After school billiards program update.

mnorwood

mnorwood

Moon
Silver Member
I am in to my second week and all is going well. The kids have been really receptive to the instruction I have been giving.

Today during my class the regional coordinator for the Harris County Department of Education's after school cooperative came to check out the program. This agency is considering putting pool in after school programs all over the Houston metro area.

I expected the program to grow but not this fast. Stay tuned AZ this thing is about to blow up.
 
mnorwood said:
I am in to my second week and all is going well. The kids have been really receptive to the instruction I have been giving.

Today during my class the regional coordinator for the Harris County Department of Education's after school cooperative came to check out the program. This agency is considering putting pool in after school programs all over the Houston metro area.

I expected the program to grow but not this fast. Stay tuned AZ this thing is about to blow up.
Click to expand...

Nice job, please keep up the good work and keep us posted.
 
This sounds really great. Can you either explain what you did to get to this level of success or direct me to where I can read the information? Thanks in advance.

I wish you the very best of luck with your program.
 
mnorwood said:
I am in to my second week and all is going well. The kids have been really receptive to the instruction I have been giving.

Today during my class the regional coordinator for the Harris County Department of Education's after school cooperative came to check out the program. This agency is considering putting pool in after school programs all over the Houston metro area.

I expected the program to grow but not this fast. Stay tuned AZ this thing is about to blow up.
Click to expand...

Great job on your part. It would really be great if your pool program went all over the metro area of Houston. Please keep us posted. Johnnyt
 
John Biddle said:
This sounds really great. Can you either explain what you did to get to this level of success or direct me to where I can read the information? Thanks in advance.

I wish you the very best of luck with your program.
Click to expand...

The short answer to that question is: there is a huge demand for alternative activities in schools, pool being one of them. The other factor is that I work in the school system and I know what to say to make school officials listen.
 
mnorwood said:
The short answer to that question is: there is a huge demand for alternative activities in schools, pool being one of them. The other factor is that I work in the school system and I know what to say to make school officials listen.
Click to expand...
Can you post some guidelines or other info that would help others request and/or create similar programs elsewhere? This sounds like something we should all work on to help make it succeed on a large scale.

Great work,
Dave
 
mnorwood said:
The short answer to that question is: there is a huge demand for alternative activities in schools, pool being one of them. The other factor is that I work in the school system and I know what to say to make school officials listen.
Click to expand...

So what's the magic bullet. Everyone looks crosseyed at me when I bring it up.:rolleyes:

What curriculum are you using? Your own, or something else?

Did you survey for the interest level?

Funding for tables? Space for tables? Is it dedicated space?

Is it a 'class' or 'after-school-activity'/ club??

I was hoping to get it added to PE curriculum sometime ago, but no traction.

Very Curious here, ME
 
Will you be posting weekly updates? I would like to hear how things are going. Ups, Downs, things you have learned to make the class more accepted across the US.

Thanks,
 
man were was this when my wife went to pisd....she might be able to make a ball...i live 10 minutes from this program and i would of loved to of had this at the neighboring school district...great job except there are going to be players now coming out of the junior high level competing in the local tournys that i play in...o crap there allready is there a 13 year old who played in the year end bogies tourny that could give me the 7ball...o well great for pool and the kids thanks for all the work...
 
I sent you a PM on this and it seems many others are interested in your success. Perhaps you could detail here, the necessary preparation for getting the ball rolling in other school districts.
 
mnorwood said:
I am in to my second week and all is going well. The kids have been really receptive to the instruction I have been giving.

Today during my class the regional coordinator for the Harris County Department of Education's after school cooperative came to check out the program. This agency is considering putting pool in after school programs all over the Houston metro area.

I expected the program to grow but not this fast. Stay tuned AZ this thing is about to blow up.
Click to expand...

Where were you 8 years ago when I was going to highschool in Harrison County in Houston! I would have loved this after school program! Well better late then never.

Good Job, you deserve a pat on the back.
 
Today I was asked to attend a regional meeting for after school programs to present my program. I was also invited to attend an education convention.

In all honesty the original formula for success is up in Dallas. Earl Munson is the pioneer for pool in schools.

The major difference between me and Earl is that he works out of bowling allies and I will be working from campuses.

The magic bullet for getting this program in schools has to do with focusing the administrators attention on how such a program will impact student achievement and the drop out rate. There are numerous connections between billiards and the curriculum. You should also stress the importance of building relationships with kids that promote maintaining interest in school and staying out of trouble. You may not know this but American public schools struggle with managing student behavior, high drop out rates and poor test scores. They are looking for ways to stop the bleeding. Guidelines for putting pool in school can be obtained from the BEF. There is more to this than I can address in a forum post. Any interested parties that want to approach a school district should PM me and we can talk over the phone.
 
Marcus great job! I KNEW you would get it started down in Houston. Are you teaching junior high schools or high schools? I need to keep in touch with you. Send me email.

I helped Charles Jaynes get started in Albuquerque, NM and he now has 6 schools out there with tables in the schools (3 Junior high, 3 H.S.). The BEF Education committee had approved grants for several thousand dollars to help get it going.

Harvard, Massachusetts also now has a high school billiard program with tables in the school with Roy Pastor doing great work there. I sent him everything I had. We have others from across the country ready and interested to start programs.

I developed a program directors guide that I have used the past several years and donated and co-wrote the BEF Program Directors Guide with Dawn Hopkins that can be purchased at www.billiardeducation.org. I think it is $20 or $25.

For all those that do not know the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) is a non-profit organization that is focused on billiards in school with college scholarships, Junior National Competitions, school grants, etc. Please contact Laura Smith if you are interested in maybe becoming a Program Director and starting school billiard programs in your area.

ALL league organizations SHOULD be supporting the BEF including: APA, VNEA, BCA-Pool, ACS, etc. After all when these students graduate from high school where do you think they will go play?

Marcus stay in contact with Laura Smith with the BEF. I am chairman of the Ed committee and I would love to get you on the committee. Things are moving rapidly for school billiards. The stigma wall has been knocked down and progress has been shown to the schools that billiards in school is extremely viable as an after school activity. We have a lot of positive press for these efforts now and over a decade of billiards in school track record.

I have around 100 students from 11 high schools this season in Dallas. Over all we have had 15 high schools with billiard teams here in the past 9 years with several hundred students participating. I am hoping one day to have a true Texas H.S. State Championship represented by more schools from the cities in Texas. I can see a National High School Billiard championship in the future. We are working on it. With more dedicated players/teachers like Marcus Norwood we can get there.

Marcus keep up the great work!!!!

Earl Munson
BEF H.S. Billiard Program Director- Dallas, Texas
BCA Certified Instructor
BEF Education Committee- Chairman
BEF Junior National Tournament Director
 
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