Sofia Mast "retiring?" The state of American pool

[Rocket354]

Don't tell my wife's cousin this, she owns a couple of restaurants in the US and is part owner of another in Singapore.

It's an average. Most culinary school graduates start out at near- (or at-) minimum wage jobs and it can take years to get to even a basic livable wage (often sous chef) and then another few years if at all to be the head chef, which can be anywhere from decent to actually pretty darn good--but you also have to be pretty darn good.

 

[Rocket354]

She should do what ever makes her happy, no matter how poor the pay is. I imagine that she is probably very burned out on Pool, but I do not know. Probably just wants to try something new. I wish her the best. And, who knows, she might really start to miss the game, and want to take it back up full time.

This thread was in no way implying she should not do anything she doesn't want to do. It is simply inferring from the decision the state of finances in women's pool in the US.

 

[easy-e]

if so her fargo is lagging. common with young improving players. she's 16 or so (and junior world champion)

Pretty sure she is 18.

 

[Rocket354]

Well this is a clickbait title for sure. How do you get she's retiring [which also means quitting pool] out of her post?

That was my inference. Nothing intending to be click-baity. We'll see how much, if at all, she actually plays. At her age, it's very possible she's in and out of a number of various endeavors over the next few years, like most of us were.

 

[Cord]

She's a teenage girl. They do all kinds of unpredictable shit, all the time. It's her life to live.

 

[Rocket354]

if so her fargo is lagging. common with young improving players. she's 16 or so (and junior world champion)

She just turned 18, and her Fargo is around 670, but in reality she plays closer to around 700, due to the lag. That's enough to dominate the non-import Americans, but it's far from sustainable internationally.

That said, she's young enough she could reach the 730-740 range required to be competitive (if still an underdog) in those big international tournaments. But she has clearly decided not to go that route. One can always go to culinary school to be a chef. The fact that she's deciding to do this now means, to me, that the finances in pool simply are not there, even with improvement.

 

[Rocket354]

Pool is not something you fall back on. I seen Johnny Archer was playing in an event recently, where 1st place paid $1200. That is right, $1200. I did not miss any zero's.

As well, seeing Archer today, and seeing how brief Mike Dechaine's comeback was, suggests to me that once someone is out of it for a few years it is hard to get back into it, for whatever reason. To be fair, both are decades older than Sofia and were out of playing competitively for quite a while.

 

[vintagecollectibles831]

As well, seeing Archer today, and seeing how brief Mike Dechaine's comeback was, suggests to me that once someone is out of it for a few years it is hard to get back into it, for whatever reason. To be fair, both are decades older than Sofia and were out of playing competitively for quite a while.

Oh, yeah, I was actually thinking about Mike Dechaine. He was probably the 2nd best US born and raised American, before he retired, right?

I do not know, but I just can't imagine that most Americans (other then Fedor and SVB) can hang with the top elite players of the world.

I bet that the same can be said about the elite female players of the world. I bet they are just on another level, compared to the best who were born and raised in the US.

So, any kind of big money events are going to have the best of the best, from all over the world, competing for that cash.

Who all, who were born and raised in the US has any chance of competing, and beating the very best players in the world? All them Euro and Asian monsters? They are on their own planet. Guys like the Ko brothers for example. Siming Chen. I am sure there are a lot of others, just like her too. They are not from the US though.

The only way I can think of that American players can earn a living is if there were companies that could afford to pay them a good yearly salary, plus pay for all their travel expenses.

What are the sponsors able to offer the players though? Free cues to raffle off, in hopes to have enough in proceeds, to pay for their travel and entree fees? I bet they do not even get enough to pay for their expenses, and entry fees.

I sometimes wonder how they are able to do it. Side incomes, businesses, pool lessons, and maybe in some cases, well to do families, who support them, is my best guess.

 

[fastone371]

It's an average. Most culinary school graduates start out at near- (or at-) minimum wage jobs and it can take years to get to even a basic livable wage (often sous chef) and then another few years if at all to be the head chef, which can be anywhere from decent to actually pretty darn good--but you also have to be pretty darn good.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that she was the head chef of a Michelin Star restaurant in New York and had articles in papers and magazines about her. I'm still trying to get her to let me accompany her when she goes to Singapore, only during the F1 Grand Prix weekend though.

 

[Frosty]

Smart, she doesn't want to end up like Vivian's sorry ass.

Well, Vivian was more like a guy in a LOT of ways.

 

[stevelomako]

Seems appropriate to ask about Landon Shuffett.

He was in a better situation than this girl and went the same route.

 

[vintagecollectibles831]

Seems appropriate to ask about Landon Shuffett.

He was in a better situation than this girl and went the same route.

I think that he studied the bible, or whatever that type of school is, where people become ministers, or pastor's. Please forgive my ignorance. I bet that he was not the type to be into gambling, or using Pool as a way to make money, but I do not know. Really amazing player though. I know that he beat Earl Strickland in an exhibition match once, on a 10 foot pool table. He played like a robot.

I bet that Landon would have been a World Champion, if he really wanted to commit to Pool as a full time job.

 

[stevelomako]

I think that he studied the bible, or whatever that type of school is, where people become ministers, or pastor's. Please forgive my ignorance.

This is incorrect. He didn’t attend a Seminary.
Mark Wilson was in charge of the pool program at the college, Lindenwood University. It ran from 2012 thru 2020.

I bet that he was not the type to be into gambling, or using Pool as a way to make money, but I do not know. Really amazing player though. I know that he beat Earl Strickland in an exhibition match once, on a 10 foot pool table. He played like a robot.

Landon’s father Stan was/is a fairly well known instructor himself.

I bet that Landon would have been a World Champion, if he really wanted to commit to Pool as a full time job.

Maybe, maybe not.

I just haven’t heard anything about the kid for quite some time so talking about this girl had me wondering.

 

[Woodshaft]

Good for her to choose to pursue a real, "bill-paying" career.
She'll be able to maintain her "high 600" fargorating and learn and work a new trade too. I know lots of folks with 650+ fargos who have great careers outside of pool.
And, if she changes her mind, pool is something she can fall back on. She's only 18 folks, lots of good years ahead.
I wish her all the best!

 

[vintagecollectibles831]

This is incorrect. He didn’t attend a Seminary.
Mark Wilson was in charge of the pool program at the college, Lindenwood University. It ran from 2012 thru 2020.


Landon’s father Stan was/is a fairly well known instructor himself.


Maybe, maybe not.

I just haven’t heard anything about the kid for quite some time so talking about this girl had me wondering.

I thought that he said something about his dedication to the Church, so my assumption had to do with that. I wonder what he studied now.

Way off topic, but he said in a post that he played with a Black Boar. I thought that was so cool. It was in that same post that he said something about his dedication to the Church, and that he had not played in a long time, or something like that.

Lol, I should not make statements or assumptions, because my memory is just so awful.

 

[Crasher]

This is sad.

We really need more sponsors in pool.

I really don't get why professional pool can't get gambling companies interested.

the last thing the sport needs is even more degenerate rail bettors influencing games and fixing matches. kids these days can barely keep their game straight with a couple bucks on the line, that hope is gone once the money actually gets serious

 

[cookie man]

This is incorrect. He didn’t attend a Seminary.
Mark Wilson was in charge of the pool program at the college, Lindenwood University. It ran from 2012 thru 2020.


Landon’s father Stan was/is a fairly well known instructor himself.


Maybe, maybe not.

I just haven’t heard anything about the kid for quite some time so talking about this girl had me wondering.

Landon got married and became a school teacher I believe

 

[Bob Jewett]

In a parallel universe, the state of British snooker is having similar issues. The last two snooker world champions are Chinese. Until recently, there were only a few non-British champions. Here is Stephen Hendry's take on it. The comments for the video are pretty interesting.

 

[vintagecollectibles831]

In a parallel universe, the state of British snooker is having similar issues. The last two snooker world champions are Chinese. Until recently, there were only a few non-British champions. Here is Stephen Hendry's take on it. The comments for the video are pretty interesting.

Way off topic, but if anyone is ever in Houston, there are several large snooker clubs, with regulation size 12 foot snooker tables, in them. I really want to visit someday. Would love to get into snooker, if I ever get a snooker cue. There is a 10 foot Snooker table here in Austin TX, at a pool hall on the south side. They charge like $14 per hour to play though, which I think is just insane.