Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 18:50:27 -0700 (PDT)
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2013/08/african_teen_settled_in_tully_in_may_kicked_soccer_ball_to_obama_today.html
TULLY, N.Y. -- Michael Habtesion moved to Tully in May, a refugee from the African country of Eritrea. Today, he kicked a soccer ball to the president of the United States.
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2013-08-23-kr-Kid Obama.JPG Michael Habtesion, 16, got to kick a soccer ball to President Barack Obama during a stop at Tully Junior-Senior High School in Tully, N.Y., on Aug. 23, 2013. Obama stopped during a two-day bus tour to visit with the Tully girls and boys soccer teams. Habtesion, a refugee from the African country of Eritrea, settled in Tully in May. Kevin Rivoli | krivoli_at_syracuse.com
"I can't believe it," Habtesion, 16, said. "I knew he was in Syracuse. But I didn't think he was coming to Tully."
Habtesion was the kid with the ball when Obama approached the boys soccer team at Tully Junior-Senior High School on a surprise stop before 11 a.m.
The boy and girl soccer teams had started their practices at 8 a.m., and weren't told till around 10 a.m. that Obama was coming for a visit before he headed to Binghamton, part of a two-day tour in New York to talk about making college more affordable.
Habtesion hasn't even been to an American high school yet. He and his brother, Tekla, 13, will start Tully schools this fall, their foster mother Justine Shay said.
But both boys have already started playing soccer. And when Obama approached the boys team this morning, the president indicated he'd like the ball.
So Habtesion, with a mix of nerves and excitement, touched a soft pass to the commander in chief. The president caught up to it, juggled it on his foot, then gave a solid pass back.
"I like Barack Obama," Habtesion said. "He's between African and American. His father is from Kenya. And then, I passed him the ball."
2013-08-23-kr-Obama10.JPGPresident Barack Obama shows off his soccer skills during a stop at Tully Junior-Senior High School in Tully, N.Y., to visit with the girls and boys soccer teams Friday, Aug. 23, 2013. Kevin Rivoli | krivoli_at_syracuse.com
Habtesion said Obama walked to him and shook his hand first of all the boys on the team. The teen told the president his name, and the president asked him where he was from. "Eritrea," Habtesion said.
"Oh," the president said back. "Nice to meet you."
After Habtesion got the ball back, he nicked his finger and marked the ball with some blood so the team would know which one the president touched. The ball ended up with other practice balls that Coach Bill Donald keeps, Habtesion said
Received on Fri Aug 23 2013 - 22:24:46 EDT