do a fully -- do a massive pullout. we are not really flying that much. we are dropping like a rock. finally, we fall 300 feet and the pilot drops the gear. as you do the final prep for landing -- we are still going about 200 knots. that is one reason we deployed the drag chute, to make the landing safer. we have a 3 mile run way. that was -- i like to transition a little bit to the space station today. it is a partnership of five space agency's and 15 countries. it has been continuously inhabited for over 11 years. close to 1 million pounds of

hardware in space. the dimensions are larger than a football field. a pressurized volume. 200 people have lived there or visited there on assembly missions. that is nicole, one of our astronauts up there, getting a little bit of a tour. this is the u.s. laboratory. this is the model that kind of pie is the u.s. and russian side together. if you go to the russian side, this is their main service module where they do a lot of their activities. this is a biological experiment that could effect medical regimens on earth. these butterflies and spiders are part of an educational program. the experiments can be replicated in kindergarten

through 12th grade classes -- glass -- classes. they can understand how butterflies operate differently. plant growth, trying to understand plants and gravity. not only to understand plant development for future space missions, but also here on earth. these rocks can hold experiments designed by high school students. a lot of what we do is focused on biomedical experiments. how the human body is effected by spaceflight. astronauts do special exercises to prevent bone loss. we also have to do things -- our immune systems of change in space. we are trying to understand more about that. there is radiation exposure. this is a freezer that in all samples at temperature to be

looked at on earth. one of the things we looked at is in-space soldering. you do not have conduction like to do but you do not have protection like on earth, so you have to understand how to do that. this is a fundamental astrophysics experiment that is trying to detect antimatter and dark matter and also measure cosmic rays. we've already measured 12 billion cosmic rays since last may. this is our first humanoid robots in space. this handshake happened a couple of weeks ago, the first humanoid-human handshake in space. looking at that to assist astronauts in the future. here is our kubla, which is our window on the world. it is one of the last models up there. this is a spectacular view of

the aurora australia s, actually. these are some nighttime views over san diego. you can see some thunderstorm activity. you can see florida, the east coast of the united states at night. spectacular views. finally, over the middle of the country, you can see the great lakes. it has really been spectacular to get that up both to help with things like road bike activity but also to view the earth. -- robotic activity but also to view the earth. as this movie finishes up, i wanted to mention that you can go online anytime and find out when you can actually view ices where you live. because it is so big, it is actually a very big bright star in the sky. one of the best sightings is coming up for colorado springs. there is one next thursday,

march 1st. if your outside at 6:43 p.m., it is going to come up in the west, northwest direction. starting about 20 degrees above the horizon and getting all the way up to about 70 degrees above the horizon. if it happens to be a clear night, and hope you will look at and think about the space program. maybe for some of you that will be in your future as well. thank you very much i will be happy to take questions. >> thank you a much freer message. the wisdom you shared with us today will be invaluable for everyone in the audience. on behalf of the 2012 participants, cadet wing and faculty and staff of the united states air force, we would like to present you with a small token of our appreciation.

[laughter] [applause] if you would like to speak to our guest, she will be available stage right. we once again extend our thanks to the association of graduates, the endowment, the class of 1973 and all others who, through their generosity, make this possible. additionally, there are buses running every 20 minutes from the front of arnold hall. thank you. [captioning performed by >> neck, billie jean king talked about equal pay and women in sports. after that, commencement speeches by michael bloomberg, bob macdonald, baltimore mayor, and oklahoma's governor.

then, fact checkers of about the accuracy of advertising in the 2012 president to campaign. on news makers, florida rep debbie wasserman schultz, the democratic national committee chair. she talks about the presidential race, political landscape and the senate and the house. newsmakers, sunday at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> welcome to old cowtown museum, wichita, kansas. >> it is great to be here in the city of wichita. we have been working at the city for 22 years. today we will be talking a little bit about the problem we are having in the city with taxicabs. 9:20 hot, hang onto that. tv ande 2 and third, book

american history tv explore the literary culture of wichita, kansas. >> this is an alphabetical list of the members of the senate and the house of representatives done in 1831. i believe this was issued only for the members immediately -- immediate use only. there were not too long this out because, as you can see, it tells you exactly where everybody lives so you could buttonhole them and punish them if you did not like them. >> wichita, kan. on june 2 and third on c-span2 and c-span3. >> now, tennis champion billie jean king discusses equal opportunity and pay for women athletes. she talks about the benefits of tennis and how it could address the obesity problem in america. she also answered questions about the future of women's

professional sports. this national press club event is just under an hour. [applause] just under an hour. [applause] >> thank you. that is very kind of you. those were kind words. i did not remember a lot of it. i am so glad we had a healthy lunch. thank you to susan. did you guys decide what the menu is going to be today? and also want to say thank you for all of our servers being so kind to us, taking care of us. it means a lot. it is a pleasure to be here today. do you realize, i have never spoken here. and i am 68, never too late. thank you, teresa, thank you, a national press club, all the

officers, board of governors, the members of the nbc speaker'' committee for having me. i'm thrilled to be here. i've certainly watched enough people speak here, thank you. to john, who was are reintroduced by teresa, our chairman and president of the usta - we have a lot of people from usta here today. i love it. we of people from the mid- atlantic section. anyway, just a you know, the usta is the national governing body of tennis and there are 17 geographical sections. we happen to be in the mid- atlantic section. the states are virginia, west virginia, maryland and all these the district of columbia, just so we're very clear for anyone that is not familiar with our

sport. i think it is important that you know that. i would like to thank the ceo of community tennis. just about everything will be talking about today comes under his leadership, so i want you to stand up, kurt. [applause] thank you. he is a heck of an athlete too, believe me. to all of the board of directors that are here, i really appreciate you being here. also, the two people the problem help me the most to get prepared today are barry ford, director advocacy, and also derrick johnson, and character of corporate communications. where are you? thank you. -- director of corporate communications. where are a of? thank you. many of unami as a tennis player. some of you know i am a social -- many of you know me as a

tennis player. some of you know me as a social activist. i am proud of this achievement. i am one of over 27 million recreational tennis players. tennis has been the fastest- growing traditional sports since the year 2000. we currently have over 800,000 adult league participants from 18-88. high just made it. -- i just made it. and that is just adults. as you know, tennis has been a huge part of my life. it changed my life. i was blessed to have a great career. i wish i had one more. -- won more. [laughter] but more importantly, tennis has given me my platform. it is a platform to continue my

lifelong quest for equal rights and opportunities for boys and girls, men and women. since i was 12 years old, i had an epiphany, and i promised i would dedicate my life to that goal until the day i die, and thanks to tennis, i was able to have a platform. and thank you bobby riggs. that also gave me a huge platform. [laughter] for several years, many of you in this room have been encouraging people to pick up a racket. but why? because tennis is the sport of a lifetime, and it can be enjoyed by people all ages and all abilities. the usta invests 100% -- 100% of the proceeds from the u.s. open for their mission. if you come to the u.s. open and buy a ticket, you are helping

community tennis. the mission statement is to promote and develop the growth of tennis. in 2011, just last year, the u.s.t.a. invested almost $50 million for public skorts', scholarships and grants. that is a lot. the public courts -- public courts, scholarships and grants. that is a lot. who knows what 2012 will bring? recently, somebody asked me to name a huge turning point in my life. there were a lot. think that your own life and the turning point in your life. you never know how person is going to touch your life or how you are going to touch there's. you never know. so stay alert.

rewind, fifth to grade, i elementary school in long beach california, where i was born and raised. susan was sitting next me. her father had just been transferred from new york for his next job. she looked at me and said, do you want to play tennis? i looked at her and said, what is tennis? i said, what do you do? she said, you get to run, and you get to jump, and you get to hit the ball. i said, those are my three most favorite things in sports. i will try it. let's go. we go over to her country club and reply. i came home. i had fun and i thought, and guess i will get to play it susan takes me to the club. at softball practice, our coach

-- susan said, billie jean king and played tennis. our coach said, they give free coaching here every week at the park. i heard the word free and thought, there might be an opportunity for me to play more. so i go out, and i am on the court with clive barker. i will never forget this day as long as i live, because of the end of the day, i knew what i wanted to do with my life. i wanted to be the number-one tennis player in the world. done. my poor mother picked me up. she said, do you -- did you have fun? i said mom, i know what i want to do with my life. come on, come on. i mother is going to be 90 in about two weeks. she still remembers that day. we still have a good laugh over it. she says, you are still going. what is going on here?

she is funny because she did not really care. my younger brother was a relief pitcher most of his career with the san francisco giants. a good righty, good slider. my poor parents did not care if we were any good, but here's what happened. most people i know play in clubs. the country club. over 70% of tennis is played on public parks. in public parks. and i am one of those kids. like i said, i am a public park kid. let me name just a few past champions -- and i mean number one in the world -- that come from public parks. just to refresh your memory. i think you have heard of arthur ashe, who was no. 1 in the

world. chris everett was number one many times. jimmy connors, serena williams, venus williams, just to give you a few of the champions that have come from public parks. because everyone's initial reaction, they think we came from a club. it is not true. public parks. i am happy to say that the usta is investing in public parks by helping to build and refurbish courts and providing programs and countless communities throughout the country. these tennis facilities have become safe and fun community has. in the past six years, the organization has build or refurbish 25,000 courts in the u.s., and by the end of this year, we hope the we if completed 30,000. things just keep rolling along. [applause]

also, the usta is very focused. in fact, the entire community is focused on this 10 and under tennis initiative that has just gotten started in the last three or four years. this initiative is going to help fight childhood obesity, which we all know is an epidemic in this country. we are going to get kids active. we know at the women's sports foundation that if a girl does not exercise, by the time she is 10 years old, she only has a 10% chance to exercise the rest of her life. this 10 and under initiative is vital to help that. not only do we want to get them started, we want to keep them going, forever. the great thing about the 10 and under initiative is everything is smaller. the courts are smaller. the racquets are smaller.

but the balls are actually bigger. [laughter] this is good. this is good. i will tell you why. here is what it looks like with a regular tennis ball when a child plays. when the children play, they're hitting all their shots appear. they get all these goofy grips and as they grow older and grow taller, everything is not quite right. what happens with these balls is they are slower and they bounce a little lower. they bounce around the center of gravity. zone.s the straighike that is the sweet spot, the point of contact where you hit the ball. it really helps. you would not believe the success these children have hitting the ball back and forth in a long rally.

that never happens, usually. , so now it is fun. this way, they are going to stick to it. what is good for kids is good for us mature people. i qualify. this helps us too. we do not have as much space to cover. the ball is a little slower. i like it. this keeps everybody playing forever. i love it. it is great. i tried it after i had my knee operation to have my knee replaced. i said, this is for me. and i can play with the kids that way too. it makes a really fun. that we get a lot of generations together. it is really fun. i love it. the great thing about tennis too, it is an individual sport and a team sport. you have choices. the other great thing, both

genders play it. a lot. i am talking about from the grassroots to the professional. not a lot of sports can say that. we do not have an nfl for the women. we do not have major league baseball for women. if you want me to keep going, i can. i want you to think about how great tennis is as a sport. it takes care of all of us and i love that fact. today i want to introduce mark, who is the owner of the washington cassels, one of our world team tennis teams. that is what i do with my life. mark has really gotten into the 10 and under initiative. so has the city open the comes after the u.s. open initiative. i know you guys to a king of the castles play date. everyone is getting behind it. i think it is so important.

all of our teams, all of the professional tournament all get behind this 10 and under initiative. if you go to a washington cassels match, you're going to see kids running around, playing on these smaller courts with a smaller racket and a bigger bomb. it is so much fun to watch the kids -- bigger ball. it is so much fun to watch the kids. so far, we have done about 5000 kids courts and we are making tennis accessible in urban areas. you can play anywhere. to not get too fancy with it. none of these opportunities, none of these opportunities would happen without the tens of thousands of volunteers that love our sport so much. i want to really think the volunteers.

lucy is the third woman president of the usta. you know what i'm talking about. dallas. it is so important to really honor our volunteers because without them it does not happen. every section has it. every community tennis organization, everybody. the usta after-school program reached 1 million kids last year alone. also, we also have the national junior tennis learning network. it was co-founded by arthur ashe and sharon schneider, and we have over 606 chapters in the united states come and nationwide. by the way, sidebar, arthur ashe and charlie were roommates at ucla and they played on the men's tennis team there, fyi. they are my era, so i know.

the nttl provides tennis opportunities and also teaches children life skills. it is fantastic what they're doing. trenton, new jersey. a chapter there. i think david hired the first vice president. his dad was real involved in the park were they played. michelle bellama, non michelle obama, began playing in trenton during her sophomore year of high school, which is pretty late. machel became an instructor and leader -- michelle became an instructor and leader in trenton. she received a four year scholarship and attended drew university.

she was named all conference champion and was the most decorated female tennis player at drew. her family immigrated from africa and she was the first family member to attend college. with a turning point for michelle to have that opportunity. you never know. since 1994, usta serves, which is the charitable arm of the usta has provided $107 million -- has provided over $10 million to over 170 communities. she is a tennis nut. i have known her for many years, a dear friend who has done a great job. she is a go getter. she is perfect for that job.

in just the past few years, starting in 2003, they provided over $3 million in college scholarships. they have funded hundreds of adaptive tennis programs that allow people with disabilities to enjoy tennis. we're covering everything. get those checks out. we are checking not everyone. -- checking off everyone. the military out reach program supports more than 100,000 of our military and their families at home and abroad. they provide tennis facilities and programming on bases throughout the u.s. and other initiatives. adopt the unit. it applies -- adopt a unit

provides tennis equipment so that military members can enjoy the sport in the precious downtime they have. i know that first lady michelle obama and dr. jill biden would be thrilled to know this. if they do not know already, they will know soon that i am very poor unfortunate -- i am very fortunate to be on the president's council for nutrition and fitness. like the u.s. army staff sgt from shell beach, calif., while stationed in southwestern afghanistan, usta sent a care package that included nets, rackets, balls, and instructions. andy and his fellow soldiers made a court on flattened mud and gravel. i told you, you can do it any

place. they said it up and thanked the ball around. i hope it relieved some of their stress. i cannot imagine the stress they must go through. it is crazy to just take a racket and smack of all. you do not heard anybody. it is very good therapy. you do not heard anybody. it is fantastic in you feel so much better afterward. we want tennis to make a positive difference in the lives of others. the u.s.t.a. continues to reach out to national policy makers in hopes of developing a partnership that will impact more communities and lives. we want to ensure that every child has an opportunity to get the best education possible. we want to partner with communities across the country to create safe, healthy communities for everyone. the usta is more committed than

ever to make tennis more a accessible. our goal is simple. grow tennis and make it look like america. that's good. let's go to q&a. [applause] >> is the 40th anniversary of title 9. do you think it is still needed and if so, should be changed or expanded, and how? >> well, it is the 40th anniversary. it was passed june 23rd, 1972. one of my she-roes is

congressman green of oregon. she is no longer with us. and she was called the mother of education. the other person who is one of my heroes is senator by who was in the senate and introduced the bill. these people were fantastic. she was the first person of color in congress, the first female, i think. i think it is female. i usually have this right. i'm having a se-- i am not going to call it a senior moment. it is a brain cramp. i ask kids who are 21 what they call it when they do not remember something. they say, what do you mean? i say, do you remember everything? >> absolutely not.

anyway, as far as title 9, it was about education, it was not about sports. that is how it originated. sports was tagged on as a last minute thought. before 1972, the quotas at the harvard of the world were 5% if you wanted to be a woman doctor or a woman lawyer. a woman could not get an athletic scholarship until the fall of 1972. and there were not very many in the fall of 1972, and tell you. there were hardly any. as far as title 9, women are still 160 million behind every year in scholarships and opportunities. when you read the sports section, you will think we are terrible because we are hurting the football program. we are hurting the men's sports. believe me, both men and women sports are being dropped in certain universities and

colleges, and the one thing i keep telling them, do not get rid of tennis. do not get rid of men's tennis or women's tennis because we are a lifetime's board and we have obesity in this country and we should be encouraging lifetime sports if we are going to be a healthy nation. in the military, they go to pre-boot camp before they go to the camp now. we have got to make this nation strong mentally, emotionally, and physically, and keep tennis at the universities and colleges. >> since there on the topic of obesity, aside from destroying all computer games and information technology, what else do you think could be done to change behavior so that people get out and move? >> it is interesting because just two weeks ago our president's council just joined forces with -- yes, we did, we

joined forces with the entertainment software association, which is videogames. as you know, there are a few games were you actually have to be active, like dance, dance, revolution. a lot of people do not want to do sports, but they will do that. great. just get moving. that is all the matters under the average screen time is 7-8 hours a day, pathetic. it me television, computers, but make sure you have the top of your hair all died because everyone sees the top of your head now credit make sure you have your hair dyed. i am in an elevator and everybody is on the phone going yeah, baby. it is very important to get

kids out side. we need playtime. even if you can make kids move for one minute, move your arms, sitting on a chair, gets your circulation going. a little kid like recess because he can get the wigglies out. i can focus. " this is a pretty good word. they are so cute. these kids get it. nutrition -- we've got to find ways to get our kids moving. as a parent or caregiver, we've got to set the example. we have to live it. we cannot just tell them what to do. they watch for action. they don't listen to what we say. take a walk with the child, or maybe the child will take a walk with you. sometimes children change adults.

obesity is going to be a bigger cause of death and health challenge than smoking. obesity is our main challenge because of heart disease and all the things that are happening. we need to really help each other be active and make it part of our lifestyle. it will not be easy. parents, teachers, everybody, we've got to do it. it is preventable. we can do this as a nation. we can do it. sorry, i am getting wound up. >> does the current generation of athletes understand the challenges that you face? >> every generation has a different frame of reference. in all fairness, i always try to think a person's age and what their frame of reference must be. when i grew up, it was amateur tennis. we made $14 a day. althea gibson was the first person of color to win anything. people of color were not even allowed to play in tournament.

that was not long ago. i was very fortunate to seek out the gibson in person in los angeles and got to watch her prey that change -- i was fortunate to seek out the gibson dick'sto see althea gibson. it is important to see each person and where they come from. we just had a reunion of the original nine. we started women's professional tennis. that is not about wanted it. i wanted the men and women to be together, but they rejected it. so we went to plan b period we signed a contract in houston texas in 1970, and that was the birth of women's professional tennis, the way we know it today.

do i expect maria sharapova are venus and serena williams to understand that? we can tell them, and their sensitivities are good, but they did not live it. just like i am not living with the pressures they deal with. they are very different. look at the money-management they need to do. [laughter] i am not very high maintenance, so i just give away, most of it, but it is fun to make money and create opportunities for people. there are different pressures that are much better players today than we ever dreamed. if i could get one shot to they like they do, it would be fantastic. everyone is different. we have mentoring classes, so we are very connected to the generations. my generation has spent an enormous amount time with

helping mentor and help them. we ask them should keep doing it for each generation. we do try to connect the generations. katrina adams is here today and she is on the board of directors of the usta. she went to northwestern with diane stone, who is actually my assistant. it is just amazing what each generation is. we do stand on the generations of the shoulders before us. we just do. others around that time are very good to me, too. we are all in this together. we have to help each other. >> what the thing has been the biggest change in tennis in the past 20 years? >> that is not very long ago.

i think it has been an evolution of equipment change. this racket is really likeght. this is like my security blanket, like linus. i tell my dad i wanted to play tennis, and he said show me. i went around to all the neighbors and they get them to give me a job. they wanted $8.29. i saved up in a mason jar in the cover. i went to a sporting goods store and got my first racket. they ask what kind of wanted, and i said what dollars -- i said what does a $20 9 cents by? -- what does $8.29 buy?

i would sleep with it every night, and i would dream about winning and being number one. does like linus with his blanket. that is how i am with a tennis racket. the the angus king is materials in the racket are so light -- the biggest thing is materials in the racket are so light. sampras'is pretty heavy. the sweet spot for a lot bigger. i could go on and on. all the pros today, all the talk about is the strings. it has little sharp things in the strings so it spends more -- it spins more.

everything is exaggerated. and have control that we never would have had. our sweet spot was about this big on our rackets. the wooden frames, so cute. and let's face it, the training, the nutritional, all the information available on how to train is so much better, much more dynamic. the kinetic linkage they use when they hit. we were taught to be very static. it has totally evolved. that is why i say, if i could hit one just like the kids hit today, it would be a ,wow. every generation just gets better. the kids are better. >> do you agree with john mcenroe that they should go back to wooden racquets as a way to

bring variety and so the back to the game? >> john describe his game, because he is actually a genius. he had the greatest cuts, and i love the way his mind works. he still plays every day. he is crazy. he is out on the court. he is in better shape now than when he played. he will tell you. the only thing that kept him going is that he played doubles. it kept him sharp. the years he stopped playing doubles, i said he is in trouble. sure enough. that is where he got his practice. it kept him sharp. i don't know about the environmentalist, if they like idea.ulod

occasionally they have tournament with some of the older players with wooden rackets. there are not too many left. they are getting scarce. >> are you satisfied with the level of pay today in when steam as compared to the men's tour, and are there other equality issues -- with a level of pay in women's tennis as compared to the men store? >> a becerra or not prepared for all these questions. i want to salute the usta because the u.s. open was the first by many, many years. the difference happen in 1968, the first year we got money. before that, we were amateurs. 1968 was the beginning of what we call open or modern tennis. when someone says open tennis,

you know what that actually means now. it started in 1968, where we got paid. i wrought -- i won wimbledon and rod laver won wimbledon. i thought we were going to get equal checks and everybody would be happy. i did not realize, of course not. was i clueless, or what? in the back of my mind, i said that is going to be another challenge. does it ever stop? over the years, we just kept after the others behind the scenes. the australians came around and then they back off again. venus williams stepped up. she did make a difference. she was willing to go to meetings behind the scenes. she was willing to do a lot of things and put herself on the line. most players have a really hard time doing that. i take my hat off to venus. in 2007, all four majors gave us equal money.

there is still a lot more money in men's tennis. they have a lot more opportunities. some of it is cultural, but usually it is because of the old boy network. they take care of each other more than the girls. but let's face it, men's tennis right now has three players that are extraordinary. they are extraordinary. the women right now cannot decide who is number one. it is funny with the media. they always complain, no matter which way you go. if there is a rivalry going on, they say the rest of the competition is no good. then if you don't have a rivalry, what is wrong with that? there is no rivalry. i have seen so many generations of this, it is amusing. things go in cycles. right now, you'll never see three players ever again in

history -- they are real exceptional human beings and athletes. but the women, lots of competition to decide who is going to be number one. we always have a long way to go, but the wonderful than, it is not about money, it is about the message. everyone should not be discounted. no person should be discounted for anything. it is very important that we help each other. i must tell you, men come up to me in their 40's and 50's today, a lot of times with tears in their eyes, and save how much -- say how much that matchup when i played bobby riggs, how changed their whole perspective. now they have daughters, and they insist that their sons and daughters have equal opportunities.

that point to that match and say i saw that when i was 10 years old, or 12 years old. changed my life and how i raise my daughter and my boys. president obama told me the story, too. it is amazing how these men are the first generation of men of the women's movement. they are. ,f your in your 40's or 50's you are the first generation of men of the women's movement. >> you were recently awarded the presidential medal of freedom. what is the single most important thing president obama could do to address the continuing equities? >> he has been trying with the fair pay act and all the different things that are going

on. but we really need people to do it, not just leadership. each one of us, every single human being is an influence our. everyone of you hear these words, each and everyone of you as an influencer. it is very hard when you are in power to give up some of that power. it is very hard. if you are the dominant group, you know very little about subdominant groups. the subdominants know a lot about the dominant groups, because they have to bob and weave. the subdominant groups have to bob and weave to survive. they have to know a lot about the dominant group. that is why it is important that the dominant group knows a lot about the subdominant you have

to give it up if you are a dominant group. the inclusive. advocate for each of us. that is what is all about. it does not matter are gender or sexual orientation. disabilities, it doesn't matter. help each other. it is amazing how everyone wants to be better than someone else all the time. true champions in life and raise people above. great leaders raised people above themselves. [applause] >> what advice would you give mothers raising young girls today in regard to sports and society in general? >> it is so funny. i think in terms of boys and girls -- what i've done with a lot of women, let's say if i go

to a reception, and i say what do you like to do? they say i am a terrible athlete, i am so bad, but i played tennis, i do this, or i like to dance. if i ask a guy that, he does not say i am a terrible athlete. i think others have to notice that. -- mothers and fathers, care givers, whoever is in charge of children, everything you say and do is so important, because they pick up on everything. they are smart. it is amazing all little things that go on every single day that is racist or biased in some way. teach girls to be empowered. and your sons, also. how you teach your son's is important, too. i grew up with a brother.

i don't know what it is like to have a sister. my brother and i are so close. he is so adorable. i cannot believe the difference. i only have to show up on time for the bus. we have had these discussions. it is important that mothers and fathers and care givers, guardians, whoever is taking care of a child, to tell girls to believe in themselves. do not make excuses. come on. don't say you are a terrible athlete, not around me. if you can breathe, you are an athlete. [applause] >> many young women admire you and all you have done in and outside of sports. who did you admire when you were growing up as a young girl?

>> women are men? -- womenor men? my mother and father are a good team. they were good to each other. they love each other. my father passed away about six years ago. they helped each other. they were not afraid to cross the so-called female-male domain. my father would say, betty, put your feet up, i will cook tonight. they helped each other. my mother would usually defer to my father, there is that generation, but they were good and kind to each other. no one is perfect, but my brother and i saw that. they loved to dance, too. my parents loved it to swing dance.

it is really important to have a sense of humor, too. what was the question? i am forgetting. rev. bob richards was a minister, a gold medalist pole vaulter in two olympics, and he was the minister of our church. every sunday he got sports into every sermon. i was there hanging on every word. then i would go behind the church and watch him work out. i watched his discipline. he would run hurdles. in those days, there was no bend or flecks in pole vaulting. i always remember looking at it. i would watch him to see the discipline and the intensity. i remember he asked me, this

little chubby kid with glasses, he said i had no chance. he was one of the first on the wheaties box. >> do you fill professional tennis suffers a lack of media coverage? what can be done to reverse this? >> espn covers a lot of the u.s. open series which leads us to the u.s. open. we have more hours of television than any other sport, i think. the trouble is is not prime time every time. i think a lot of people -- if you want to root for a player,

and we need more american champions. we have our poster boy for collegiate tennis. john graduated from the university of georgia and is in the top 10 in the world now. we never thought that would of probably happen. i am trying to get more people to go to college. they want to turn pro, and they are not good enough. when you go out on tour the way john has, and helps you to cope socially with the life on tour. you are much more mature. you handle things a lot better. john is our poster boy right now. we used to have graduates. it is lot tougher now because you have to turn pro earlier and give up a lot. you have to do homeschooling

more. it has changed. most of the kids should be going to university, not turning pro. we do have jr. development, making a concerted effort. this guy came up to me and said i would like you to watch my daughter. the know how often i am asked to watch someone son or daughter? this is a data request. it was like my one hour to myself. he was so nice, randy johnson is his name. i would just love you to watch

my daughter. i said, i am going to cut through this really fast. does she have a ranking? yes, she is no. 1 in the 10 and under. she knows how to win critical i said ok, when i come back, i promise i will call and take a look. please give me your information. he gave me the information and i put it in my sock. i called him. i went out and watched her. she is so highly motivated. i am very big on motivation. taylor johnson is her name. she is a lefty. her parents actually moved to los angeles so she can train at our training center. she is 11. she is adorable. she just loves it.

i love helping kids. they are so funny. she gave me a photo of herself and she said i will see at the u.s. open in 2019. [laughter] [applause] >> we are almost out of time. a couple of housekeeping matters to take care of. i would like to remind you all of upcoming speakers. may 15, gary gansler, may 30, and the mariachavez, to talk about the 100th anniversary. on june 4, the gerald r. ford journalism award with guest speaker chris matthews. second, i would like to present our guest with the traditional npc mug. i would like to