Just A Thought

[Allen Brown]

I was just sitting here at the house thinking about the younger generation players. I started playing pool in a bowling alley around the age of 14. There were a ton of older players there that showed a lot of interest in helping the younger crowd. I'm 26 now and don't hardly step foot into bowling allies anymore, but this is where most younger players start out at.

We all go to bars or pool halls that require you to be 18 or 21 to enter. They have 9 footers and snooker tables and a lot better equipment. The bowling allies have Valley or Dynamo tables most of the time and 75 cents to a buck a game. I went back to my hometown not long ago and the bowling alley was empty in the pool table area on a Saturday night. I'm sure the economy has a lot to do with this. It's one of the main reasons why I go to a hall or a bar myself. Its cheaper and usually more competition.

I'm still a youngster myself, but I guess I could go out looking for younger talent every now and then in the allies and skating rinks and such. I just wanted to throw this out there. Maybe you guys have thought about this too. It starts with the kids.

 

[Donny Lutz]

Junior leagues

I was just sitting here at the house thinking about the younger generation players. I started playing pool in a bowling alley around the age of 14. There were a ton of older players there that showed a lot of interest in helping the younger crowd. I'm 26 now and don't hardly step foot into bowling allies anymore, but this is where most younger players start out at.

We all go to bars or pool halls that require you to be 18 or 21 to enter. They have 9 footers and snooker tables and a lot better equipment. The bowling allies have Valley or Dynamo tables most of the time and 75 cents to a buck a game. I went back to my hometown not long ago and the bowling alley was empty in the pool table area on a Saturday night. I'm sure the economy has a lot to do with this. It's one of the main reasons why I go to a hall or a bar myself. Its cheaper and usually more competition.

I'm still a youngster myself, but I guess I could go out looking for younger talent every now and then in the allies and skating rinks and such. I just wanted to throw this out there. Maybe you guys have thought about this too. It starts with the kids.

Good points.

When I was a kid (in WI), we had two high school bowling leagues that were very successful. The owners new that this was essential to building their business.
I don't see this today in pool. I know there are programs for youth pool, but where I live there's nothing for the young, either at the high school or the college level.
And yes, I've spoken to business owners regarding starting a high school league on Saturdays, but could find no interest at all. One response was, "I don't want kids in here, they just cause problems". He couldn't grasp the idea that he would be creating his own customers with a high school league...

Donny L
PBIA/ACS Instructor

 

[LuckedOut]

It certainly does start with the kids.
Same here, started playing at the bowling alley. The room was over 3/4 full most every time I was there, 1978-86.

Nowadays, kids could care less about pool and see it as a non attraction, maybe scared to think what their friend would say about them on FaceBook.
Too busy with xBox, wii, or staring incessantly at their handheld media device waiting for a reply from their friend about which Hurley shirt will go best with their Justin Bieber haircut.

Video might have killed the radio star, but social media has killed our youths mental freedom and creative minds and turned them into generation zombies......<<<<<< the blank look, worried to show emotion unless it's socially acceptable and can be texted in a sarcastic manner beginning or ending in "haha".

Below are before/after pics of the effects of social media.

 

[CB Jones]

Competition

I agree that it would be beneficial to the game to bring in more young players but you have to compete for them. In my area I can't drive to the grocery store without seeing countless signs for youth activities, be it football, baseball, hockey, soccer, golf, lacrosse, swim clubs, dance, acting/theater, martial arts and even saw a fencing school starting up. All these options combined with all the electronic entertainment options means you have to market to the youth if you expect to see any significant growth in number of kids playing.

I have never seen any pool rooms or programs cater to kids in my area. So I wouldn't blame the kids for not being into pool, not when I can drive to my local park and find 100+ kids playing soccer in an organized league or to the golf course where the junior program has 120+ players. Hopefully a pool organization or pool room will create a viable junior program that will catch on.

 

[ENGLISH!]

I was just sitting here at the house thinking about the younger generation players. I started playing pool in a bowling alley around the age of 14. There were a ton of older players there that showed a lot of interest in helping the younger crowd. I'm 26 now and don't hardly step foot into bowling allies anymore, but this is where most younger players start out at.

We all go to bars or pool halls that require you to be 18 or 21 to enter. They have 9 footers and snooker tables and a lot better equipment. The bowling allies have Valley or Dynamo tables most of the time and 75 cents to a buck a game. I went back to my hometown not long ago and the bowling alley was empty in the pool table area on a Saturday night. I'm sure the economy has a lot to do with this. It's one of the main reasons why I go to a hall or a bar myself. Its cheaper and usually more competition.

I'm still a youngster myself, but I guess I could go out looking for younger talent every now and then in the allies and skating rinks and such. I just wanted to throw this out there. Maybe you guys have thought about this too. It starts with the kids.

Good points. I started in a bowling alley at 13 & we put a table in the garrage a few weeks later. I'm 59 now. Golf & tennis have Jr. programs. Schools have the basic sports, football, baseball, basketbal, track & field, etc. There are even chess clubs. Billiards is lacking in this area.

 

[Allen Brown]

Good points. I started in a bowling alley at 13 & we put a table in the garrage a few weeks later. I'm 59 now. Golf & tennis have Jr. programs. Schools have the basic sports, football, baseball, basketbal, track & field, etc. There are even chess clubs. Billiards is lacking in this area.

The owner of the bowling alley that I grew up in had talked about getting something going for the kids in school. He has a bowling team, boys and girls. I think he is too busy with them though. He added 5 lanes to his bowling center and let his tables go to mush. He also raised the cost on a game of pool and started selling beer. I think when the beer came into play he lost a ton of business.

I'm going back to this room with my brother this week. Maybe we can get some youngsters interested in the game.
Hopefully the place will be full of kids that want to learn more about pool.

Any other comments and ideas on how to keep (or get) kids interested in billiards? Let 'em rip.