Tennis is one of those great sports that is fun and competitive and that can be enjoyed by both beginners and advanced tennis players. My 11 year old son is an avid tennis player. And by avid, I mean he lives by playing tennis. He measures the speed of his serve, he can tell you what kind of courts are best for each player whether they be hard, all weather or grass. He also understands the difference between weightless and weightless tennis rackets and enlists men 3 times their age to play tennis with him. To say that we live by tennis in our house is an understatement. So when our family was recently invited to a game of the World Team Tennis tournament at Cary Leeds Tennis Center in the Bronx, NY, where my son goes to day-camp, we were so excited we took the whole family and made a night of it.
World Team Tennis, or WTT, is a mixed gender professional tennis league and was co-founded by Billie Jean King in 1973. The most exciting thing about the event we attended was that Billie Jean not only founded the WTT, but attended the game. the night we attended and was honored for the incredible work he has done in relation to girls’ empowerment over the past decades, both on the tennis court and off the court.
BJK (left) on WTT
Billie Jean King started her career at age 10 when she accompanied a friend to a country club and played tennis for the first time. Billie Jean says that as soon as she touched her racket with the ball, she knew that tennis was the sport she wanted to dedicate her life to. Since then, she has tirelessly invested her efforts, time and money to perfect the sport. As with everything we want to master and excel in “10,000 hours” of practice, Billie Jean set her hours and more.
When Billie Jean was just thirteen, she was banned from taking a photo with her tennis team because she wore shorts instead of the traditional dress that was currently worn by tennis players. This event made Billie Jean support the promotion of equality in the world of sports. In 1959, four years later, at the young age of seventeen, Billie Jean became a professional player. By 1966, Billie Jean was ranked No. 1 in the world in women’s tennis, and she would hold this title five times more until 1974. She used the power and influence she gained to shed light on gender equality issues. Billie Jean has been quoted saying, “Unless I was number 1, they wouldn’t listen to me.” Your daughters can learn more about Billie Jean King in an easy-to-read book.written for children, titled as I am Billie Jean King . For parents who are interested in learning more about the tennis superstar, Billie Jean has written her own book about her life as a tennis player and activist, Pressure is a Privilege . You can also go to her website at Billie Jean King’s website for more information on everything the amazing tennis player and activist has done!
In the mid-1970s, Billie Jean King was becoming a name known for her incredible tennis skills, but off the court, she was also becoming an advocate for women. In 1971 Billie Jean became the first athlete to win more than $ 100,000 in prize money; Unbelievably this was still, $ 15,000 less than the men’s champion won during the 1972 US Open. The injustice of this and inequality led Billie Jean to found the Women’s Tennis Association, where she joined for equal pay for men and women.
” Everyone thinks women should be delighted when we get crumbs, and I want women to have the cake, icing, and cherry on top , too,” said King.
In 1973, after Billie Jean threatened to boycott the US Open tournament, they became the first tournament to offer equal prizes to both sexes.
King’s rights promotion drew a lot of attention, both good and bad. In 1973, Bobby Riggs, another acclaimed tennis professional, challenged her to a tennis game titled “Battle of the Sexes.” Riggs wanted to play Billie Jean to demonstrate that pay equity was not necessary because women’s tennis was inferior to men’s. Billie Jean King proved that Riggs was wrong in winning the game, which was the most watched tennis game in history with over 90 million views. You can see her win here or see below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7vqSm4yIZc
Even after retiring from sport, Billie Jean King has never given up her fight for equality for women. In 2009, President Barrack Obama recognized his efforts for women, and Billie Jean received the Presidential Medal of Freedom Award, the United States’ highest honor given to civilians.
Your daughter does not need to love sports to enjoy learning about BJK. In fact, BJK prides itself on countless women, now famous, who have influenced history. Herstory: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook Up the World , this is an entertaining and informative children’s book about famous women who have influenced history, including icons like Rosa Parks, Frida Kahlo , Marie Curie and Malala Yousafzai. Among many more! She can also be inspired by Strong Is the New Pretty: A Celebration of Girls Being Themselves., a book that features real girls doing things they love, from sports to baking, dancing, and everything in between. Empowering our young daughters to realize their dreams can be accomplished with hard work and the knowledge that anything is possible. This will empower a generation of young women who will change the course of history.
Here in Curlee Girlee we love books and activities that provide a fun and positive experience of learning . To help build your girl’s confidence and continue her journey of empowerment, buy her the Curlee Girlee book which taught children to love themselves the way they are (book 1 in the series) and discover their hidden talents (book 2 of the series). To have fun with the colors we love, I am Confident, Brave & Beautiful , is a coloring book full of pages and pictures that “encourages girls to think beyond social conventions and inspires conversations with adults about what it really means to be safe, brave and beautiful.” It is a creative activity that even the youngest girls will enjoy and be able to learn.
Scene from Curlee Girlee
Changing the mindset of our children begins at a very young age. Our sons and especially our young daughters need to be surrounded by positive female role models such as Billie Jean King. Ensuring that our role models are men and women who believe in the empowerment of girls will allow our children to become safe adults and vehicles for change and innovation.
If you and your child are inspired by BJK or just love to be active, consider buying him a tennis racket that was made just for kids, and The Big Book of Tennis Facts: for kids and adults, which is a complete book. to learn everything about tennis and how to play. If you are someone who likes to look fashionable, even while playing sports, there are many excellent tennis fashion options. Check out tennis skirts and tennis shoes too, and check out our article on 5 techniques to help your curly girl learn to tie her shoes! Buy the Curlee Girlee book here, buy Ricitos Bonitos (Spanish edition) here,and book two Curlee Girlee’s Got Talent here , and subscribe to our website to learn ways to empower your daughter.
Atara Twersky, Author of Curlee Girlee is a TODAY Show Style Icon. Her mission is to teach girls to embrace the beautiful curls they have with power and confidence. Join us as together we change the “coarse” of curly hair. Don’t forget to check out our recent article on What to Do or Say if Your Daughter is Showing Signs of Hating Her Curly Hair.
