Billie Jean King-The Queen of Women's Athletics

Everyone on Long Island knows summer is coming to an end when traffic on the Grand Central Parkway is worse than ever (is that even possible?) and it’s not because there is a New York Mets game. The US Open, at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York draws thousands of people from all over the world. It is an opportunity for Long Island teenagers to earn extra cash as ball girls and boys, Hagen Daz and t-shirt vendors and for off duty FDNY to work concessions. The U.S. Open even provides an all day venue for those “academic types” not inclined to spend the day at school, but rather soaking up the sunny rays of the final days of summer. The U.S. Open never fails to provide something for every sports enthusiast.

Perhaps the quarterfinal matchup of Serena beating Venus (how great is that no last names needed) 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7) should have been the finals, but not every seeding can be made for television and audiences. As the 35th Anniversary of the Women’s Tennis Association is celebrated, female athletes need to reflect on their achievements and the opportunities that they have been afforded. Where would women’s tennis be today without the people who met 35 years ago in a London hotel room to form the Women’s Tennis Association? Billie Jean King was one of the people in that hotel room and she deserves the thanks and appreciation of female athletes all over the United States of America.

Billie Jean King didn’t just help start the W.T.A. she picked it up and carried it on her shoulders, using its greatest asset (herself) to promote the sport and the association. In 1973, 50 million people tuned in to watch her defeat Bobby Riggs in the battle of the sexes. This is long before every household had four televisions with ESPN running continuously. By 1990 the W.T.A. offered $23 million dollars in prize money and held 60 events in 18 countries. In 2003, Kim Clijsters became the first woman to earn $4 million in one season and by 2007 Wimbledon was awarding equal prize money. This journey took 30 years, but do you think 20 years from now members of the WNBA will have equivalent salaries of the NBA?

Billie Jean King continues to possess a passionate desire to help women succeed, thrive and develop through the arena of sport. The Women’s Sports Foundation, which she founded in 1974, continues to make strides in helping the female athlete on a daily basis. The Women’s Sports Foundation shapes public attitude about women’s sports and athletes, builds capacities for organizations that get girls active, provides equal opportunities for girls and women, and supports physically and emotionally healthy lifestyles.[1] It is imperative that all female athletes, professional, amateur and scholastic continue to push forward in the quest for equality in women’s athletics. If you have a daughter, sister or wife you owe it to them to participate in their pursuit for equality. What have you done to help foster their athletic prospects? As this generation of female athletes comes of age they can’t recall a time when a team didn’t exist for them to play on and that is because people long before them had the guts and fortitude to carry the burden. Honor Billie Jean King’s vision and dedication by remaining motivated, not becoming complacent, getting involved (http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/) and valuing the opportunities that sport provides females.

In the meantime my husband and I are trying to find out if 20 months is too young to enroll our daughter in junior tennis. After all we need to fund our retirement.

For now I am an extremely grateful female athlete.

[1] Women’s Sports Foundation http://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/About-Us.aspx