There is no life for girls in team sports past Little League. I got into tennis when I realized this, and because I thought golf would be too slow for me, and I was too scared to swim.
- Billie Jean King
Life, Thought, Got, Little League
When they take surveys of women in business, of the Fortune 500, the successful women, 80% of them, say they were in sports as a young woman.
- Billie Jean King
Business, Woman, Fortune, Surveys
In the seventies we had to make it acceptable for people to accept girls and women as athletes. We had to make it okay for them to be active. Those were much scarier times for females in sports.
- Billie Jean King
Seventies, Okay, Acceptable, Athletes
In 1973, a woman could not get a credit card without her husband or father or a male signing off on it.
- Billie Jean King
Father, Woman, Could, Credit Card
A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.
- Billie Jean King
Success, Everyone Else, Champion
I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.
- Billie Jean King
Think, The Most Important, Champion
The old boy network is still very strong and very true. Just look at the stock exchange and how many men and women are there. It is still very much run by men.
- Billie Jean King
Strong, Very, Still, Women Are
A girl didn't get an athletic scholarship until the fall of 1972 for the very first time.
- Billie Jean King
Fall, First Time, Very, Scholarship
Everyone has people in their lives that are gay, lesbian or transgender or bisexual. They may not want to admit it, but I guarantee they know somebody.
- Billie Jean King
Everyone, May, Lives, Lesbian
Ever since that day when I was 11 years old, and I wasn't allowed in a photo because I wasn't wearing a tennis skirt, I knew that I wanted to change the sport.
- Billie Jean King
Old, Knew, Allowed, Skirt
Men can have a huge turnover of sponsorship and still survive a lot better than the women. But the women's ratings are better, at least at home in the United States than in the men's tennis.
- Billie Jean King
United, United States, Still, Ratings
It's just really important that we start celebrating our differences. Let's start tolerating first, but then we need to celebrate our differences.
- Billie Jean King
Celebrate, Differences, Need, Celebrating
Martina and I went through a very bad five years. Everything's very good between us now, but it was a long haul.
- Billie Jean King
Through, Very, Haul, Martina
Martina's gone with people who don't want to be out, and it drives her crazy because she'd rather be open.
- Billie Jean King
People, Want, Rather, Martina
I always wanted to help make tennis a team sport.
- Billie Jean King
Help, Always, Wanted, Team Sport
I love to promote our sport. I love grass-roots tennis. I love coaching. I love all parts of the sport. I love the business side.
- Billie Jean King
Love, Side, Grass-Roots, Coaching
When we reach the point where the women athletes are getting their pick of dates just as easily as the men athletes, then we've really and truly arrived. Parity at last!
- Billie Jean King
Equality, Reach, Last, Dates
Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquillity.
- Billie Jean King
Sports, Violent, Atmosphere, Tranquillity
In 1973, women got 59 cents on the dollar; now we are getting 74 cents on the dollar. In the area of finance and business, we are at 68 cents on the dollar.
- Billie Jean King
Business, Area, Cents, Dollar
It is very hard to be a female leader. While it is assumed that any man, no matter how tough, has a soft side... and female leader is assumed to be one-dimensional.
- Billie Jean King
Leader, Very, Side, Soft
I like entrepreneurial people; I like people who take risks.
- Billie Jean King
Risks, Chance, Take, Entrepreneurial
Women's sports is still in its infancy. The beginning of women's sports in the United States started in 1972, with the passage of Title 9 for girls to finally get athletic scholarships.
- Billie Jean King
Sports, United States, Still, Athletic
I used to be told if I talked about my sexuality in any way that we wouldn't have a tennis tour.
- Billie Jean King
Sexuality, About, Talked, Tennis
I like putting money back into what made my life, and tennis has been great to me.
- Billie Jean King
My Life, Been, Putting, Tennis
I was always in the tennis business-from 1968. I was in tournaments and also on World Team Tennis teams as well.
- Billie Jean King
World, Always, Tournaments, Tennis
I would love to be a player today. I had the right personality for it.
- Billie Jean King
Love, Personality, Would, Player
I wanted to use sports for social change.
- Billie Jean King
Sports, Social, Wanted, Social Change
Be bold. If you're going to make an error, make a doozy, and don't be afraid to hit the ball.
- Billie Jean King
Ball, Hit, Going, Error
I always liked co-ed events best so we have two men and two women on each team.
- Billie Jean King
Best, Men, Always, Events
The main thing is to care. Care very hard, even if it is only a game you are playing.
- Billie Jean King
Game, Very, Main Thing, Care
Any therapist will tell you that when you're ready, you will come out. To be outed means you weren't ready.
- Billie Jean King
Ready, Will, Means, Therapist
At 62 you want to keep moving; that's important.
- Billie Jean King
Important, Want, Keep, Moving
That is where the power, opportunity, and choice come from-when you have money. Money equals opportunity. There is no question.
- Billie Jean King
Money, Question, No Question, Equals
Women get the attention when we get into the men's arena, and that's sad.
- Billie Jean King
Sad, Men, Get, Arena
If your partner wants to be private, you have to respect that.
- Billie Jean King
Private, Wants, Your, Partner
I didn't really care if I had a coach that much, me personally, because I was brought up to think for myself.
- Billie Jean King
Myself, Think, Brought, Coach
I think younger players probably just think they are who they are-they don't think about coming out. Unless you're number one in the world, nobody cares, usually.
- Billie Jean King
Think, Cares, I Think, Nobody
Men still get a lot more opportunity. It is still a big part of the old boy network. They have more companies they can get money from.
- Billie Jean King
Big, Still, Big Part, Network
It's fun to meet people from throughout the world who you don't have to explain yourself to.
- Billie Jean King
World, Meet, Explain, Throughout
Sports are a microcosm of society.
- Billie Jean King
Sports, Society, Microcosm
I think it's impossible to judge whether another person should come out. You just hope they will on their own time and their own terms.
- Billie Jean King
Think, Will, I Think, Judge
They're not put on earth to be martyrs; they have to want to come out. It depends on your culture, where you work, where you live. Each person's circumstances are unique.
- Billie Jean King
Work, Want, Depends, Circumstances
I will tell you King's First Law of Recognition: You never get it when you want it, and then when it comes, you get too much.
- Billie Jean King
Law, Will, First Law, Too Much
Victory is fleeting. Losing is forever.
- Billie Jean King
Victory, Fleeting, Forever, Losing
No one changes the world who isn't obsessed.
- Billie Jean King
Changes, World, Who, Obsessed
Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose-it teaches you about life.
- Billie Jean King
Sports, Play, Feels, Win
I knew after my first lesson what I wanted to do with my life.
- Billie Jean King
My Life, Knew, Wanted, Lesson
When I was outed, it was like, That's done.
- Billie Jean King
Like, Done
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