An excerpt from Billie Jean King's new book about life lessons learned since the Battle of the Sexes.
By Billie Jean King with Christine Brennan
Published: July 30, 2008
It was the 1999 Women’s Soccer World Cup final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. With the game scoreless after regulation and overtime, U.S. goalie Briana Scurry made a critical save on a Chinese penalty kick. Moments later, up stepped Brandi Chastain. If she made her penalty kick, the U. S. team would defeat China and win the World Cup.
Brandi stood on the field alone, in front of the Chinese goalie, with more than 90,000 screaming fans cheering her on. She was looking pressure right in the face. Brandi kicked the ball and scored—and in doing so, truly understood what a privilege it was for her to be in that magic moment.
Yes, it was a privilege to have reached a moment that produced such a high level of pressure. Great moments carry great weight—that is what pressure to perform is all about. And though it can be tough to face that kind of pressure, very few people get the chance to experience it.
“Pressure is a privilege” is one of my favorite sayings. It is something I have believed in since I first stepped onto the tennis court as a competitor. I know it may seem odd to call pressure a privilege, but with every success come certain pressures that go with it. Like many people who succeed in challenging fields, I seem to embrace that pressure and thrive on it—as the pressure mounts, I get calmer and more focused.
We all feel pressure from different sources and situations over the course of our lives. Some people don’t feel that they are wired to deal well with pressure. And although in certain areas I usually use pressure to motivate me, there are situations off the court where I feel anxious from pressure (like writing this book while staying on top of my other obligations). But part of what helped me transform the way I think about pressure and what has allowed me to embrace it is the realization that negative reactions to intense situations have more to do with fear than with the pressure itself.
As I said, I am shy. Very shy. I remember being in fifth grade and feeling too afraid to get up in front of the class and give an oral book report. I just could not do it. My teacher did not know what to make of the situation, so she called my parents and said, “Billie Jean is going to get an unsatisfactory grade in reading if she doesn’t give her oral book report. I don’t know what the problem is—doesn’t she read?” My father was speechless. I loved to read and my father had seen me read dozens of books. He could not figure out how an “unsatisfactory” was possible for me.
My parents sat me down and asked what the problem was. I told them the truth—I was scared. The thought of getting up and talking in front of the class absolutely terrified me—I thought my heart would beat out of my chest and I would die right there. And it was something I loved—tennis—that would eventually help me get over this hurdle.
Every player knows that if you win a tournament, you have to say a public “thank you” afterward. I realized winning a tournament was the eventual—and desired!—result of all of my hard work, and whether I liked it or not, the pressure of public speaking came with the privilege of winning. And of course I wanted to win tournaments. From the start, my desire to win was huge, but my fear of speaking in front of an audience seemed even stronger.
I wanted to win and I wanted to get over my fears. I soon got the chance to test myself: the day came that I won a thirteen-and-under event in Santa Monica and had to stand up and thank everyone. Even though I was scared, I knew I had to do it, so I stood there and, in a soft voice and with my knees knocking, managed to eek out my various thank-yous. When I was done, I realized it wasn’t so bad! I certainly didn’t die. Not only did winning this tournament help me overcome my fear of public speaking, I also won a radio. Victory has its rewards!
This was my first experience with “pressure is a privilege.” I worked long and hard to get to the point where I could win that match, and it was a privilege to receive that award. But it was very clear that the pressure of public speaking came with the privilege of being the winner, and it always would in my world.
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