Written in 2004
Everyone remembers their first superwoman moment. Mine played out not on the tennis court, like many to follow, but on the diamond. Picture a scrappy tomboy of a nine-year-old-the youngest on the team. It was the bottom of the ninth inning, runners on second and third, our team was up by one. Shifting my weight to the balls of my feet, I hunker over at shortstop and punched a fist into my mitt. Charged with the adrenaline, I stand at the intersection of fear and hope, anticipating the ball coming my way. The pitch flies. The bat cracks, and a line drive is sent with gusto to the outskirts of my reach. Diving to the ground, I snag the ball, spin, throw to third to double off the runner. That's it. Last out. The team goes berserk. We had done it. I savored my first taste of being part of a championship team.
All women can benefit from feeling the power that comes from those moments of achievement. Thirty years ago, I worked with a group of talented and dedicated people to start the Women's Sports Foundation. At that time, access to athletics was limited for women. Our goal was to afford every girl and woman the opportunity to embrace their own superwoman. We wanted to make sure that everyone, from Olympians to playground prodigies, had a chance to fall in love with sports. Seedlings for women's success on and off the court needed to be planted, sowed, and protected.
To this day, the Women's Sports Foundation has been working to make sure that girls have an opportunity to dream about sports. As a team we've come to understand that winning means something different to everyone. Winning is not just about championship rings and trophies. It's about loving the game so much that you keep coming back to compete-day after day, throughout your life. It's an attitude that bleeds into everything you do.
The pages of this book are graced with reflections of one hundred athletes in search of the superwoman that lives inside of them. Each one defines winning on her own terms. These are woman who have seized the opportunities they have been given. When there was no space for a female, they created one. They have taken risks. They've failed and flailed and found a way to get back up. Look in their eyes. Study their bodies and you will find maps of perseverance and determination. As you flip through the pages, allow yourself to be moved by both the incredible athletic achievements as well as the real stories of women behind those achievements. Most important, keep in mind that there is a superwoman living inside all of us. Find her and let her fly.
For the love of the game,
Billie Jean King
Founder, Women's Sports Foundation