Is Johan Ruysink out as USA Mosconi Cup Coach after only one year?

Cardigan Kid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
AZ member Mr. Bond did a stellar interview with Coach Johan after the Mosconi Cup and as a very good reporter would, he got right to the point with his questioning. What resulted was a realistic and serious take on the state of American professional pool by Johan. Sounds to me like the jury is still out on whether Johan will even be back next year.

If you haven't listened yet, here is the link:
http://www.americanbilliardradio.com/listen/

(Scroll down to "The 2017 Dream Crusher" stream and play from 6:25 -13:30)

Mr. Bond: If they ask you to come back, will you?
Coach Johan : (notable quotes below not in order)

"I would think about it. I'm not afraid of the challenge but I'm not going to get into a challenge where there's no solution. We need to change a couple of things."


"There needs to be some changes in my approach and how the industry with American pool is set up to give us a chance"


"As long as the industry and backers don't invest in a good education for players and coaches and support the top players, then it will be very hard."


"I go to the world 9 ball championships after this, I fly out tomorrow, these guys go to bar table tournaments because that's how they earn their money...while Europeans play 9 ball on new cloth and new tables two times a month in high pressure tournaments and American players don't."


"There seems to be a gap in the talent development that needs to be fixed."




Does anyone see American pool stepping up and making some changes or is coach Johan out after one year?

Great interview, Mr. Bond, thanks for all that you do.
 

Poolplaya9

Tellin' it like it is...
Silver Member
If you haven't listened yet, here is the link:
http://www.americanbilliardradio.com/listen/

(Scroll down to "The 2017 Dream Crusher" stream and play from 6:25 -13:30)

Mr. Bond: If they ask you to come back, will you?
Coach Johan : (notable quotes below not in order)

"I would think about it. I'm not afraid of the challenge but I'm not going to get into a challenge where there's no solution. We need to change a couple of things."


"There needs to be some changes in my approach and how the industry with American pool is set up to give us a chance"


"As long as the industry and backers don't invest in a good education for players and coaches and support the top players, then it will be very hard."


"I go to the world 9 ball championships after this, I fly out tomorrow, these guys go to bar table tournaments because that's how they earn their money...while Europeans play 9 ball on new cloth and new tables two times a month in high pressure tournaments and American players don't."


"There seems to be a gap in the talent development that needs to be fixed."




Does anyone see American pool stepping up and making some changes or is coach Johan out after one year?

Translation: There is only so much you can do as a Mosconi coach with the time and resources allotted when your team consists of significantly sh!ttier players.

To answer your question, I don't know if Johan will be back or not (I am guessing it is 50/50 at this moment and largely depends on how weak or strong our players are looking in about 8 months or so), but I think the bigger and more significant question at this point is whether the Mosconi Cup itself will be back at all after next year's event. What I am pretty certain about though is that there isn't going to be two high pressure/high quality tournaments a month in the states or any significant increase for that matter (and certainly not all on 9 footers), most American players wouldn't go to most of the the tournaments anyway even if there were that many, neither the industry or the backers or the players or anybody else is going to pay for the type of prolonged training of our prospective team members that Johan would like to see, and even if somebody would pay for it most of the players wouldn't be on board with that type and intensity and duration of training and probably wouldn't be willing to participate in it anyway.
 

Ak Guy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Who really cares?

I think he is spot on about the U.S. players making a living on bar tables and Euro players frequently playing big pressure tournaments on big and new tables.

Euro players live in the U.S. and then they hop across the pond every other year and join the rest of who ever the hot Euro players are that year form Team Europe.

So if a coach from some village in the Andes in Peru can help Team USA let him!

We need help!
 

cardiac kid

Super Senior Member
Silver Member
USA shouldn’t be allowed to have an European coach.

And the Europeans should not be allowed to use players who live in the USA.

Watching guys whom I know have lived here for years suddenly become members of the opposing team sickens me. I've always thought the Mosconi Cup was bogus and I've become more sure of that every passing year!

When I did watch, I saw five versus one. Five Americans, each with their own style, versus one European "automaton". The European names change but the presentation and execution at the table does not.

Lyn
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Make Jay Helfert and Keither with the Ether co-captains. We don't need no stinkin' Euro(no offense JR) captain.
 

Cardigan Kid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
THAT’S what I’m talkin’ about.
Jay made a very generous offer.

Didn't Jay talk about subsidizing the players and possibly bringing them to the Philippines for training/matchups?
I think he had the same inclination as Johan which was to get the top players playing consistent rotation pool in pressure matches on full size tables in order to prepare.

After listening to the interview again, Johan is advocating for the players a decade from now, by taking the juniors and training/educating them in rotation. I think Jay is the same way, not just plan for the next year, but then next 10 years.
 

Pangit

Banned
Make Jay Helfert and Keither with the Ether co-captains. We don't need no stinkin' Euro(no offense JR) captain.

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Quesports

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
All the talk about bar tables being one of the reasons the American's lost is just that talk. The European's would have no problem beating the American's if the Mosconi Cup was played on bar boxes. The American's today are not as good pool players period. No matter what size table they played on.

I believe it will be years and years before we are competitive in most foreign pool tournaments. That includes European, Asian, and Philippines events. Coaches do not matter either. Simply put it comes down to who plays better all around pool. That right now is no longer what we do...
 

deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
why would anyone want to contribute to the education
or support of this thng?

it really is nothing to most people

not being rude,but why would anyone want to support
pool players to play

Filipinos,yes
not just because they play better but
they represent a national consciousness

it means something,over there it truly means nothing over here
to anyone but a few groupies

honestly,I have played most of the great players
who ever lived over here and I can not even name the guys on the Mosconi team

My point is,professional pool is nothing
not one person in a hundred has even heard of Efren Reyes or Ronnie o'Sullivan

More people know Minnesota Fats than they do any other pool player

it is nothing like baseball

more like chess or checkers without the sportsmanship
 
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Joe_Jaguar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
AZ member Mr. Bond did a stellar interview with Coach Johan after the Mosconi Cup and as a very good reporter would, he got right to the point with his questioning. What resulted was a realistic and serious take on the state of American professional pool by Johan. Sounds to me like the jury is still out on whether Johan will even be back next year.

If you haven't listened yet, here is the link:
http://www.americanbilliardradio.com/listen/

(Scroll down to "The 2017 Dream Crusher" stream and play from 6:25 -13:30)

Mr. Bond: If they ask you to come back, will you?
Coach Johan : (notable quotes below not in order)

"I would think about it. I'm not afraid of the challenge but I'm not going to get into a challenge where there's no solution. We need to change a couple of things."


"There needs to be some changes in my approach and how the industry with American pool is set up to give us a chance"


"As long as the industry and backers don't invest in a good education for players and coaches and support the top players, then it will be very hard."


"I go to the world 9 ball championships after this, I fly out tomorrow, these guys go to bar table tournaments because that's how they earn their money...while Europeans play 9 ball on new cloth and new tables two times a month in high pressure tournaments and American players don't."


"There seems to be a gap in the talent development that needs to be fixed."




Does anyone see American pool stepping up and making some changes or is coach Johan out after one year?

Great interview, Mr. Bond, thanks for all that you do.

Stick a fork in him, he's done.


Shades.jpg
 

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It doesn't matter who the coach is.

Over the last few decades the Europeans and the rest of the world have taken our game, and now, far out-distance us. In one of the next few MCs it is entirely likely the US will get beat 11-0.

What JR said is absolutely true -- in our country, professional pool players do not compete under professional conditions. They play on all kinds of equipment, at all kinds of games, gambling, scrounging to get by. As I was watching in Vegas this year one of the things that struck me was the reaction of some of the US players to the outcome of some of their shots. I may be wrong but what I saw were players unaccustomed to playing with what appeared to be very new, very highly polished balls.

The pool culture here is not what I would call "the problem." The pool culture here is what it's always been and will always be. But pool -- to be played at the highest level --thrives with a much more disciplined approach that has not and probably never will be embraced here. What would it take?

Better equipment.
At more events.
With greater individual player discipline and commitment.
Together with coaching and training.
And a chance to make a living and take pride in being a professional pool player.

Never going to happen.

Lou Figueroa
Merry Christmas
 

cardiac kid

Super Senior Member
Silver Member
why would anyone want to contribute to the education
or support of this thng?

it really is nothing to most people

not being rude,but why would anyone want to support
pool players to play

Filipinos,yes
not just because they play better but
they represent a national consciousness

it means something,over there it truly means nothing over here
to anyone but a few groupies

honestly,I have played most of the great players
who ever lived over here and I can not even name the guys on the Mosconi team

My point is,professional pool is nothing
not one person in a hundred has even heard of Efren Reyes or Ronnie o'Sullivan

More people know Minnesota Fats than they do any other pool player

it is nothing like baseball

more like chess or checkers without the sportsmanship

Dean,

As I've stated before, if you stopped a hundred, a thousand or ten thousand people on the streets or America and ask them to name a professional pool player, the only professional pool player named would be Jeanette Lee or the Black Widow. All the others are complete unknowns and really, who cares?

Lyn
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
I appreciate the support on here and would love the opportunity to lead our team one year (or longer). I had high hopes for Johan this year and I think he went above and beyond to be a good coach for our team. Unfortunately he can't make the balls for our players!

Like some of you I'm concerned about next year now. What can we do to change how things are going? I have my own ideas which might not conform with the popular thinking. I won't go into any of that now, just suffice to say that I think we've been heading in the wrong direction for a while now and my plan would change that direction.

I happen to love the MC and want to see it continue. I think it remains the most exciting event in the Pool world!
 

Cardigan Kid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It doesn't matter who the coach is.

Over the last few decades the Europeans and the rest of the world have taken our game, and now, far out-distance us. In one of the next few MCs it is entirely likely the US will get beat 11-0.

What JR said is absolutely true -- in our country, professional pool players do not compete under professional conditions. They play on all kinds of equipment, at all kinds of games, gambling, scrounging to get by. As I was watching in Vegas this year one of the things that struck me was the reaction of some of the US players to the outcome of some of their shots. I may be wrong but what I saw were players unaccustomed to playing with what appeared to be very new, very highly polished balls.

The pool culture here is not what I would call "the problem." The pool culture here is what it's always been and will always be. But pool -- to be played at the highest level --thrives with a much more disciplined approach that has not and probably never will be embraced here. What would it take?

Better equipment.
At more events.
With greater individual player discipline and commitment.
Together with coaching and training.
And a chance to make a living and take pride in being a professional pool player.

Never going to happen.

Lou Figueroa
Merry Christmas

Very dire straits indeed, Lou.
But how much responsibility do the players have in this equation?
To tell you the truth, Johan sounded ultimately dejected when describing he, himself, a coach, flying to Doha to watch the world championships. And not even his best player Shane, making the trip with him.

I think Skylar missing that pre Mosconi tourney vs team Russia was a HUGE part in his comments in the interview.

If the players wanted to train, and commit, he seems to think the money is there, but are they willing to do that?

Is Justin B willing to move to Europe if given a stipend and room and board to play full on Euro tour pool while training drills 6 hours a day?

I know this is off topic but I stumbled across the table tennis world championships for 2017. The Romanian girl who was lowest ranked in the field, won the entire thing, but watch her matches and it's all about the focus and commitment. In the stands were her coach, her sports psychologist, and her family.

Here's a link: https://youtu.be/xK92_3HLjyg

I understand there is probably funding for her from the Romanian government IOC, but first the player had to show up and make the commitment. What resulted was a complete dark horse defeating the best in the world.

I think there's a way but it starts with the players, there are people who want to support them, but are they willing to commit every part of their being?
 

xianmacx

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Johan is pathetic

love is 20/20 hindsight, lol

ship his ass back and good riddance

I feel this post is pathetic.

Willie Mosconi himself could not lead our team to victory. The US does not train and compete in the proper environment to do well in the cup. I don't blame them, there is no financial motivation.

Pool is a game in the US, its a sport in the rest of the world.

Ian
 
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Cardigan Kid

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Johan is pathetic

love is 20/20 hindsight, lol

ship his ass back and good riddance

Just curious if you listened to the interview?
Please do. Because I hear a man who wants American pool to succeed and is trying to solve the problem. Nothing pathetic about that whatsoever.
 
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