need some help / info re: college pool teams

tommyhill

tommyhill

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have two boys 13 & 15 both pool players and im looking for some help finding a college that competes in pool...... if that even exists. the internet has very little information on this matter. I have found college pool clubs but not sure if that's the same thing.
 
Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO. It is the best billiards program that has a world class facility and led by a world class coach, Mark Wilson! I have been attending Lindenwood since 2012, and have been part of the team since the inaugural year. Coach Wilson bases the team on portraying what is best about the sport of pocket billiards, in which each team member is required to display positivity when it comes to playing billiards. This positivity helps you stay focused on and off the table, and ultimately, it will lead to growth in your game and your character. There are way too many other aspects of the game that Coach focuses on, but this aspect is one of, if not the biggest part of the sport we focus on. We always have a great time at practice and we perform various drills that help improve our overall game. I highly recommend this program to anyone!
 
College clubs set up and organize their own tourneys. Sac state had come a long ways and recently did a four way tournament with three other universities. There is also a student union in almost every college, and individuals who won the school run tourneys have a chance to compete as well in that arena. Not sure what is called though.

Lindenwood is amazing though. Nothing else like it that I've heard of.
 
tommyhill said:
I have two boys 13 & 15 both pool players and im looking for some help finding a college that competes in pool...... if that even exists. the internet has very little information on this matter. I have found college pool clubs but not sure if that's the same thing.
Click to expand...

Are they going to be playing in the Jr Nationals, not too far from you in Vegas.
 
Besides Lindenwood,

Check with Dr Dave also

https://www.acui.org/billiards/
http://www.weber.edu/mathematics/Do_you_like_pool.html
http://billiardeducation.org/

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_colleges_have_billiards_teams

All of the colleges with billiards teams are listed below. There are also quite a few schools with billiards physical education programs.

Babson College,
Boston University,
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,
Cornell University,
Emory Billiards,
Idaho State University,
Illinois State University,
Iowa State,
John Hopkins University,
Northern Michigan University,
Northeastern University,
Penn State University,
Penn State-Harrisburg,
Purdue University,
Roanoke College,
Shippensburg University,
Texas A & M,
Texas Tech,
University of Central Florida,
University of Dayton,
University of Houston,
University of Iowa,
University of Michigan,
University of Pittsburgh,
University of Texas,
University of Texas-Arlington,
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater,
USF-St. Petersburg,
Washington College
 
SilverZer0 said:
Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO. It is the best billiards program that has a world class facility and led by a world class coach, Mark Wilson! I have been attending Lindenwood since 2012, and have been part of the team since the inaugural year. Coach Wilson bases the team on portraying what is best about the sport of pocket billiards, in which each team member is required to display positivity when it comes to playing billiards. This positivity helps you stay focused on and off the table, and ultimately, it will lead to growth in your game and your character. There are way too many other aspects of the game that Coach focuses on, but this aspect is one of, if not the biggest part of the sport we focus on. We always have a great time at practice and we perform various drills that help improve our overall game. I highly recommend this program to anyone!
Click to expand...

It reminds me of those curriculum and formal training that many schools in Taiwan have. Many of the current top Taiwanese pros started somewhere with some reputable coaches or talent scouts.

In the US, I'm sure that a good sport program like billiard at Lindenwood would help a kid develop positivity and grow character. But I'm curious, how much does the training help in terms of the ability to play the game itself? How far do the pool players from these programs reach? And how much of that success is due to the billiard program?
 
Instead of sending your kids to college to learn how to play pool, take $50000 and set it on fire, cook a steak over it. At least then the money will have done something useful.

Pool is a great pastime and hobby. It is a lousy thing to let get in the way of a future.
 
Nice to see that this exists in some capacity. When I was a student in the mid-90's, I'm not sure if it was available anywhere. There was the ACUI thing, but not much on the local collegiate level that I can remember.

PS: Hopefully your kids are going to school primarily for it's curriculum and secondarily for pool. The horror stories about the lack of future in pool are endless :-) Not for nothing, but going to college near a major metropolitan area might have even more development potential for a pool player than a collegiate "team" or program? I only say this because I was down this road before, and very happy that I chose college/career 1st and pool 2nd....although it does keep me awake some nights.
 
A little delay in the response, but as the former President of the Univeristy of Texas Billiards Club I can say that there are some creat programs out there. ACUI is an excellent platform for student billiards; have a look at the schools that are actively participating there.

In Texas, several schools compete against each other throughout the year and in ACUI competition. On top of that, Virginia Tech and Michigan both have excellent facilities and programs.

Other posters have also posted some great resources as well... I don't disagree with their reco's.

As for the poster who knocks pool in college, I would say that it was a great way to connect to other people in college and really increased my skill from just an average player to a competiting player. It also offers a healthy activity that can be a really positive pastime for youth. Agreed you don't go to school to get a degree in billiards, but a place with a healthy competitive program can be the difference for a pool player in terms of being a competiting collegiate athlete or just a bar-goer.
 
SilverCue said:
Besides Lindenwood,

Check with Dr Dave also

https://www.acui.org/billiards/
http://www.weber.edu/mathematics/Do_you_like_pool.html
http://billiardeducation.org/

http://www.answers.com/Q/What_colleges_have_billiards_teams

All of the colleges with billiards teams are listed below. There are also quite a few schools with billiards physical education programs.

Babson College,
Boston University,
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo,
Cornell University,
Emory Billiards,
Idaho State University,
Illinois State University,
Iowa State,
John Hopkins University,
Northern Michigan University,
Northeastern University,
Penn State University,
Penn State-Harrisburg,
Purdue University,
Roanoke College,
Shippensburg University,
Texas A & M,
Texas Tech,
University of Central Florida,
University of Dayton,
University of Houston,
University of Iowa,
University of Michigan,
University of Pittsburgh,
University of Texas,
University of Texas-Arlington,
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater,
USF-St. Petersburg,
Washington College
Click to expand...

Virginia Tech is missing.
 
Suggestion for the OP

I see you're in Clovis, CA.

Lindenwood is probably number one, ditto for Mark Wilson; but take a look at the billiard program at Cal Poly, SLO. I was up there about 4 years ago, and was impressed with the coach/instructor. At the time I visited, I found that the only publicly available 9-foot tables in San Luis Obispo were actually on the school campus. Part of the Student Union / Bowling facility.

RL
 
Why would you choose a college/university for your kids that excels in pool? I'd think you'd pick the school that excels in their particular career field or academics. They can always join a local league off campus and keep their game sharp.
 
You can take University of Pittsburgh off of that list unfortunately. I was president of the Billiards Club my Sr. year in 2004. The club survived for another year or two, then was denied funding by the student activities counsel.

In addition, the management of the William Pitt Student Union decided the pool hall/rec center was not generating enough revenue, and completely remodeled it. It used to have 13 8' Gold Crowns, one 10' table converted to snooker, and an antique 10' Brunswick 3 cushion table that was originally in the Schenley Hotel. Now it has maybe two pool tables, and the rest of the space is taken up by Air Hockey, Video Games and a spot for Live Bands to perform.
 
classicjay17 said:
You can take University of Pittsburgh off of that list unfortunately. I was president of the Billiards Club my Sr. year in 2004. The club survived for another year or two, then was denied funding by the student activities counsel.
In addition, the management of the William Pitt Student Union decided the pool hall/rec center was not generating enough revenue, and completely remodeled it. It used to have 13 8' Gold Crowns, one 10' table converted to snooker, and an antique 10' Brunswick 3 cushion table that was originally in the Schenley Hotel. Now it has maybe two pool tables, and the rest of the space is taken up by Air Hockey, Video Games and a spot for Live Bands to perform.
Click to expand...

Classicjay, for that timely bit of information, and your meritorious service to this forum, I hereby award you a greenie. Well done.
And, welcome to AZ Billiards. :smile:
 
tommyhill said:
I have two boys 13 & 15 both pool players and im looking for some help finding a college that competes in pool...... if that even exists. the internet has very little information on this matter. I have found college pool clubs but not sure if that's the same thing.
Click to expand...

my 14yr old son thinks he wants to be an attorney. he's also pretty good at pool & knows most of the pros. he's going to Duke or Wake, period. he can fly to Mark Wilson/Lindenwood @ St Louis, if he chooses to stray his course.

Mark's regimen, techniques, & ethics are fantastic. but i can't qualify Lindenwood for its real degrees & your ROI. as well, once they start having sex - pool can go swiftly out the window. they can shoot pool ANYwhere, & your BEST resources are herein for them to be recognized. i think you're jumping the gun -
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top