Game, Set, Match

Billie Jean King's victory on the court opened the doors for women's sports

Written by: Kristine Hedlund

“Get in the game. If you’re not in the game, you can’t win!”
– Billie Jean King

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal assistance.”
– Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to the Civil Rights Act of 1964

This year marks the 35th anniversary of the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Since Title IX’s passage, women’s participation in sports has increased by more than 400% at the college level and more than 800% at the high school level. As a result, the nation’s young women and girls are getting more opportunities to play sports and enjoy the benefits from those opportunities, including improved health, higher levels of self esteem, better grades, avoidance of risky behaviors, and preparation to succeed in the workforce. More than four out of five executive businesswomen played sports growing up, and the vast majority say the lessons learned on the playing field have contributed to their success in business.

Billie Jean King, considered to be one of the greatest female athletes in history, recently enlightened over 600 attendees, including athletes, who gathered for the Fourth Annual Phoenix Women's Sports Association's “Girls and Women in Sports Awards Dinner” held on May 19 at the Arizona Biltmore. The event raised over $250,000 to assist and aide ongoing grant and scholarship programs in helping girls and women of Arizona pursue their dreams through sports.

Before the event, Billie Jean chatted with PW Publisher Kristine Hedlund.

KH: It has been 35 years since Title IX. Where do you see the greatest accomplishments, and where do we fall short?
BJK: Although we have come a long way, we have so much more to do. Media coverage for women’s sports, for instance, still lags behind men’s by a huge margin, with women receiving less than 8% of print and 6.3% of television coverage. Female college athletes receive only 38% of sports operating dollars, 45% of college athletic scholarship dollars, and 33% of athletic team recruitment spending. Men tend to feel that Title IX took away their sports. This is far from the truth. What they fail to realize is what it has done for their daughters.

KH: With the quality of tennis today, how do you think you would fair?
BJK: My generation would not be able to compete with the players today. They are faster, stronger, and they hit the ball harder. They are into fitness and nutrition and just in much better shape than we were.

KH: Let’s talk about the “Match” that influenced generations to come: the ass-whooping on Bobby Riggs.
BJK: You know, I still wake up thinking I have to play that match. I just knew that losing was not an option. Winning respect was my sole mission. We made so much less than the men. I wanted to fight for equal rights, and this was my way to do it.

KH: Tell us about the Women’s Sports Foundation.
BJK: The Women’s Sports Foundation is a charitable educational organization dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. I founded Women’s Sports back in 1974.

As the Foundation enters into its 30th year, we continue to strengthen our programs, services and national initiatives. The Foundation's Participation, Education, Advocacy, Research and Leadership programs are made possible by individual and corporate contributions. You have a local branch in Arizona; the Phoenix Women’s Sports Association.

KH: In sports, we all have those certain individuals we title as our mentors or cheerleaders. Who was yours?
BJK: Definitely my parents, my brother Randy – who played major league baseball for the San Francisco Giants – Clyde Walker, Reverend Bob Richards, Anne Guerrant, Mr. Brennan, and several teachers and educators.

Billie Jean King remains active in a number of important causes. She serves as a director on several boards including the Elton John AIDS Foundation. She is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the National Women's Hall of Fame. She is the founder of the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation.

SIDEBAR

The Battle of the Sexes
In 1973, when Bobby Riggs, a loud-mouthed tennis champ of the 40s and 50s, declared that women would never play tennis as well as men could, and vowed there was no way a woman could beat him. Riggs challenged King to a best-three-sets-out-of-five match in what became the most influential sporting event in history, promising to jump off a bridge somewhere in California if King beat him. The match, which would later be dubbed “The Battle of the Sexes,” brought a record number of live spectators and television viewers. As Billie Jean served and returned plays, defeating Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 straight, she won three victories that day: one on the court, one for women’s rights, and one for tennis.