Interest in Pool

mreightball

mreightball

New member
Silver Member
Hello out there:
My personal opinion about the industry is that we need to get pool as a sport in schools. We need the younger generation learning the game so as they grow up they are familiar with the game and want to play it.
As you know any sport in school is all about beating the other school or having a better team then the other school. Pool allows students who are not sports jocks to be in a sport that they can be competitive in. Boys/girls/handicapped/and nurds can play and be good at it. I am seriously thinking of donating tables to schools in my area to get this going.
Without the younger generation getting involved where is the industry going. All down hill.
Please respond with thoughts
Thanks
Ron
www.abctables.com
 
My personal opinion...with this "No Child Left Behind Act" and it's arbitrary grading system where all you have to do is sign your name and they can't hardly fail you, I think the schools have a LOT bigger things to worry about than pool leagues/teams.

But to keep my response pool related LOL, how are you proposing to fill the schools with tables? All based on donations? If that is the case, how do you regulate the equipment? With their budgets how many schools will foot the bill to install, say, 7' Diamond Smart Tables, or even Valley tables so that they have good consistent equipment? I say very few nationwide. And then there's equipment maintenance that they have to budget for on top of the initial cost of the tables and basic equipment.

Right now in this area, there's schools talking about cutting their music programs because the budget doesn't allow for both sports and music. I think you're looking at a lost cause here.

What I DO think could work is initiating some kind of programs to encourage local dry pool rooms to sponsor youth outtings. Yes, I know there's not a "local" pool room everywhere, so it wouldn't work in all areas. I remember when I was in gym class, we took a trip to the bowling alley to learn how to bowl and keep score. Everyone sucked, but we spent a week there and it was nice departure from the gym. Why couldn't pool rooms do the same thing? They're basically pitching to future clientele. The kids may buy pops and snacks while they are there if allowed, so they could make a little money in the process. How many dry rooms are busy enough during school hours that it would cost them business anyway?

The other thing would be to encourage the leagues to cater to all pool players, not just the drinking ones. It may not be this way all over, but I know when I had a room last year, I couldn't get a team out of there because we didn't have alcohol. I've lost teammates on my travelling bar team, because they went into the program. How fair is it that because someone decides to try to stop drinking that they don't have a place to join a league? Not cool, and in my opinion a flaw in the league systems. I think if you encourage the leagues to pick up more players from pool rooms as well as bars then you get more serious and, more important, MORE players.

Mreightball, I think you have a great idea, but realistically I don't think it would be reasonable. I think there are other routes we should explore to try to attract each next generation to pool. Just my 2 cents.
 
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My thoughts

mreightball said:
Hello out there:
My personal opinion about the industry is that we need to get pool as a sport in schools. We need the younger generation learning the game so as they grow up they are familiar with the game and want to play it.
As you know any sport in school is all about beating the other school or having a better team then the other school. Pool allows students who are not sports jocks to be in a sport that they can be competitive in. Boys/girls/handicapped/and nurds can play and be good at it. I am seriously thinking of donating tables to schools in my area to get this going.
Without the younger generation getting involved where is the industry going. All down hill.
Please respond with thoughts
Thanks
Ron
www.abctables.com
Click to expand...

You know that is a great idea but the only problem I see is the space required to do that. Schools in my area are hard pressed for space for classrooms and other activities. And setting up a couple of tables does not do a lot of good although some. I used to have a program for the high school to come to my room for p.e. and it worked for awhile. but as teachers change and move on programs die and interest lacks. Plus some had a problem with liability as the kids had to get to my place on their own.
I am now trying to start a summer program for all Boys Clubs, Boys and Girls Scout clubs, Make a Wish and any other youth program that wants to take advantage of free pool and lessons and a season ending tournament for these kids. This can help us both in the long run and gets the kids out of in front of the t.v. It is better than my tables sitting idle all day and it only costs me some wear and tear. Man the lessons these young people can learn. And as you say the none jocks can be heroes on the felt.
 
Thank you for the input. I can see by the response that you are thinking about getting people into your place. Come to me. I am not talking about that. I as a interested pool player and also a retail store am willing to dedicate my time and my materials to get the younger generation involved in the sport on their own turf. When this is done it will sooner or later snowball down to you. It isn't something that is going to bring people into your place right away but in a period of time you will see it will. As far as the schools are concerned in my area with me involved it wouldn't cost them a dime. As far as space is concerned the tables can be moved out of the way when not in use.
There might even be some business in your area that would help contribute money or time to this idea.
There are many parents in other sports that are coaches or managers of teams that do it on a voluntere basis and of course they want to see their kids win the game so you have them involved also.
I need some more input so please give me your ideas.
 
mreightball said:
... Without the younger generation getting involved where is the industry going. All down hill.
Click to expand...

Stores have a hard enough time selling tables let alone donating them.
Admirable idea but not economically feasible.

Kids are not immune to pool. Moms and Dads play and many have tables in the home.
Kids don't get overly involved because there are too few role models in pool.

Room owners would do well to promote a free pool school for teens. Store owners could co-sponsor.
Pick a day once a week for an hour and have a curriculum that lasts a few weeks.
Teach them "basic pool", the rules and ettiquete. Give the graduates a cool t-shirt or some memento.
Follow that up with a free monthly teen tourny - winner gets a cue (or similar).

Keep in mind that it's summer and kids have plenty of other distractions - as do the parents.

This forum has a few hundred pool die-hards but is not representative (IMO) of the sport or industry at large.
In other words, don't use AZB as the gospel for all things pool.
 
For 19 years I have tried getting the local schools to come to my place( no alcohol). They wouldn't even allow me to put up fliers in the schools. The only time we had a high school league was when we had a private school coming to our place. Unfortunately pool still has a shady stigma attached to it even though most of the pool rooms of today are nothing like what I grew up with.

What has killed our industry is the online games, computers, online poker and the fact that we are creating a generation of shut ins.
 
ChalksBilliards said:
For 19 years I have tried getting the local schools to come to my place( no alcohol). They wouldn't even allow me to put up fliers in the schools. The only time we had a high school league was when we had a private school coming to our place. Unfortunately pool still has a shady stigma attached to it even though most of the pool rooms of today are nothing like what I grew up with.

What has killed our industry is the online games, computers, online poker and the fact that we are creating a generation of shut ins.
Click to expand...

Amen. It killed me to see the Brunswick booth at the BCA Trade show this year displaying theater seating and a big screen tv. Almost hurts my feelings to see a leader in the industry (in name anyway) sell out to overseas manufacturing and then selling the very products that have contributed to the decline in our industry.
 
I don't blame Brunswick, they see the writing on the wall and know if they are to stay in business they have to diversify.

The only way for us to come back is if the industry as a whole does some type of national promoting of the game. That means every mfg, organization ( BCA, APA ) has to pool their resources to make it happen. The lack of a strong men's tour with an official sanctioning body also hurts our business.

The gambling on tour, the alleged throwing matches to win a bet and the over all dysfunction that goes on hurts our industry. The woman's tour tries and their members are excellent examples of sportsmanship and class but they cannot carry an industry.

The PGA tour is a perfect example of how they carry an industry.
 
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