Billie Jean King to Release New Book in August

Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes is

King’s First Book in 20 Years

 

NEW YORK, NY (May 28, 2008) --- Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes, the first book by sports icon and social activist Billie Jean King in more than 20 years, is scheduled to be released August 12, 2008.  Pre-orders of the book are available at www.WTT.com.

          Published by LifeTime Media and written with sports journalist Christine Brennan, King’s new book chronicles a series of life lessons that guided her to the world stage and her historic Battle of the Sexes match with Bobby Riggs, held September 20, 1973 in Houston, Texas.  Academy Award-winning actress Holly Hunter wrote the preface for this new book.  Pressure is a Privilege is distributed in North America by the Perseus Book Group

          “Published in conjunction with the 35th anniversary of one of the most pivotal moments not just in the history of women’s sports, but in American culture, Pressure is a Privilege uses the Battle of the Sexes match as a backdrop to illustrate the life lessons that led to Billie Jean’s success in sports, life and in the world at large,” said Jacqueline Grace, president of LifeTime Media, Inc.

          Pressure is a Privilege is King’s eighth book.  She previously authored We Have Come A Long Way: The History of Women's Tennis (w/Cynthia Starr, 1988); Billie Jean (with Frank Deford, Viking, 1982); Playing Better Tennis (with Reginald Brace, 1981); Tennis Love: A Parent's Guide To The Sport (with Greg Hoffman, 1978); Billie Jean (with Kim Chapin, 1974); Billie Jean King’s Secrets of Winning Tennis (with Joe Hyams, 1974); Tennis To Win (with Kim Chapin, 1970).

Billie Jean King has long been a champion for social change and equality.  King created new inroads for women in sports and beyond during her legendary career and she continues to make her mark today.  As a tennis player, King won 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon.  She founded the Women’s Tennis Association (1973), the Women’s Sports Foundation (1974) and co-founded World TeamTennis (1974).  King currently serves on the boards of the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation and has launched GreenSlam, an environmental initiative challenging the sports industry to become more environmentally aware and active. 

Founded in 1994 by Jacqueline Grace, LifeTime Media has been a book packager and literary agency specializing in the creation and marketing of branded books, commercial non-fiction, select fiction, children’s books and related products. Through the years, LifeTime Media has successfully partnered with such leading publishers as Warner Books, Little Brown, Pocket Books, Harper Collins/Morrow, Rodale, Regan Books, Avery, Clarkson Potter, Putnam, and Thomas Nelson. LifeTime Media has developed successful book packages for such nationally recognized brands as Maxwell House, Meow Mix, American Lung Association, Bridal Guide magazine, and fashion designer Jessica McClintock.

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UNESCO-SONY ERICSSON WTA TOUR PARTNERSHIP FOR GENDER EQUALITY NAMES BILLIE JEAN KING “GLOBAL MENTOR FOR GENDER EQUALITY”

 

• Founder of Tour and leading global pioneer for equality to bring over 30 year history of success in breaking down barriers in support of partnership objectives

 

• Women’s Sports Foundation’s “Billie Jean King Leadership Internship” program to be funded by Partnership

 

DOHA, Qatar – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, the world’s leading global sport for women, announced today the naming of Billie Jean King as “Global Mentor for Gender Equality”, along with the funding of the Women’s Sports Foundation newly created Billie Jean King Leadership Internship program.  The appointment of Billie Jean King to the new role brings together the sporting world’s leading advocate for equality with the landmark global partnership between UNESCO and the Tour to further gender quality and promote women’s leadership in all spheres of society.  It also brings together two of the world’s leading organizations devoted to furthering equality, in the Women’s Sports Foundation, founded by Billie Jean King in 1974 with a mission to increase opportunity and participation for women and girls in sports, and UNESCO.

 

As Global Mentor for Gender Equality, Billie Jean King joins Venus Williams, the partnership’s global Promoter for Gender Equality, and Tatiana Golovin of France and Zheng Jie of China, regional Promoters of Gender Equality, as core supporters and the player face of the UNESCO-Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Partnership.  Venus Williams, participating in the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, joined Billie Jean King for today’s announcement.

 

The Billie Jean King Leadership Internship program to be funded by the UNESCO/Sony Ericsson WTA Tour partnership is the sixth such program to be launched, joining projects in Cameroon, Liberia, Jordan, China and Dominican Republic announced in November 2007.  The new program will be run by the Women’s Sports Foundation, and will annually provide an opportunity for one young woman to gain experience in the sports industry through an internship at the Women’s Sports Foundation, including follow on placement opportunities in the sports business.  Women are severely underrepresented in leadership positions in the sports industry, and the program is designed to develop a next generation of female sports leaders.

 

“This partnership is a strong step in an effort to improve gender equity issues on many levels and I am honored to be part of this team,” said Billie Jean King.  “There is so much work still to be done when it comes to breaking down barriers to opportunity for women and girls throughout the world, and one of the most effective things we can do is combine our resources, energies and expertise.  UNESCO, the Women’s Sports Foundation and the players of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour together can be a potent force for social change.”

 

In a video message, UNESCO’s Director-General, Koïchiro Matsuura, said: “Today, we are proud to welcome Billie Jean King into the Hall of Fame of our Partnership and to designate her “Global Mentor for Gender Equality”.  This is in recognition of her tremendous career, which has inspired millions and changed the lives of young women across the world. Her designation also acknowledges the “mentoring” she has provided to generations of tennis players who have followed in her footsteps. Ms. King has achieved her goal of “using sports as a means for social change.”  She has done so in exciting and innovative ways, such as through the Women’s Sports Foundation, which she founded in 1974, as well as through the “GreenSlam” initiative, which she founded in 2007 to encourage the sports industry to become more environmentally responsible.”

“No one has done more to drive positive change in the area of gender equity in the world of sport than Billie Jean King,” said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.  “As founder of the Tour and of the Women’s Sports Foundation, and as a role model for women on and off the sporting field, Billie has been a catalyst of social reform and increased opportunity for more than one generation of women leaders.  It is great to be able to bring together Billie, a fantastic organization as the Women’s Sports Foundation and our UNESCO-Tour partnership in furtherance of a common passion and goal that we all share – equality.  It is fitting too that we are able to make this announcement here in Doha at the very first year-end Sony Ericsson Championships to offer equal prize money.”

 

“Billie Jean King has been an inspiration for women and girls throughout the world, and a leader in fighting for gender equality and opportunity,” said reigning Wimbledon Champion and Promoter of Gender Equality Venus Williams.  “With Billie’s support and the new Women’s Sports Foundation project, I know we will be able to continue to up our game in using this partnership to help create the next generation of women leaders.”

 

Since the launch in November 2006 of the landmark global partnership between UNESCO and the Tour to further gender equality and promote women’s leadership in all spheres of society, a substantial amount of funds been raised or pledged; a series of programs have been launched and funded; a global TV and print advertising campaign has been developed; Sony Ericsson tournaments in certain markets such as Linz, Austria and Portoroz, Slovenia have initiated advocacy, awareness and funding raising activities on behalf of the Partnership; and global “Promoter of Gender Equality” Venus Williams has been joined by Tour stars Tatiana Golovin of France and Zheng Jie of China – and now Billie Jean King.

 

The programs, which will be supported both through financial contributions and the Partnership’s player “Promoters of Gender Equality”, are designed to create real opportunities for women and girls to assume leadership roles, as well as to raise awareness and promote the goal of gender equality.  Programs previously announced and now being implemented include:

 

• In Liberia, a project that will create a women-only night school program for 1000 girls, and train female teachers to staff the program, in an effort to further equal access to quality primary and secondary education for disadvantaged women in post-conflict Liberia.
• In Cameroon, a project that will work to create a group of successful female politicians, business women and athletes who will organize various events and activities in support of women’s leadership and gender equality.
• In China, a project that will aim to raise the percentage of rural women involved in local affairs and promote a more balanced decision making process.
• In the Dominican Republic, a program that will advocate for women’s social and political leadership through awareness raising activities and capacity building and training programs.  One of these programs will train 80 young women between the ages of 18-28 in participative leadership skills to encourage them to rise to top positions in civil society and political organizations.
• In Jordan, a legal rights awareness program, consisting of 24 legal training workshops throughout the country, will be designed to empower women to know their rights

 

At the announcement today in Doha, Billie Jean King was flanked by Venus Williams, the partnerships’ global “Promoter of Gender Equality”; Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott; Hans d’Orville, Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning of UNESCO; [and Karim Alami, the Tournament Director of the Sony Ericsson Championships]

 

The social responsibility program, which draws upon the history of the Tour and players in fighting for equality, and the idea for which came about through the Iguales campaign at the Tour’s previous Sony Ericsson Championships host promoter in Madrid, marks an unprecedented level of commitment by the Tour and players to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality and advance opportunities for women.  The program also represents the first time that UNESCO, the only Organization of the United Nations system with a mandate for education, the sciences, culture and communication and information which are critical for laying the grounds for gender equality, is partnering with a professional sports league for this objective embraced by all world leaders (2005 World Summit Outcome). UNESCO, with a Division specifically devoted to women’s empowerment and gender equality (www.unesco.org/women), is committed to mainstreaming gender equality considerations in all its programs, globally and at the country level.

 

Key elements of the program include (i) a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour/UNESCO Fund for women and leadership, (ii) a “Promoter of Gender Equality” player program, which involves players as role models at both a global and national level in advocacy and awareness raising activities as well as direct involvement in specific gender equality and women’s leadership programs throughout the world, (iii) mentoring, scholarship and fellowship programs designed to support women’s individual leadership and provide them with the opportunities to succeed in any and all walks of life, (iv) advertising to raise awareness of and promote the internationally recognized goal of gender equality, and (v) usage of UNESCO and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour tournaments, social events and conferences as advocacy, awareness and fundraising platforms.

 

For UNESCO, gender equality is a fundamental human right, a commonly shared value, and a necessary condition for the realization of sustainable development, human rights and peace at global, regional and local levels.  This is why UNESCO has designated gender equality as one of its two global priorities in all of its fields of competence: Education, the Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture and Communication and Information. In particular, UNESCO seeks to integrate a gender equality perspective into all stages of its programme cycle from conceptualization to implementation and evaluation as well as to promote the full and equal participation of women at all levels and in all areas of UNESCO’s action. In this endeavor, UNESCO has a wide range of initiatives in all its domains as well as special partnership programmes with the private sector, such as the L’Oreal-UNESCO “For Women in Science” programme (http://www.loreal.com/_en/_ww/index.aspx), and the "Suzanne Mubarak/Japan-Egypt Friendship Research Fellowships” for the empowerment of women in peace and gender studies. With DaimlerChrysler, UNESCO has forged the highly successful Mondialogo Partnership, which promotes intercultural dialogue among schools and students through concrete projects (www.mondialogo.org).

 

NCAA HONORS BILLIE JEAN KING WITH GERALD R. FORD AWARD
INDIANAPOLIS--- Billie Jean King, tennis great and champion for social change and equality,
is the recipient of this year.s NCAA President.s Gerald R. Ford Award.
     The award, named in recognition of the late President Gerald Ford, honors individuals who have provided significant leadership as an advocate for higher education and intercollegiate athletics on a continuous basis over the course of his or her career.  NCAA President Myles Brand will present the award to King at the opening business session of the 2009 NCAA Convention on Thursday, January 15, in Washington, D.C. In honor of King, the
NCAA will donate an honorarium to the institution of her choice for the benefit of student-athletes.
     “Billie Jean King has created new inroads for women in sports and beyond during her
legendary career,” Brand said. “From her record 20 titles at Wimbledon, to the "Battle of the Sexes. in 1973, to her founding of the Women.s Tennis Foundation and Women's Sports Foundation, her career has been – and continues to be – one of great accomplishments and contributions to society.”
     King was born Nov. 22, 1943, and grew up in Long Beach, Calif., where her father, Bill,
worked for the Long Beach Fire Department and her mother, Betty, was a homemaker. At age 5, while washing dishes, Billie Jean told her mom, “I am going to do something great with my life.”  At age 11, Billie Jean bought her first tennis racket – which came complete with maroon strings – using the money she saved from odd jobs. At age 11, following a free tennis lesson, Billie Jean told her mother, “I am going to be No. 1 in the world.” Her mother told her that was nice but she needed to go home and finish her homework and practice piano.
     King attended California State University in Los Angeles, where she played tennis.
She won 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles tennis titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon.  To commemorate the 35th anniversary of her historic match against Bobby Riggs, she authored “Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I've Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes.” The book, published by Lifetime Media, was released in August 2008. The book is a collection of life lessons King used to prepare for her historic Battle of the Sexes match. The 1973 match is widely considered to be one of the greatest moments in sports history. It is remembered for its effect on society and its contribution to the women.s movement.
     King was one of nine players who, in 1970, broke away from the tennis establishment and accepted $1 contracts from tennis promoter Gladys Heldman in Houston. The revolt led to the birth of women's professional tennis and the formation of the Virginia Slims Tour and Women's Tennis Association. In 1973 King lobbied for, and obtained, equal prize money for men and women at the U.S. Open. Also in 1973, she founded the Women's Tennis Association. In 1974 she founded the Women's Sports Foundation and Women.s Sports Magazine.   Since founding the Women.s Sports Foundation, King has led the organization in its mission to advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. In the past 34 years, the Foundation has awarded more than $50 million in educational and cash grants to advance participation, research and leadership in sports and physical activity for girls and women.

     King co-founded World TeamTennis in 1974, the groundbreaking co-ed professional tennis league and founded the World TeamTennis Recreational League, one of the most popular recreational tennis formats in the U.S.
     In 1990, Life Magazine named King one of the 100 most important Americans of the 20th
Century and in 1994, King was ranked No. 5 on Sports Illustrated.s “Top 40 Athletes” list for
significantly altering or elevating sports the last four decades.  King was honored on Aug. 28, 2006, when the National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in honor of King's contributions to tennis, sports and society both on and off the court. She remains involved with the USTA and is currently chair of the Tennis in the Parks Committee. She also continues to be a leader in the effort for
equality and recognition in the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgendered (GLBT) community and has been honored by many of the leading GLBT organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD and Lambda Legal Foundation.
     She was further honored in October 2006, when the Sports Museum of America and the
Women's Sports Foundation announced that the Billie Jean King International Women.s Sports Center, the nation.s first permanent, comprehensive museum collection dedicated to women's sports, would be housed at the Sports Museum of America when it opened in New York in 2008.  She currently serves on boards of the Women.s Sports Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. As a member of the board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, King has helped the organization raise more than $125 million to support 4,000 programs in 55 countries around the world.  To commemorate the first anniversary of the renaming of the National Tennis Center in her honor, King launched an environmental initiative called GreenSlam, which is a challenge to the sports industry to get proactive about being ecologically minded.
     This is the sixth year the NCAA has presented the Gerald R. Ford Award. University of Notre Dame President Emeritus Theodore Hesburgh received the inaugural award in 2004 and former Knight Commission chair William Friday was the 2005 recipient. In 2006, Birch Bayh, former United States Senator from Indiana and “Father of Title IX”, and John Wooden, legendary UCLA men.s basketball coach who won 10 national championships, were dual recipients of the award. Christine Grant, former director of women's athletics at the University of Iowa, received the award in 2007. James Frank, former membership president of the NCAA, was last year.s recipient.
     Ford was the 38th president of the United States taking office in 1974 after President Richard Nixon resigned. Ford was president until 1977. His political career began in 1948 when he was elected to Congress from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He became House Minority Leader in 1965, a position he held until Nixon appointed him vice president in 1973.  Ford played football at the University of Michigan where he participated on national championship teams in 1932 and 1933. He started every game at center his senior year and was voted
Most Valuable Player by his teammates. Ford received contract offers from the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions, which he turned down in favor of studying law at Yale University. Before beginning his law classes, Ford coached freshman football and boxing.

At the age of 93, President Ford died at his California home on December 26, 2006.

     “As a public servant and as a student-athlete, President Ford embodied the qualities of integrity, achievement and dedication that we aspire to in intercollegiate athletics, and so does Billie Jean King,” Brand said. “Because of Billie Jean King.s work and dedication to the integrity of every human being, she has been – and still is – able to bring about change in athletics and society.”