Latest Billie Jean King Quotes from Interviews

Quotes about:

• 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

  Sports, Children, Technology

• Sports are a microcosm of society. It just shows how much more competition there is in the world.

  Billie Jean King

  Sports, Competition, World

• I think if you're put on a team as a child, like you are in soccer and other sports, I think the children are going to stay in the sport and have more fun if they're on a team. They want to play with their friends and have fun.

  Billie Jean King

  Soccer, Sports, Children

• 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

  Sports, Children, Team

• Every generation I think gets better usually [in tennis].

  Billie Jean King

  Thinking, Tennis, Get Better

• I got to see the best players in the world every year the week after the U.S. Nationals, which is now known as the US Open, in Los Angeles. That made a huge difference in my life.

  Billie Jean King

  Player, Years, Differences

• It's very important to take tennis to the people. For young people, they get to see the best in the world.

  Billie Jean King

  People, Tennis, Important

• I always think it's best to pretend you're in a tenuous position. Just as a player, you always want to stay in the now and work hard but also have goals for the future. There's no promises in any entrepreneurial business. You have to really work hard every year and also try to envision where you want to go in the future at the same time.

  Billie Jean King

  Hard Work, Player, Thinking

• I think one of the concerns, anytime you're in the human business, like sports, it's a very high - risk endeavor. You do have to get players every year. You have to deal with calendar. You have to deal with all kinds of things in our sport, like every sport does.

  Billie Jean King

  Sports, Player, Thinking

• 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

  Race, Doors, People

• It's important to try to get people to think about women's wellness.

  Billie Jean King

  Thinking, People, Important

• My whole life has been about equal rights and opportunities. For me it really goes back to the health of mind, body and soul.

  Billie Jean King

  Opportunity, Rights, Soul

• I think it's really important to have portion control. I don't believe in losing weight quickly.

  Billie Jean King

  Believe, Thinking, Important

• Don't worry about what people say.

  Billie Jean King

  People, Worry, Naysayers

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.

• Some people do have softer boundaries.

  Billie Jean King

  People, Boundaries

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.

• You want people to feel like they belong to something. And not be elitist. You don't want us to be elitist.

  Billie Jean King

  People, Want, Elitist

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.

• When a child signs up for tennis, he or she is put on a team. I put them in a circle and then I make sure they name their own team. I would have them do their skill drills as a team and their fun drills together as a team, then they have to have a match at the end of every week. They can't just have what they call a lesson today every week.

  Billie Jean King

  Fun, Children, Team

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.

• I always listen, I ask children, I even ask adults in tennis, "What are your children playing?" And most of the time it's not tennis. It's pathetic.

  Billie Jean King

  Children, Tennis, Adults

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.

• Don't go into debt and don't spend a lot. It's not how much money you make, it's how much you spend.

  Billie Jean King

  Debt

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.

• As far as U.S. tennis, we need new stars coming up in the pipeline, but I don't know if we have it.

  Billie Jean King

  Stars, Tennis, Needs

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.

• I like to see what future generations are thinking about.

  Billie Jean King

  Thinking, Generations, Future Generation

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.

• Trust and respect is something you earn, not something that is given.

  Billie Jean King

  Given, Trust And Respect

• I always respect right off the bat because we are human, but then over time you learn who the person truly is, just like they learn about you. Hope it works out really well, and you hope that builds a stronger connection over time. You can't be friends with everybody.

  Billie Jean King

  Work Out, Stronger, Bats

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.

• In business, everything starts with integrity. Otherwise it falls apart, though it does take time to find out who has integrity.

  Billie Jean King

  Integrity, Fall, Doe

  Interview with Jonathan Scott, www.tennis.com. December 17, 2013.