“You have the dream but you can’t really see it” - When Derek Jeter reflected on his childhood in a candid conversation with Barack Obama

The New York Yankees' former captain, Derek Jeter, once had a heartfelt conversation with then-U.S. President Barack Obama in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. The two discussed childhood days, retirement, and much more.

The Yankees icon also reflected on one thing he would like to tell his younger self, which was "to continue to work." Here's what he said in 2016, via The Players Tribune:

"Because at that age, you have the dream, but you can’t really see it," Jeter said.

Obama also shared advice he would give his younger self, which was to stop "goofing off" and find time for "hitting the books" instead.

"I can't say at 10 years old I was exceptional," Obama said. "I bet you were one of those kids that was like always the best athlete even at 10, and everybody was like, 'Oh, Derek...' All the little girls had crushed on you and all of that."

Jeter chuckled in response and admitted that this wasn't the case. Obama went on:

"I was living in Hawaii at the time and there weren't that many black kids there, so part of what I was trying to figure out at 10 years old was, you know, what kind of role models do I have for myself because my father wasn't with us."

Obama joked about Derek Jeter's final years for the Yankees, saying that he was visibly declining:

"For a baseball player, you were old. Let’s face it. C’mon, man. We saw you trying to run around those bases."

Hannah and Derek Jeter have three daughters and one son

Post-retirement, Derek Jeter transitioned from being an MLB star to a complete family man. Over the years, he has created a business empire. Speaking to The Messenger in 2023, Jeter said:

"My number one priority is taking care of my family. My oldest just turned five and priorities change. You always hear people say, 'Wait till you have your own kids.'"

In 2016, Jeter married former SI model, Hannah Davis Jeter. The five-time World Series champion has three daughters and a son with Hannah and joked to the Mail that they do not plan on having any more kids.