Fernando Mendoza Misses White House Visit

May 12, 2026, 16:42
USSports

Introduction

President Donald Trump met the Indiana University football team at the White House. They won the national championship. One player, Fernando Mendoza, was not there.

Main Body

Indiana University won their first big game in January. Most players went to the White House. Fernando Mendoza and some other players did not go. They had to work for their professional teams. Fernando Mendoza is now with the Las Vegas Raiders. He started his team practice on May 11. He called President Trump to say sorry. President Trump said Mendoza likes him, but the President was a little sad he did not come. Coach Curt Cignetti and other players went to the meeting. The President and the coach talked about winning again next year. The coach said the team must work hard and stay disciplined.

Conclusion

Fernando Mendoza stayed with the Las Vegas Raiders to practice. The other players finished their visit to the White House.

Learning

πŸ•’ The 'Right Now' vs. 'Before' Shift

In this story, we see a clear jump between what happened in the past and what is happening today. For A2 learners, spotting this is key.

The Past (Finished) We use these words to talk about things that are over:

  • Won (from win) β†’\rightarrow They won the game.
  • Went (from go) β†’\rightarrow Players went to the White House.
  • Had to (from have to) β†’\rightarrow They had to work.

The Present (Current) We use these words for things happening now:

  • Is β†’\rightarrow Fernando is now with the Raiders.
  • Likes β†’\rightarrow Mendoza likes him.

πŸ’‘ Quick Tip: The 'S' Rule Notice that when we talk about one person (Fernando/The President), we add an -s to the action word in the present: Like β†’\rightarrow Likes

Vocabulary Learning

president (n.)
a person who leads a country or organization
Example:The president signed the new law into effect.
football (n.)
a sport played with a ball and teams
Example:We watched the football game on TV.
team (n.)
a group of people working together
Example:Our team won the match.
championship (n.)
a competition to determine the best
Example:They won the national championship last year.
player (n.)
a person who plays a sport
Example:The player scored a goal.
practice (n.)
a session of training
Example:The team had practice after school.
coach (n.)
a person who trains a team
Example:The coach gave us new strategies.
meeting (n.)
an event where people discuss
Example:We had a meeting to plan the project.
win (v.)
to be victorious
Example:They will try to win the next game.
discipline (n.)
the ability to control behavior
Example:Discipline is important for success.