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I wanted to use sports for social change.

Billie Jean King

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Billie Jean King
Age: 81
Born: 1943
Born: November 22
Sports Commentator
Tennis Coach
Tennis Player
Long Beach
California
Billie Jean Moffitt
Sports
Use
Social
Change
Wanted

More quotes by Billie Jean King

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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
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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
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We have, or have had women presidents or prime ministers in Liberia, Chile, Germany, Great Britain...and yet the US of A still hasn't had a women president. It's just beyond my thinking. Look at Congress.
Billie Jean King
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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
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I always wanted to help make tennis a team sport.
Billie Jean King
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I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.
Billie Jean King
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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
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I feel that tennis is an art form that is capable of moving the players and the audience - at least a knowledgeable audience-in almost sensual ways. When I'm performing at my absolute best, I think that some of the euphoria I feel must be transmitted to the audience.
Billie Jean King
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Don't let anyone define you. You define yourself.
Billie Jean King
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I always liked co-ed events best so we have two men and two women on each team.
Billie Jean King
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When you oppress people either by gender, by race, by sexual orientation, when you do that and the doors become ajar, they will fly open and they will come and they have.
Billie Jean King
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When people tell you not to believe in your dreams, and they say “Why?”, say “Why not?
Billie Jean King
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Tennis taught me so many lessons in life. One of the things it taught me is that every ball that comes to me, I have to make a decision. I have to accept responsibility for the consequences every time I hit a ball.
Billie Jean King
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When I was playing, we didn't have to compete against everybody in the world. Now it's a truly global sport, so the competition's much greater, just like it is for our children in every other area, whether it be in science or technology or whatever you talk about.
Billie Jean King
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Winning is very tangible, it's very exciting, it's very pleasing, but it's momentary. If you can do things that last, that each generation can build upon, then that's when you're cooking.
Billie Jean King
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At 62 you want to keep moving that's important.
Billie Jean King
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No matter how tough, no matter what kind of outside pressure, no matter how many bad breaks along the way, I must keep my sights on the final goal, to win, win, win-and with more love and passion than the world has ever witnessed in any performance.
Billie Jean King
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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
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Bobby Riggs was one of my heroes. I admired him. That's one of the reasons I beat him - because I respected him.
Billie Jean King
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I grew up in team sports. I think I understand the psyche of America. I think when children sign up to play, it's got to be team.
Billie Jean King