Students in the Sports in American Culture class at Parkersburg High School spoke Friday with tennis legend Billie Jean King during an online interview. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — Tennis great and equality advocate Billie Jean King participated in an online interview with Parkersburg High School students Friday.

Speaking via Zoom, King told students in the “Sports in American Culture” class stories of breaking gender barriers and her efforts to fight for equality in sports.

“It’s just incredible to talk to someone who’s made such a difference for people everywhere, especially women in athletics,” junior Kendall Kimes said. “Especially with being a woman in athletics and being a woman in general, I find it important that we are treated equally and given the same opportunities as everybody.”

King, 81, spoke about the importance of relationships and communication in the world, and how friendships and connections she made throughout her career shaped who she is today.

“Relationships are everything,” King said. “Every time you meet someone, you never know how they may be able to touch your life and how you may touch their life, so pay attention and be kind and good to each other, because that love is universal.”

Students in the Sports in American Culture class at Parkersburg High School spoke Friday with tennis legend Billie Jean King during an online interview. (Photo Provided)

King addressed the students directly, encouraging them to employ their youth to transform the world. She stressed the importance of using one’s personal platform and image for positivity and growth, and explained how her fame has given her an opportunity to speak about what she believes in.

“If I could become number one, then maybe I would be able to make the world a better place, as I’d have a big enough platform to do so,” said King. “Tennis was all over the world, and I knew that gave me a special opportunity to speak about my beliefs.”

King dove into the challenges she faced as a female athlete in a sport dominated by men. She spoke in great detail about the importance of Title IX and how it has opened the doors for female athletes.

“Title IX started to change things and open up new opportunities that women weren’t provided with previously,” she said. “Its effects are still very much alive and working, as it really covered so many problems that us as women were dealing with at the time.”

King was also able to speak to Parkersburg’s boys and girls tennis teams, discussing the importance of teamwork and keeping calm under tough situations.

Then-Reigning Wimbledon Queen Billie Jean King returns volley to Esme Emmanuel of South Africa in U.S. Open tennis action at Forest Hills, New York on Sept. 3, 1972. The Long Beach, Calif., native handily defeated Emmanuel 6-1, 6-3, in the second round match. (AP Photo/Ray Stubblebine)

“This is my third year being on the Parkersburg High School girls tennis team, and getting advice from someone who’s been through so much more than anyone on my team could ever imagine felt really nice and gave me a new perspective on what we have to do to improve,” said junior Emma Stanley.