My wife and I attended the BU Summer School Boot Camp this past weekend. I’d like to give some of my thoughts on the experience and share the answers to the questions my league teammates and friends had for me. I won’t go into detail on the School’s methodology or materials; I’ll leave that to Dr. Dave. The list of topics and skills covered in the school can be found here.
What was the BU Summer School Boot Camp? Over 17 hours of intense pool instruction over the course of three days. There were nine students and three BU Instructors: Dr. Dave Alciatore, Samm Diep and Randy Russell.
What type of students attended? In the July 4-6 2014 session that I attended, I was probably the median player of the group. I’m a low to mid intermediate player, with league ranks of C and APA 5. Regardless of skill level, all students shared one common trait; a very high level of dedication to improve their game. In speaking to my fellow students, I think more than a few of us had reached a bit of a slowdown in our improvement and we all were searching for help to remedy those things that were holding us back.
I found a lot of value in being surrounded by like-minded people, all sharing the same passion for the game. I found the interaction with the fellow students who have different experiences, strengths and weaknesses really helped me gain insight and perspective on my own development. The students really helped each other, providing feedback on the specific issues each other was having.
Are three instructors better than one? The instructors did an amazing job tailoring the instruction to the individual needs of every student. The instructors compared notes often, sharing what they observed in each student so they could apply the most effective instructional approach. The instructors were a diverse group that took very different paths to get where they are today. With a vast breadth and depth of knowledge and experiences, I think the instructor group had a lot of synergy going for it.
All three instructors rotated around the practice tables, providing their observations and individual instruction. I found it extremely valuable to get three different perspectives on my individual challenges in a short amount of time. I think that I gained more from this format than I would have if I had worked with the three instructors individually. That said, I do intend on seeing them individually when the opportunity arises for check-ups and focusing on certain areas.
Did the BU Summer School Boot Camp provide good value? With the scheduled 17 hours of instruction, the cost would be $50 / hr. Include the overtime the instructors spent with us before class warming up, during lunch break and practicing after class, it was under $40 / hr. I really think they went above and beyond to provide good value. With a 1:3 instructor to student ratio, I never thought I wasn't receiving enough attention. I think the instructors could comfortably handle a 1:4 ratio.
One thing that really surprised me was that 2/3 of the students traveled in from out of state. My wife and I were among the three “locals” from the Denver Metro area. We felt extremely lucky to have the school in our back yard and not have to incur the additional travel expenses. I hope more locals take advantage of the School, for them the value proposition is even more compelling.
During lunch on the last day, one of the gentleman that traveled in from out of state expressed to me that he thought it was definitely worth it for him. Even though he invested much more time and money than we had he said he thought it was absolutely worth it. I don’t know if any of the other students are AZ members, if they are I hope they chime in with their opinions first hand.
How was the host facility, Felt? Felt is a great, well run establishment. Great service, good food, clean and well kept, centrally located in the metro area. The equipment is well maintained with a good mix of 7’ and 9’ tables.
Would you recommend the BU Summer School Boot Camp? I’d absolutely recommend it to anybody that really wants to improve their game and has made the commitment to do so. My wife and I both walked away with much more knowledge of the game, lists of things that we need improve and knowledge on how to improve them.
We had our Sunday APA league yesterday evening a couple hours after the School adjourned. Even though we were both mentally fatigued with all that was covered in the three days, our team captain noticed we were already playing better. He commented that my wife’s stroke was really improved and she was running patterns with confidence. Although it’s a tiny sample size that might not be an indicator of future results, I played another 5 in 8-ball that I had lost to in the past, this time winning 2-0.
I think once I digest the information fully and commit the changes I need to make to muscle memory, my game should begin to improve at a faster pace. I've found that whenever I make the slightest change to my stroke, it takes a while to start realizing the benefits or to even play as good as I did before the change was made. I walked into last night’s match thinking that and was surprised I was able to pull out a W. I didn't play 9-ball last night and the wife split her 8 and 9-ball matches but looked great doing it.
If anybody has any questions about the experience, I’ll be happy to answer them.
What was the BU Summer School Boot Camp? Over 17 hours of intense pool instruction over the course of three days. There were nine students and three BU Instructors: Dr. Dave Alciatore, Samm Diep and Randy Russell.
What type of students attended? In the July 4-6 2014 session that I attended, I was probably the median player of the group. I’m a low to mid intermediate player, with league ranks of C and APA 5. Regardless of skill level, all students shared one common trait; a very high level of dedication to improve their game. In speaking to my fellow students, I think more than a few of us had reached a bit of a slowdown in our improvement and we all were searching for help to remedy those things that were holding us back.
I found a lot of value in being surrounded by like-minded people, all sharing the same passion for the game. I found the interaction with the fellow students who have different experiences, strengths and weaknesses really helped me gain insight and perspective on my own development. The students really helped each other, providing feedback on the specific issues each other was having.
Are three instructors better than one? The instructors did an amazing job tailoring the instruction to the individual needs of every student. The instructors compared notes often, sharing what they observed in each student so they could apply the most effective instructional approach. The instructors were a diverse group that took very different paths to get where they are today. With a vast breadth and depth of knowledge and experiences, I think the instructor group had a lot of synergy going for it.
All three instructors rotated around the practice tables, providing their observations and individual instruction. I found it extremely valuable to get three different perspectives on my individual challenges in a short amount of time. I think that I gained more from this format than I would have if I had worked with the three instructors individually. That said, I do intend on seeing them individually when the opportunity arises for check-ups and focusing on certain areas.
Did the BU Summer School Boot Camp provide good value? With the scheduled 17 hours of instruction, the cost would be $50 / hr. Include the overtime the instructors spent with us before class warming up, during lunch break and practicing after class, it was under $40 / hr. I really think they went above and beyond to provide good value. With a 1:3 instructor to student ratio, I never thought I wasn't receiving enough attention. I think the instructors could comfortably handle a 1:4 ratio.
One thing that really surprised me was that 2/3 of the students traveled in from out of state. My wife and I were among the three “locals” from the Denver Metro area. We felt extremely lucky to have the school in our back yard and not have to incur the additional travel expenses. I hope more locals take advantage of the School, for them the value proposition is even more compelling.
During lunch on the last day, one of the gentleman that traveled in from out of state expressed to me that he thought it was definitely worth it for him. Even though he invested much more time and money than we had he said he thought it was absolutely worth it. I don’t know if any of the other students are AZ members, if they are I hope they chime in with their opinions first hand.
How was the host facility, Felt? Felt is a great, well run establishment. Great service, good food, clean and well kept, centrally located in the metro area. The equipment is well maintained with a good mix of 7’ and 9’ tables.
Would you recommend the BU Summer School Boot Camp? I’d absolutely recommend it to anybody that really wants to improve their game and has made the commitment to do so. My wife and I both walked away with much more knowledge of the game, lists of things that we need improve and knowledge on how to improve them.
We had our Sunday APA league yesterday evening a couple hours after the School adjourned. Even though we were both mentally fatigued with all that was covered in the three days, our team captain noticed we were already playing better. He commented that my wife’s stroke was really improved and she was running patterns with confidence. Although it’s a tiny sample size that might not be an indicator of future results, I played another 5 in 8-ball that I had lost to in the past, this time winning 2-0.
I think once I digest the information fully and commit the changes I need to make to muscle memory, my game should begin to improve at a faster pace. I've found that whenever I make the slightest change to my stroke, it takes a while to start realizing the benefits or to even play as good as I did before the change was made. I walked into last night’s match thinking that and was surprised I was able to pull out a W. I didn't play 9-ball last night and the wife split her 8 and 9-ball matches but looked great doing it.
If anybody has any questions about the experience, I’ll be happy to answer them.
) development over the next few months.