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Billie Jean King holds many appellations. The 2009 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1987 inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and ’67 Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year has devoted more than 50 years to rallying support for her sport and combating sexism.
Familiar with receiving praise, the 68-year-old winner of 39 Grand Slam championships, including 12 singles crowns, played cheerleader June 5 at FDR Park, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, encouraging 45 youngsters vying to win ball kid jobs for the Philadelphia Freedoms, her World TeamTennis squad.
Dark clouds threatened to drench the 10- to 16-year-olds, representing recreation centers, leagues and after-school programs, and the icon yet stayed quiet, allowing them to engage in tests of their agility, reaction time, speed and throwing abilities. King, who owns the two-time conquerors of the eight-team association, reflected on her youth before scouting the current crop’s competency.
“I love parks and recreation departments,” the pioneer, who credits her California upbringing for her vocation, said.
With Deputy Mayor for Environmental and Community Resources Michael DiBerardinis at her side, King noted she wants the game to thrive in the city and stressed that having so many locations intensifies promotional obligations.
“The more we get, the more we are responsible to give,” she said.
The Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Department oversees 279 courts and manages 60 summer programs and 12 year-round opportunities. The Packer Park spaces became havens for heed after DiBerardinis commended King for her second year of selecting area personnel to help professionals.
“We are ushering in a new generation of tennis lovers in Philadelphia,” he said, “the home of one of the original teams in World TeamTennis.”
King played for the unit and served as coach in its inaugural ’74 campaign, winning the league’s MVP award and leading her mates to the final. She left following its ’75 merger with the Boston Lobsters, though its 2001 return reunited her with the city in which she won her premier tournament, the 1960 Philadelphia and District Women’s Grass Court Championships at the Germantown Cricket Club. She could not contain her joy, joining the participants in a huddle before their sneakers went scurrying.
“1,2,3, Freedoms,” they bellowed, with King gracing baselines as running from one doubles alley to another busied the young bodies.
“I want the local community to fall hard for this game,” she said.
As nearly her entire existence has gone toward helping forehands, backhands and volleys to align with home runs, slam dunks and touchdowns as inspirations, seeing such vigor pleased the member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. Though the day pitted youngsters against one another to score duties at the Freedoms’ seven summer home matches, King has plans for each eager entrant.
“I want to integrate everyone, regardless of playing ability,” she said as the would-be helpers worked on making and receiving tosses from their baselines to the nets. “When I played, I wanted to have fun and tons of it, and being No. 1 was a big aim. I want these young people to see they can find themselves a great future, in whatever capacity, in tennis.”
Once the aerial antics had subsided, King peered at the enthusiasts, who again prompted their feet to perform, this time handling runs from the fence to the net and back, and revealed a professional team assists the area’s pull toward what often is described as a “sport for a lifetime.” The 2001 and ’06 champions, the Freedoms compete at The Pavilion on Villanova University’s campus. Their impressive all-time roster includes multiple major winners such as Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova. This season promises to be prosperous, as former top-ranked players Chris Evert, Martina Hingis and John McEnroe, along with doubles masters Bob and Mike Bryan, will show off their strokes for first-year coach Josh Cohen.
“Today’s picks will have chances to observe great players,” King said. “They will find it educational to see just how great that greatness can be.”
This year marks a pair of milestones for King, who recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of her lone French Open singles title, a triumph that gave her the final element of the career Grand Slam and which the Freedoms will commend with July 14’s Bastille Day event. Instrumental in diminishing discrimination, she will honor June 23 as the 40th celebration of the passing of Title IX, a portion of the Education Amendments of 1972 that forbid gender bias in the use of educational programs and activities. The large number of girls who tried out gave King a reminder of the power of the latter.
Nina Hoog enjoyed the opportunity to impress King and her colleagues. The 11-year-old Penn Valley resident has played for five years, deeming the game’s fast pace “an instant hook.” A ball girl for Lafayette Hill’s Green Valley Country Club, she also studies under Cohen.
“This is really cool and exciting,” Nina, who has twice attended the U.S. Open, said of trying to earn one of 30 spots.
Expecting a couple days to elapse before receiving word, Nina beamed when Cohen told her she would soon be assisting marquee athletes.
“Wow, thank you!” she said. “I feel special.”
King, who next year will mark yet another 40th anniversary, her destruction of Bobby Riggs in the famed Battle of the Sexes, takes special pride in female participation yet made clear all increased interest will up tennis’ cachet.
“We intend to work all year to say how wonderful our game is,” she said, adding that Freedoms camps and tournaments are to come. “The approach is simple because the rewards are so numerous.”
For more information, visit philadelphiafreedoms.com.
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124. Comment at southphillyreview.com/sports/features.
Staff Photo by Greg Bezanis
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