Sports Firsts
The presidential firsts related to sports played or attended by the President of the United States.
| President | Note | |
|---|---|---|
| First president to meet a championship team at the White House | John F. Kennedy | 1963, Boston Celtics |
| First president to win a national college championship | Gerald R. Ford | Football |
| First president to run a marathon | George W. Bush | 1993, Houston Marathon |
Baseball | ||
| First president to attend a major league baseball game while in office | Benjamin Harrison | |
| First president to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game | William H. Taft | |
| First president to attend a World Series baseball game | Woodrow Wilson | |
| First president to welcome an organized baseball club to the White House | Andrew Johnson | |
| First president to welcome a professional baseball team to the White House | Ulysses S. Grant | Cincinnati Red Stockings |
| First president to welcome a Major League baseball team to the White House | Chester A. Arthur | Cleveland Forest Citys |
| First president to see an extra inning major league baseball game | Benjamin Harrison | |
| First president to attend a major league baseball game outside of Washington, DC while in office | William H. Taft | Pittsburgh |
| First president to see a major league game in his own hometown while in office | William H. Taft | Cincinnati |
| First president to attend a baseball All-Star game | Franklin D. Roosevelt | |
| First president to attend a night baseball game | Harry S. Truman | |
| First left-handed president to throw out the first pitch at a baseball game | Harry S. Truman | |
| First president to attend a baseball game on the fourth of July | Harry S. Truman | |
| First president to witness a triple play while attending a baseball game. | Richard M. Nixon | |
| First president to throw out a cermonial Opening Day pitch outside of Washington. | Richard M. Nixon | Anaheim |
| First president to watch a major league game from the dugout | Ronald Reagan | Baltimore Orioles |
| First president to call baseball play-by-play while in office | Ronald Reagan | |
| First president to attend a baseball game and throw out a first pitch outside the U.S. | George H. W. Bush | |
| First president to attend a baseball game with his Vice President while in office | Bill Clinton | |
| First president to throw the first pitch from the pitcher's mound and make it to the catcher | Bill Clinton | |
| First president to have been managing general partner of a Major League baseball team | George W. Bush | Texas Rangers |
Football | ||
| First president to play collegiate football | Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| First president to attend an NFL game while in office | Richard M. Nixon | |
Basketball | ||
| First president to attend a collegiate basketball game while in office | Bill Clinton | |
| First president to attend an NBA basketball game while in office | Barack Obama | |
Hockey | ||
| First president to attend an NHL hockey game while in office | Bill Clinton | |
Golf | ||
| First president to play golf while in office | William H. Taft | |
| First president to hit a hole-in-one | Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
| First president to own a golf course | Donald J. Trump | |
Olympics | ||
| First president to attend and open an Olympic Games | Ronald Reagan | Los Angeles, Summer 1884 |
| First president to attend and open a winter Olympic Games | George W. Bush | Salt Lake City, Winter 2002 |
| First president to attend an Olympic Games in a foreign country | George W. Bush | Beijing, Summer 2008 |
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