Junior players

[DeepocketsAlvin]

We have a 15 year old son that plays a lot of pool. Right now he plays with the "big dogs" because he has no other choice but we would like to try some junior tournaments every once in awhile. Are there enough kids interested in pool anymore? What are your thoughts?

 

[KCRack'em]

youth leagues

There's a youth league program at Boise State. It would provide a good model. I can find a point of contact if you're interested.
Karl

 

[nilsm]

The VNEA runs a Junior Program that ends with a National Tournament every June. This year's is in Lincoln, NE. vnea.com

Also in Lincoln in January is the Great Plains Junior Tournament.
http://www.vvsleagues.com/Great Plains/2012 gp junior tourney flyer.pdf

 

[Donny Lutz]

Junior leagues

We have a 15 year old son that plays a lot of pool. Right now he plays with the "big dogs" because he has no other choice but we would like to try some junior tournaments every once in awhile. Are there enough kids interested in pool anymore? What are your thoughts?

Sadly, many establishment owners don't want under-age players even when it's legal in their local. "They just cause trouble", I hear, or "They tear up the tables!" I think these folks are missing the boat. You can have junior leagues and tournaments with a supervisor and strict rules of conduct. Years ago, I played in a pool hall in Iowa that did very well by running junior leagues. The owner was smart enough to realize that he could create his own customers, before they came of age and chose to play in bars or other pool halls. When I was in high school in Wisconsin, almost every high school had a bowling league and it helped make bowling huge in the '50s (along with tv coverage of the pros).
So I blame proprietors for the absence of young players. When their businesses go down, it's usually their own fault for not promoting the game properly.
Donny L
BCA/ACS Instructor
Gainesville, Fl

 

[doublej487]

i seen this n thought of myself ..... keep him n with the big dogs n a few years he willl understand why ..... he will improve greatly ...... maybe everynow n then take him sumwhere that he has a good chance to win or atleast a few matches

 

[RackemBilliards]

Kids

Sadly, many establishment owners don't want under-age players even when it's legal in their local. "They just cause trouble", I hear, or "They tear up the tables!" I think these folks are missing the boat. You can have junior leagues and tournaments with a supervisor and strict rules of conduct. Years ago, I played in a pool hall in Iowa that did very well by running junior leagues. The owner was smart enough to realize that he could create his own customers, before they came of age and chose to play in bars or other pool halls. When I was in high school in Wisconsin, almost every high school had a bowling league and it helped make bowling huge in the '50s (along with tv coverage of the pros).
So I blame proprietors for the absence of young players. When their businesses go down, it's usually their own fault for not promoting the game properly.
Donny L
BCA/ACS Instructor
Gainesville, Fl

I would respectfully disagree. Granted, I don't know YOUR situation and experience, but these posts all seem to say "years ago, I played somewhere that did this", or " in the 50s it was huge because of this". Well, in the 50s everyone used typewriters and talked on rotary phones. Now, not so much. Our electric bills and rent are due each and every month NOW, and the fact that young people seemingly have moved on to electronic entertainment of one form or another, or are otherwise engaged in activities that don't include pool, bowling, little league baseball, and many of the other physical activities that you remember from the 50s, means you can promote all you want-only to deaf ears. By and large, young people aren't interested in pool. Do this- go to your local bowling league operator and ask how their leagues are now compared to 5-10 years ago. It's not just pool. The world has changed, and you can blame anyone you want, but I doubt we all got stupid at the same time.

Dave Smith

 

[maximillion]

I hate video games

 

[SteveMarklePool]

Yeah, if you let him play with the "big dogs" he will only become a better player. In any sport, the higher the skill level you are up against, the better you will become.

 

[EAGLETRICKSHOTS]

We have a 15 year old son that plays a lot of pool. Right now he plays with the "big dogs" because he has no other choice but we would like to try some junior tournaments every once in awhile. Are there enough kids interested in pool anymore? What are your thoughts?

I have the same problem. APA doesn't allow under 18. And there is no open tournament around here.

 

[Quesports]

I started playing pool when I was 14 back in 1966. At the time it was one of the only things there was to do where I grew up. The local pool hall named Nicks was one of three in Gloucester Mass and without them there would have been very little to do. It gave us kids a place to hang out and have some fun. We paid 60 cents an hour table time per person. That same pool hall with only 8 tables produced one of the best money players ever, a guy named Jimmy Reid. If it had not been there who knows what Jimmy would have done hell he had the brains to be anything he wanted in life, but pool was to be his calling. I find it very disheartening that pool as an industry is shutting out the young folks that want to play. They do not want them. They do not encourage them. They do nothing whatsoever to promote the next generation of players and as I have asked before, where do they think their pool business will be without new players?