America Must Train Its Young Players

Ditto

Mr. Bond,
I agree and recently witnessed something I think is very disturbing. A local room owner who has 14 tables doesn't care on iota about developing his pool market. Everytime I talk to him about it....he lawds how much better a customer his drinkers are ...and there are only a few regulars.

Doing my math, I see that a pool patron on 2 to 3 times a week is worth around $1500 a year to him and more with beer and food. Easy math is $100 a month per player. I think I would want to spend a little money and have myself about 30 or so but this guy seems to not want to develop his pool room or his drinkers because he it too tight.

What is it with people? We are all like....this room is going to close if someone doesn't wake up but.....nothing changes...very sad.

It all starts and end with a youth policy for international billiards, not just America.
There lies the keys to success :thumbup:

Pool needs more bitter, aging white men, who listen to blues/classic rock, moan about Obama and reminisce about the good ole days.

Thankfully, AZB provides the perfect platform.

Word up.....

Mr. Bond said:

" This is the mission of the roomkeeper, and the boys [and girls] he encourages will not alone increase interest in billiards, but in most instances will become his regular patrons. "

There is soooo much truth in this statement when you think about it.
How many of you remember (fondly or not) the 'first' pool room you ever went to.

Wouldnt it be nice to have adults that talk about your room 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years from now, as the place that they first learned to play...

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I'm on it boss

Pool tables take up lots of real estate and generates little money in return. He would be better off in a business sense to get rid of all the pool tables and fill that space with seating for drinkers. Sorry for the reality, I don't like it either.

I think the problem is that the youth now a days don't want to play pool. They would rather play video games or something else. Lets face facts there is no money in pool. The top pros in America barely make a living. I've been playing for close to 40 years, not for the money, but for the love of the game. I have four children and tried to teach them, but they would rather play video games. I think one solution might be if we taught it in schools. Like they do in other countries. It teaches you physics and geometry among other things. Just something to think about for the powers that be.

I have read many, many threads on here addressing the topic of "youth and pocket billiards". (IMO) I have not read one post that hits the mark. There are obstacles that are never mentioned anywhere on this forum. I am pressed for time. I am going to try to get back to this topic next week.

If I don't, no big deal. What do I know? Nothing really happens here anyway.

We have a local guy who is contacting all of the local YMCA's and trying to get pool classes started at each of them.

Maybe you can try this in your locale.

JoeyA

Our local YMCA has a few decent tables and I do see kids playing pool.
I've had thoughts of doing some group lessons for the kids but I've not done it yet.

When i studied for my Degree I was happy to see they had a table in the rec hall. The students there really took some interest once they realized there was "A method to the madness" of playing instead of hoping for one to line-up and shoot. Pool appealed to their Intellect.
I walked out, imagining one day some Liberal Arts major puttin' the smack-down on a Math or Physics major.

I am a pretty hard core gamer myself, although I have been playing pool about 3-4 nights a week and gaming occasionally.

I have to switch it up once in a while, and im starting to enjoy pool more and more and less on the video games.

There is a good balance in my life with billiards and video games

Wake up and smell the roses, it is not 1950’s when kids did not have many recreational opportunities.

I recall be limited to :

1. Boys Club of America that had two Pool Tables. Back than there was a line of kids waiting their turn to play pool.

2. Cub & Boy Scouting

3. Going to the local city run park’s public pool

4. Riding on the bus to downtown Miami for a day in the city.

5. Organized sports & craft programs in the local city run park.

6. Watching Black & White TV if you family could afford one.

7. Going to the local library for a book

8. Gong fishing in the canal

9. Taking your BB Gun, or .22 Rifle to shoot Rat & Mice at the local dump. Or out in the woods, that were within walking distance.

10. Riding my bicycle to explore the world close to home.

11. Going outside to play what ever game we wanted with friends. Who parent left the lock on the front door open 24 x 7.

Now compare the the recreation activities available to kids today. Like cable TV with 200 Channels, Computers, the internet, and electronics.

Pool has much competition in 2013.

Yes we have Boy & Girl Clubs in PHX with Pool Tables, most of the kids in the Phoenix Club are lets say not from Medium Income families, most or from BELOW Medium income families. No one is teach Pool, and if you did want to volunteer at a Boy & Girl club that is a mountain of paper work, finger print, and obstacles to jump threw that make the process unfriendly.

The kids also want on the computer, not the Pool Tables that sit underused, as the kids are standing in line for their turn at a computer.

All three of my kids didn't seem interested in pool. We may need to accept we are hobbyist and most hobby don't make much money. I play to compete and talk pool stuff with other hobbyist not the money.

I had a video game system (Atari 2600) but my dad bought an 8' Brunswick on an auction when I was ten. I think kids would play pool but how many of them has a pool table in their house? Not many.

I was also fortunate enough to get taken in by a top player when I was 15 to start traveling around to tournaments.