Parents put too much pressure on their children when it comes to athletics, tennis great Billie Jean King says.
“There are so many helicopter parents today," the 79-year-old says. "I’ve talked to people who send their child to every tennis academy in the world and I’m like, ‘How does this kid stand it?’â€
When King was in the thick of her career (she won 39 Grand Slam titles) her parents didn’t come to the U.S. Open, the French Open or the Australian Open. “The only reason they came to Wimbledon is because my former husband and I had plane tickets for them.â€
She wasn’t alone. Her brother, baseball star Randy Moffitt only saw them in the stands when his team, the San Francisco Giants, was in town.
“Our parents didn’t pressure us and I think that’s why we like pressure,†King says. “All they cared about was, ‘Did you try your best?’ And I said, ‘Of course, I tried my best. Dad, I lost. It was terrible.’ And he would go, ‘It’s OK, as long as you tried your best.’ If more parents would do that, it would be a lot better for their kids.â€
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Billie Jean King watches a replay of her game against Bobby Riggs in the 1970s. It was a groundbreaking moment for the tennis champion.Â
In “Groundbreakers,†a two-part special about women in sports, King and several other athletes talk about the struggles they had breaking through.
An advocate for equality since she was a child, King attained international attention when she beat Bobby Riggs in a “Battle of the Sexes†match in 1973. The victory added fuel to the “equal pay for equal work†fire that had been sparked. King founded the Women’s Tennis Association and the Women’s Sports Foundation and became a mentor to women in all sports.
Today, she says, it takes her breath away when she sees her photo in tennis clubs around the world.
“I feel responsibility, that’s what I feel,†she says. “When I go out to hit tennis balls to this day, it’s the kids who come up to me. I ask them questions and try to get them to think about reading history…it helps you lead and shape the future. We learn from the mistakes that have been made and, hopefully, we don’t keep repeating them.â€
When she was a budding tennis player (a choice she made because it allowed her to run, hit and jump), King often hung out with older players. “Their stories are fantastic. They don’t make judgments, because they’re older, and they’re great for contacts. I learn about life through them…and they were very helpful when I was down and out.â€
When King was outed in the 1980s, she was told she shouldn’t say anything. “I was told if I talked about it, we wouldn’t have a tour,†she says. “My parents were very homophobic, which was really difficult. But I’m a big on telling the truth. My P.R. person and my lawyer wanted me to deny it and I said, ‘I can’t do that.’†For almost two days, she battled those around her. Finally, they agreed to a news conference “and you could hear a pin drop.†King lost endorsements, appearance fees, people she thought were friends.
“So, you just start over,†she says. “Psychotherapy, I think, is absolutely vital. But it was just one day at a time and it costs a ton of money with lawyers. But I said, ‘I’m going to start over, but now I’m going to start living my truth.’ It took a long time, but today if a sports person comes out, the president of the United States calls them, they make more money, they get more endorsements. And it’s fantastic. The area we have trouble with is the trans area. I’ve met so many trans people in my lifetime and they’re fantastic people…and misunderstood. It’s a tough road, so I want us to be kind and good to everyone.â€
Diana Flores, a Mexican flag football player, pays tribute to Billie Jean King, one of her role models.Â
King’s willingness to step up and talk about pay equity and sexual equality has made her a leader in the sports world. U.S. soccer players sought her advice when they were drawing large crowds and little pay. Today, they see her as a mentor and role model.
While watching budding tennis players hit balls with a pro one day, King says she saw a parent telling a child what to do. “Finally, the pro stopped and said, ‘Would you mind? We need to be alone with your child.’ You could tell this child did not want to play or if they played, they just wanted to have fun.â€
Pressure, she says, has changed considerably. When she was asked to play tennis, she thought it was better than softball, basketball or other possible sports. “I could hit 100 balls in five minutes, whereas in softball – I was a shortstop -- I probably touched it six times and then got to hit every ninth time. And I thought, ‘This is for me!’†Others didn't decide. She did.
"Groundbreakers" premieres Nov. 21 on PBS.