Ep. 10: Define Yourself (Guest Billie Jean King)

In Episode 10, hosts Ryan Redondo and Steve Adamson welcome Billie Jean King, one of the most influential figures in the history of tennis and sports. A 39-time Grand Slam champion and trailblazer for women’s sports, she joins the show during the Billie Jean King Girls Nationals at Barnes Tennis Center to reflect on her journey, the lessons tennis has taught her, and the advice she hopes the next generation will carry forward. Billie Jean King reflects on watching today’s junior players compete and remembering what it was like to be their age. Despite eventually becoming one of the greatest players in tennis history, she shares that she never won a junior national title and understands firsthand the pressure young athletes experience. She explains why pressure can be a privilege and why staying focused on the process is so important when competing in big moments. The conversation then turns to her beginnings on the public courts of Long Beach, where free access to tennis helped change the course of her life. Billie Jean King recalls earning the money for her first racket, the coaches and community members who supported her development, and the role her parents played in teaching her responsibility, determination, and belief in herself. In this episode, they explore: ✅ What the Billie Jean King Girls Nationals means to her ✅ Why pressure is a privilege and how young athletes can handle big moments ✅ The importance of staying in the process and learning to “go slow to go fast” ✅ Why watching the ball all the way to the contact point matters ✅ How her parents helped develop her competitive mindset and belief in herself ✅ Growing up in an era when girls were discouraged from participating in sports ✅ The impact of her first coach, Clyde Walker, and free public tennis in Long Beach ✅ Why young athletes should only play if they truly love the game ✅ How training in Australia helped her become the No. 1 player in the world ✅ Why relationships are everything in sports and life ✅ Why tennis should be promoted as both a team and individual sport ✅ Earning the money to buy her first tennis racket ✅ Why understanding the history of tennis can help shape the future of the sport ✅ The three life lessons Billie Jean King believes everyone should carry with them ✅ Why tennis teaches responsibility, problem-solving, concentration, and resilience ✅ Her message to young people: believe in yourself and define yourself Billie Jean King also shares three principles developed through years of observing people: relationships are everything, keep learning and keep learning how to learn, and be a problem solver and an innovator. She explains how these lessons extend far beyond the tennis court and can help people throughout every stage of life. Ryan, Steve, and Billie Jean King also discuss the importance of making tennis accessible, the value of team environments for young players, learning from the history of the sport, and the responsibility athletes develop through competition. She reflects on the people and opportunities that helped shape her career and why creating those same opportunities for future generations remains so important. The episode closes with a powerful message from Billie Jean King to young people: go for it, believe in yourself, and don’t let others define you. You define yourself. Whether you’re a player, parent, coach, sports fan, or someone pursuing a goal of your own, this episode offers a rare conversation about competition, opportunity, relationships, responsibility, and the lessons that helped Billie Jean King change tennis and sports forever.