr. Kennedy slipped his way into an Ivy League game one day without advance fanfare. He was spotted by the 15,000 spectators who later sang Hail to the Chief alongside the band! Sports humanized JFK as a man of the people.

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He was always involved in the world of American sports. One great example of his support was when he sent the National Association of Basketball Coaches a letter congratulating them on their efforts to improve conditions for teams and staff in the league.

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John F. Kennedy idolized athletes as modern-day heroes. "It was no coincidence that so many presidential appointments went to athletically oriented figures: skier Robert McNamara, ex-QB Orville Freeman, All-American halfback Whizzer White, basketball star Stewart Udal, and boxer Mortin Caplin," as reported by Vault.

So where did this deep love of sports come from? John Kennedy grew up in a household devoted to sports and athleticism. He took up golf and sailing at a young age, sports he enjoyed throughout his life.

Following in his father's footsteps, young Kennedy played football at Harvard alongside his four brothers, as well as a variety of other sports. During Kennedy's freshman year at Harvard, he represented the Crimson golf team in the all-important Yale match.

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John Kennedy's football teammates remember him as a courageous and determined player. However, due to health issues, he never progressed past Junior Varsity.

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After college, the Kennedys would still arrange weekend pick-up games! John Kennedy would go on to join the US Navy in 1942, where he would regularly attend and participate in the Navy-Army games.

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After John Kennedy became president in 1963, he prioritized the nation's health as a top priority. He challenged the nation to become more active and to be more involved in sports following the drop in national fitness. "The health of the people is really the foundation upon which all their happiness and all their powers as a State depend." (Vault)

He continuously encouraged Americans to take physical fitness seriously. John Kennedy challenged the US Marines to walk 50 miles in 20 hours and high schoolers to earn awards from the President's Council on Physical Fitness.

"The sad fact is that it looks more and more as if our national sport is not playing at all – but watching," shared Kennedy during a National Football Foundation convention.

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Dr. Janet G Travell wrote in his magazine in 1961: "President Kennedy is a walking – or rather running – testament to the principle that people who are active in sports during youth and continue their activity as adults are likely to remain vigorous as they grow older."

The 1960's were turbulent times for American society and Kennedy felt that. With wars fading and erupting across the Pacific and racial tensions at an all-time high, sports were a way to unite the nation. In Kennedy's mind, Americans were slowly distancing themselves from true American values, slipping into a weak mindset.

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While making a public announcement, he drew a comment from Teamster Boss James Hoffa, "I can't go much for this touch football, I'll take them on in push-ups any day down at my gym." The New York Post summed up the President's fitness campaign with a great headline: HANDS ON HIPS!

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it's the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity. The relationship between the soundness of the body and the activities of the mind is subtle and complex. Much is not yet understood. Greeks knew: that intelligence and skill can only function at their peak when the body is strong," shared Kennedy during an interview for Sports Illustrated.