The Rise of a Champion and Advocate

Billie Jean King’s journey from a modest tennis court in Long Beach to global icon began in the early 1960s. By 1966 she had won her first Wimbledon singles title, and by the early 1970s she had claimed 12 Grand Slam singles titles overall. Yet even as she topped the rankings, King faced stark disparities in prize money, media coverage, and tournament opportunities compared to her male counterparts. In 1970, after winning the Italian Open, she received $600 while the male champion earned $3,500. Months later, she boycotted a major tournament over unequal pay and led the formation of the Virginia Slims Circuit — a breakaway tour that gave women professional tennis players a platform to compete for fairer purses and greater visibility. That circuit evolved into the foundation of the modern Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), which King also helped launch in 1973.

Her most iconic moment came later that same year when she defeated Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” — a nationally televised exhibition that drew an estimated 90 million viewers worldwide. The match shattered myths about female athletic ability and gave King an unmatched platform for advocacy. She famously said, “Everyone thinks women should be thrilled when we get crumbs, and I want women to have the cake, the icing, and the cherry on top.” Within weeks of that victory, she successfully pressured the U.S. Open to offer equal prize money to men and women — a breakthrough that would later influence all four Grand Slam events. King realized that her individual success, however historic, was not enough. To create lasting change, she needed an institution that could outlast any single athlete or match.

Title IX and the Imperative for Action

The passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act in 1972 was a watershed moment for gender equity in education, including athletics. The law prohibited sex-based discrimination in any federally funded educational program. Yet its early implementation was slow, often resisted, and narrowly interpreted. Many schools treated Title IX as a suggestion rather than a mandate; enforcement remained minimal for years. Girls and women still lacked access to quality coaching, facilities, equipment, and scholarship opportunities. A 1974 study by the National Organization for Women found that while boys’ high school sports received an average of $150,000 in annual funding, girls’ programs received less than $10,000. The gap in college athletic scholarships was even starker — men held more than 90 percent of the total scholarship dollars available.

King recognized that legal change alone could not close this chasm. Athletes needed a dedicated organization to advocate for enforcement, provide direct support, and elevate the conversation around women’s sports. “You can’t just pass a law and walk away,” King later remarked. “You have to fight every day to make it real.” The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) was conceived as exactly that kind of entity — a nonprofit that would combine public advocacy, grassroots programming, and rigorous research to accelerate progress. King began gathering allies even before the ink was dry on the 1972 statute.

Founding the Women’s Sports Foundation in 1974

The Women’s Sports Foundation was officially established on February 12, 1974, in San Francisco. King served as a founding member and later chaired the board of trustees. She was joined by a group of influential female athletes and advocates, including swimmer Donna de Varona, tennis star Chris Evert, Olympic gold medalist Wyomia Tyus, and former Olympic skier Suzy Chaffee. The foundation’s mission was simple but audacious: “To enable all girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life.” King leveraged her fame and political connections to raise initial funding, appearing on talk shows, writing op-eds in magazines like Sports Illustrated and Ms., and lobbying members of Congress. She also helped design the foundation’s governance structure to ensure it remained athlete-led and responsive to real-world needs — a leadership model that many other organizations later adopted.

King’s Leadership and Vision

King’s leadership style combined fierce public advocacy with strategic behind-the-scenes work. She insisted that the foundation focus not only on elite athletes but also on everyday girls who wanted to play for fun, health, and confidence. Under her guidance, the WSF launched several pioneering programs: a scholarship fund for female athletes in need, a travel-and-training grant program for rising competitors, and a national public-awareness campaign about the benefits of girls’ sports participation. King also pushed for rigorous research that could be used to pressure schools and policymakers. Perhaps most importantly, she used her relationships with corporate sponsors — Avon, Phillips 66, and later Nike — to secure multiyear funding commitments that gave the foundation financial stability. King often told donors, “If you want to change the world, you have to be willing to make a spectacle of your cause.” By 1976, the WSF had an annual budget of nearly $500,000 — a substantial sum for a young nonprofit — and had already awarded its first round of grants.

Key Programs and Initiatives

Since its founding, the Women’s Sports Foundation has developed a comprehensive suite of programs that address barriers at every level of sport. Some of the most impactful include:

  • Travel & Training Fund: Provides direct financial grants to aspiring female athletes for coaching, equipment, and competition expenses. Since 1984, the fund has awarded over $1.5 million to athletes in more than 60 sports. Recipients range from Olympic hopefuls in track and field to youth soccer players in underserved communities.
  • Billie Jean King Leadership Award: Honors an individual who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to advancing girls’ and women’s sports. Winners include athletes, coaches, administrators, and activists — such as former U.S. Soccer star Abby Wambach, Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes, and University of Tennessee coach Pat Summitt (posthumously).
  • GoGirlGo! Educational Curriculum: A national program that uses sports-themed lessons to promote physical activity, self-esteem, and healthy decision-making among elementary-school-age girls. Since its launch in 2004, GoGirlGo! has reached more than one million girls in schools and community centers.
  • Sports & Society Research: The foundation funds and disseminates studies on topics such as the economic impact of women’s sports, media representation, and the long-term health benefits of youth participation. The foundation’s research library is one of the most-cited resources in the field of sport sociology.
  • Policy Advocacy: The WSF regularly files amicus briefs in court cases related to Title IX, testifies before Congress, and publishes annual scorecards that grade schools and sports organizations on equity metrics. In 2020, the foundation’s advocacy helped secure a U.S. Department of Education directive reinforcing Title IX protections for female athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Community Grant Program: A newer initiative that provides funding to local nonprofits, schools, and recreation departments that run programs specifically for girls from low-income or marginalized backgrounds. Since 2018, the program has distributed over $2 million to organizations in all 50 states.

Research and Advocacy

One of the foundation’s most enduring contributions is its commitment to data-driven advocacy. Through partnerships with institutions like the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport and the Women’s Sports Research Institute at the University of Michigan, the WSF produces annual reports on the state of women’s sports. These reports have documented persistent gaps in coaching representation, media coverage, and athletic scholarships. For example, a 2021 study funded by the WSF found that while girls’ participation in high school sports has grown more than 10-fold since Title IX, spending on girls’ programs still lags significantly — girls receive only about 40 cents for every dollar spent on boys’ programs. Such findings provide critical ammunition for advocates and have been cited in dozens of federal and state policy debates, including congressional hearings on the Title IX Fairness Act and Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act amendments.

The foundation also runs an annual Title IX Summit that brings together athletes, educators, lawyers, and policymakers to discuss emerging challenges and share best practices. Recent topics have included transgender athlete inclusion, NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) equity, and mental health resources for young competitors. The WSF’s research arm has also influenced major corporate decisions: when ESPN launched a women’s sports channel in 2019, the network cited WSF data on the untapped audience potential for women’s athletics.

Awards and Recognition

The Women’s Sports Foundation administers several prestigious awards that highlight excellence and advocacy. The Sportswoman of the Year award, established in 1979, honors the top female athlete in both individual and team sports. Past winners include Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Mia Hamm, and Megan Rapinoe. The Billie Jean King Leadership Award, created in 1990, has been presented to trailblazers like tennis legend Martina Navratilova, Olympic gymnast and physician Dominique Dawes, and former U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team captain Abby Wambach. The foundation also bestows the Wilma Rudolph Courage Award on athletes who overcome adversity — named for the legendary sprinter who overcame polio to win three Olympic gold medals. These awards not only celebrate individual achievement but also reinforce the message that women’s sports deserve respect, resources, and recognition on the same level as men’s.

Enduring Legacy and Expanding Horizons

More than four decades after its founding, the Women’s Sports Foundation remains one of the most influential nonprofit organizations in the athletic world. It has distributed over $100 million in grants and scholarships, supported thousands of athletes through its Travel & Training Fund, and played a crucial role in every major Title IX legal victory since the 1990s — including the 1999 Cohen v. Brown University decision that strengthened Title IX’s application to athletics. The foundation’s ongoing initiatives address new challenges, including the rise of transgender athletes in women’s sports, the commercialization of female college athletes following NIL reforms, and the need for better mental health resources for young competitors. In 2022, the WSF launched a national Mental Health in Sports initiative, providing free online training for coaches and parents to recognize signs of anxiety and depression in young female athletes.

Billie Jean King’s personal involvement has never waned. She continues to serve as an ambassador and primary fundraiser, appearing at the foundation’s annual Champions Dinner and lending her voice to press releases on urgent issues. In 2024, the WSF announced a new $10 million endowment fund for programming in underserved communities — a direct result of King’s continued advocacy and a matching gift from a longtime donor. “The fight is never over,” King said at the endowment announcement. “Every generation has to win it again.” Her commitment ensures that the foundation remains nimble, relevant, and fiercely focused on the original vision: that every girl who wants to play sports should have the opportunity, regardless of her zip code, skin color, or family income.

Conclusion

Billie Jean King’s role in the formation of the Women’s Sports Foundation was not an accident — it was a deliberate, strategic response to systemic inequality. She understood that individual success on the court would never be enough to dismantle the barriers facing all women. The WSF gave structure to King’s vision, turning personal fame into institutional power that could outlast any single match or era. Today, the foundation stands as a testament to the idea that sports are not merely games but essential arenas for social justice. Every girl who picks up a tennis racket, soccer ball, or basketball owes a debt to King and the organization she helped build. The Women’s Sports Foundation remains as necessary now as it was in 1974 — and Billie Jean King remains its most determined champion. For more information about the foundation’s history and current programs, visit the official Women’s Sports Foundation website. To learn about Billie Jean King’s broader advocacy, see her biography at billiejeanking.com or read the U.S. Department of Education’s Title IX overview. Additional perspective on the ongoing Title IX equity gap can be found in the recent report by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport.