“Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquility” says the tremendous tennis legend Billie Jean King ("Billie Jean King quote") .Billie Jean King is a feminist icon who used tennis to make change for women and women’s sports for all of eternity. She was known for her phenomenal tennis playing and the numerous amounts of titles she has won across the globe. Her determination to fight for what is right and her devotion for tennis made her shine. Her accomplishments are deeply appreciated by the women of today’s world, from all races and backgrounds, who have an equal chance as men, as well as equal pay. Billie Jean King started out as a girl with a fierce devotion to tennis, a determination …show more content…
She was born on November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California ("World Biography"). She was raised in a working class family, with both of her parents, Willard (Bill) and Betty Moffitt, and her brother, Randy Moffitt (Summer "King, Billie Jean"). When Billie Jean King and Randy Moffitt were youngsters, they played baseball (Summer "King, Billie Jean"). Everyone encouraged King to play because she was an excellent hitter, but she soon realized that “there was no place for an American girl to go in the national pastime” (Summer). "King, Billie Jean"). Tennis was the only sport that sparked her interest so her parents enrolled her in Long Beach city recreation program, where she borrowed a racquet and received free lessons (Summer "King, Billie Jean"). King was the odd one out from the start, being that tennis was considered a sport for the white elite. Her 20/40 vision brought the need for glasses (Summer). Being five feet, four and a half inches with weight and knee problems, didn’t make things easier (Summer). To top it off, she couldn’t afford the traditional tennis whites, leaving her to play in her blouse and shorts handmade by her mother (Summer). As the embarrassment set in, she came to question why her tennis team was full of the white elite and why all of her friends thought there was no point in playing a sport. She wanted to change her sport so that it wasn’t just for the white elite, and change what her friends thought of women’s sports. At the age of 14, Billie won her first championship (Summer). Ever since then she has had big dreams to change the world through tennis and one day play in the Wimbledon. A year later, she was awarded the opportunity to be coached by the legendary tennis player, Alice Marble (Summer). King was beyond dedicated; she spent weeks practicing at the Long Beach courts. It became hard for Billie to