Oracene Price

Oracene Price
Born April 3, 1952
Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation Coach
Religion Jehovah's Witness
Spouse(s) Yusef Rasheed (deceased)
Richard Williams (1980-2002) (divorced)
Children Yetunde Price (deceased)
Lyndrea Price
Isha Price
Venus Williams
Serena Williams

Oracene Price (born April 3, 1952) is an American tennis coach. She is best known for being the mother of Venus and Serena Williams, top professional tennis players. She is the former wife of Richard Williams, whom she divorced in 2002. As a coach and parent, she has regularly been called unflappable and calm.

Biography

Price was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1952. Her father was an automotive worker. She graduated from Buena Vista High School in 1970 and from Western Michigan University. She has three daughters from a previous marriage with Yusef Rasheed: Yetunde Price (1972-2003), who was a former beauty salon owner and registered nurse; Lyndrea Price, a Web designer; and Isha Price, a Lawyer. After Rasheed's death, while working as a nurse, Oracene married Richard Williams and had two more daughters, Venus and Serena Williams.[1] She helped her husband as he began coaching Venus and Serena in tennis. The Williams family moved to Florida on the offer of Rick Macci to coach their daughters for free.[2][3]

By the end of 2000, Price was no longer living with her husband Richard Williams and, citing irreconcilable differences, they divorced in 2002. She subsequently reverted to her maiden name of Price.[4][5]

During a semifinal match between Serena and Justine Henin at the 2003 French Open, Williams was booed by fans after a complaint about a line call. Price believes that the boos were motivated by race, saying "We, as black people, live with this all the time. It's all about control."[6] Tennis journalist and author L. Jon Wertheim has said of Price, "You have to respect anyone incapable of gloss or spin (i.e., unwilling to lie)."[7] At the Indian Wells tournament in 2001, controversy resulted when Venus withdrew from a semifinal match with Serena, who was then booed during the final and trophy presentation. Price is a Jehovah's Witness and raised her daughters in the faith; she describes herself as a deeply spiritual woman.[8] Price also has described herself as being a "rampant feminist" when dealing with what she believes to be the overly sexualized images of women in the media.[9]

She has traveled to Africa with her daughter Serena for charity work to help in the construction of schools particularly in Senegal.[10]

Coaching and guiding

Price's coaching has arguably been overshadowed by her role as mother, but as a coach she has been called underappreciated.[11] Price is not a coach in a traditional sense (though she did learn tennis herself to help teach her daughters the technical aspects of the game) and is instead credited, along with Richard Williams, in keeping her daughters focused and disciplined and for helping to build a solid foundation of self-esteem and outside interests for her daughters.[12]

Venus and Serena's "poise under pressure" is often credited to the self-belief instilled in them by their mother. "There's no such thing as pressure," says Price. "As black Americans, that's all we've ever had. It's life. So where's the pressure?"[13] This approach was coupled with, according to noted tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, a respect that meant that neither Price nor Richard Williams raised their voices to their daughters.[14] Journalist Bonnie D. Ford has said that the longevity exhibited by the Williams sisters is directly attributable to their parents and the way that Richard Williams and Price have helped them manage their careers and lives. Ford believes it is especially admirable that Price and her ex-husband have continued to remain jointly supportive despite their separation.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Arrest in killing of tennis stars' half-sister
  2. ↑ Edmonson
  3. ↑ Donaldson
  4. ↑ Wertheim
  5. ↑ Serena and Venus on the fabulous Oracene, mother of the Williams Dynasty
  6. ↑ Theories About Paris From Serena's Mother
  7. ↑ SI.com Tennis Mailbag- The Ultimate Battle
  8. ↑ Daily Nation: The mother behind the Williams' sisters
  9. ↑ Fein, Paul (2005). You Can Quote Me On That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights And Zingers. Washington: Potomac Books. p. 80. ISBN 1-57488-925-7.
  10. ↑ Daily Nation: The mother behind the Williams' sisters
  11. ↑ String Theory: Fits and Starts
  12. ↑ Concrete Elbow: Ten Gifts From '07
  13. ↑ Who's Your Daddy?
  14. ↑ Bollettieri had a hand in grooming 10 players who hit No. 1
  15. ↑ Williams sisters' parents deserve accolades for job well-done

Further reading