New idea A Teaching DVD for the young

Robroy

Robroy

Robin Dodson
Silver Member
So my son Drake has the pool bug BAD!!! Long story short, Drake has one of my cues, Jerry McWorter refinished it for me so I gave it to Drake and he LOVES it!!! He has had 2 lessons...and just can't seem to pull himself away from the pool room!!! He is taking pictures of shots at the table and sending it to me...asking which pocket he should shoot the ball in! :)
I haven't heard from him this much in 10 years as I have in the last 3 weeks :)
I of course love it, things have slowed down for a little while for him, he is doing a movie in Vancouver then I think he has a window...he might have time to be my student for a teaching DVD for kids?
I would love to revive our sport Drake might be the ticket.
I'm waiting to hear from him (course he was out late playing pool and well it is early) :)
I would like to get a Pool Table Company on board who likes the idea and wants to do a promotion....any ideas?
This is me with 2 cups of coffee behind my belt :)
And if your wondering....he's a natural....he looks just like me...but with no information :) he has to practice...YUP for the rest of his life...what can I say its in his genes :)
 
Robroy said:
So my son Drake has the pool bug BAD!!! Long story short, Drake has one of my cues, Jerry McWorter refinished it for me so I gave it to Drake and he LOVES it!!! He has had 2 lessons...and just can't seem to pull himself away from the pool room!!! He is taking pictures of shots at the table and sending it to me...asking which pocket he should shoot the ball in! :)
I haven't heard from him this much in 10 years as I have in the last 3 weeks :)
I of course love it, things have slowed down for a little while for him, he is doing a movie in Vancouver then I think he has a window...he might have time to be my student for a teaching DVD for kids?
I would love to revive our sport Drake might be the ticket.
I'm waiting to hear from him (course he was out late playing pool and well it is early) :)
I would like to get a Pool Table Company on board who likes the idea and wants to do a promotion....any ideas?
This is me with 2 cups of coffee behind my belt :)
And if your wondering....he's a natural....he looks just like me...but with no information :) he has to practice...YUP for the rest of his life...what can I say its in his genes :)
Click to expand...

Hmmm now that I think about it, Drake's fan base aren't kids anymore they are probably graduating from highschool... might need some ideas...but I think it could be pretty cool...he has close to 3,000,000 fans on his facebook.
 
Robroy said:
So my son Drake has the pool bug BAD!!! Long story short, Drake has one of my cues, Jerry McWorter refinished it for me so I gave it to Drake and he LOVES it!!! He has had 2 lessons...and just can't seem to pull himself away from the pool room!!! He is taking pictures of shots at the table and sending it to me...asking which pocket he should shoot the ball in! :)
I haven't heard from him this much in 10 years as I have in the last 3 weeks :)
I of course love it, things have slowed down for a little while for him, he is doing a movie in Vancouver then I think he has a window...he might have time to be my student for a teaching DVD for kids?
I would love to revive our sport Drake might be the ticket.
I'm waiting to hear from him (course he was out late playing pool and well it is early) :)
I would like to get a Pool Table Company on board who likes the idea and wants to do a promotion....any ideas?
This is me with 2 cups of coffee behind my belt :)
And if your wondering....he's a natural....he looks just like me...but with no information :) he has to practice...YUP for the rest of his life...what can I say its in his genes :)
Click to expand...


Hey Robin,

great idea, if you need any help let me know, im willing to do it with you if you wish.

Lee
 
Robin,

This is off your subject. But who, if anyone, gave you good lessons when you played at Westminster Family Billiards???:wave3:

Gerry S.
(from Lakewood Family Billiards)
 
Sounds like a good idea Robin. God knows our sport needs new blood! Teaching kids the right way to play this great game is the only way to go! My two grandsons live next door to me and are bugging me to put the table together (I just moved). Maybe I could have the table ready about the same time you release the DVD!
 
Sounds like a great idea - I'll happily sign up as one of your first customers!

bes
 
I would buy it right now if it was available. I have a 10 year old daughter that wants to learn to play. A DVD would be a great way to get her started!
 
Once more a person that understands without a new generation of pool players pool halls will be gone sooner than later. Great thread Robin, please do a training video series geared to the young crowd!! One of the reasons we see so few new players is nobody is doing anything to interest them in pool. The pool hall I play in does not even have free cues on wall racks for them to use. They make them rent beat up house cues, if they did that when I was kid I'd have never gotten interested in pool.
 
As in everything, the youth is the future. No youth interest = no pool future. The tough part is that most public pool tables are located in bars, and that makes it hard to promote youth participation. IMO, pool programs targeted to the youth are exactly what is needed.
 
bflgvs said:
Robin,

This is off your subject. But who, if anyone, gave you good lessons when you played at Westminster Family Billiards???:wave3:

Gerry S.
(from Lakewood Family Billiards)
Click to expand...

All of the guys helped me out, Buck the owner comes to mind. And a employee name Gene...he was a great help.
 
The Simonis Arena and Equipment is now setup at Sand Castle..... I'd call and talk to Jim at Accu-Stats to see if they have interest in the shoot... And then talk to Greg Sullivan to see if he wants to get Diamond behind it....

If Drake has that many fans then the sales may help put a little kick into the backside of the sport....... If the game is going to take off again it will require youth.. along with returning G.I.s
 
Educating the youth

Charlie (Hillbilly) and I have put out the first of a series of OnDemand Instructional videos through his website and we were talking the other day about the kids and after-school programs for pool. He said that once we get more videos in the library, he wants to offer all of them free-of-charge to any youth based educational programs that are interested. As the technical side of his ventures, it is up to me to get the site configured for something like that but I am hard at work and hope to have something ready for the kids real soon.

If any of you would like to check out how the OnDemand Video service works, just visit Hillbilly's site.

http://www.hillbillyonthehill.com/
 
Quesports said:
Once more a person that understands without a new generation of pool players pool halls will be gone sooner than later. Great thread Robin, please do a training video series geared to the young crowd!! One of the reasons we see so few new players is nobody is doing anything to interest them in pool. The pool hall I play in does not even have free cues on wall racks for them to use. They make them rent beat up house cues, if they did that when I was kid I'd have never gotten interested in pool.
Click to expand...

Drake is on board, now to talk to Roy... then to Drake's agents make sure he's cleared to work outside the circle... If I get a heads up from them...away I will go ;)
 
I have an after school program in Pasadena ISD. Due to added duties I have had to take one semester off from it. This fall I will be starting my 4th year with the program.

I have had success getting principals to agree to the idea of having billiards as a club activity. I have also had success with getting donations. The big sticking point is a place to have it. Most campuses do not have the extra space and for the life of me I can not get a room owner to agree to suspend smoking and liquor sales for even one night a week for a youth night.

If anyone can come up with funding for a room in southeast Houston I could come up with 16 high schools. I also need help with doing contact work during the work day. I am busy with my daily duties when teachers and principals are available to meet.

I really haven't been able to gain any traction on a room for high school players, most room owners would rather go out of business first. Without a big donor for a room this whole idea is dead in the water and will remain limited to the four tables I have at my school.
 
Robroy said:
All of the guys helped me out, Buck the owner comes to mind. And a employee name Gene...he was a great help.
Click to expand...

Hey Robin,

Did you ever know Frank and Doty Carson, the original owners of all 7-8 rooms? I remember Doty working for Buck sometime after Frank skipped the country, if I recall correctly. I know in that era learning or getting good lessons was not easy. I got help from a former pro, Hobart LaMar; Glenn Goldman, a flashy hustler type(Jade East, styled hair, and the clothes to match); and Al Geary, owner of Lakewood and who was able to run 100+ balls at will.

Things sure have changed since then, haven't they? Not only has the equipment advanced but even more so the instructional information has leapfrogged (not a pun) forward. Hope your new instructional ideas are a success and motivate the current and next generation towards the sport.
It sounds like a good path forward!

BTW, I also got to see you again at couple of your exhibitions when I lived in Bakersfield. I kinda hung out in the background with a couple of my cohorts at that time.

Anyhow, BEST OF LUCK, you deserve it.

Regards,
Gerry S
 
Last edited:
The Renfro said:
The Simonis Arena and Equipment is now setup at Sand Castle..... I'd call and talk to Jim at Accu-Stats to see if they have interest in the shoot... And then talk to Greg Sullivan to see if he wants to get Diamond behind it....

If Drake has that many fans then the sales may help put a little kick into the backside of the sport....... If the game is going to take off again it will require youth.. along with returning G.I.s
Click to expand...

Drake left this morning to do a sequel "Fairly Odd Movie". I called him yesterday to talk further about the idea. He said "Mom, what do you think is in my lap right now" he was having lunch down the street from the pool room. In his lap "His pool cue" just waiting for his buddy to show up. He said the lessons he's taken are so cool he's been teaching his friends how to draw the ball....to funny!
He is on board to do the DVD's I love the idea of course. My concerns
1. The Table, it must be at a price when a family member says...hey I want a pool table...the price isn't so high they forget the idea.
I was even thinking the BCA might want to get on board to help launch our sport.
2. I loved doing my DVD but I would (Drake too) a professional team putting it together.
3. It has to be fun...I would LOVE it to be in Drake's living room where he can practice and also have his piano close...so his fans are brought over to the game..
Any other ideas???
 
This sounds like a great idea. If it is anything like your jump video it will be great. I wish you luck. Now, how about a video for us old folks. Bad eye sight, bad backs, aches and pains. If it wasn't for your great jump video my shoulder would be hurting from doing it all wrong.
 
School Program

Please explain exactly what you mean by funding for a room.

Mark Griffin




l
mnorwood said:
I have an after school program in Pasadena ISD. Due to added duties I have had to take one semester off from it. This fall I will be starting my 4th year with the program.

I have had success getting principals to agree to the idea of having billiards as a club activity. I have also had success with getting donations. The big sticking point is a place to have it. Most campuses do not have the extra space and for the life of me I can not get a room owner to agree to suspend smoking and liquor sales for even one night a week for a youth night.

If anyone can come up with funding for a room in southeast Houston I could come up with 16 high schools.I also need help with doing contact work during the work day. I am busy with my daily duties when teachers and principals are available to meet.

I really haven't been able to gain any traction on a room for high school players, most room owners would rather go out of business first. Without a big donor for a room this whole idea is dead in the water and will remain limited to the four tables I have at my school.
Click to expand...
 
Quesports said:
Once more a person that understands without a new generation of pool players pool halls will be gone sooner than later. Great thread Robin, please do a training video series geared to the young crowd!! One of the reasons we see so few new players is nobody is doing anything to interest them in pool. The pool hall I play in does not even have free cues on wall racks for them to use. They make them rent beat up house cues, if they did that when I was kid I'd have never gotten interested in pool.
Click to expand...

Timing I think is important too, Drake has a HUGE passion to play pool its great! He just sent me a texted saying "He is in Vancouver...just checked into his hotel and had dinner...now to find a pool room" he will be filming 3 weeks so he must find the pool room.
Another thing about timing...Drake's fans are now mixed in age. When Drake's show was on it was 5 years ago, Drake fans then were young now they are young adults, Drake is 25 (perfect for leagues now). That being said, Drake and Josh is still on, its shown in reruns so Nick..is grabbing another generation of kids.
I love the idea of doing 3 teaching DVD's...just might be bigger than Me.
Drake is thinking about it too, he also has a New Show in development...if it is a go...then it would be great to release this around the same time...
I can see Drake and I on talk shows...can you imagine it could be a great boost for Pool!
I picture Drake's Kid's Choice Awards trophies...on one side of the pool table and mine on the other side... Mom and Son team up.... something like that :)
 
kaznj said:
This sounds like a great idea. If it is anything like your jump video it will be great. I wish you luck. Now, how about a video for us old folks. Bad eye sight, bad backs, aches and pains. If it wasn't for your great jump video my shoulder would be hurting from doing it all wrong.
Click to expand...

When your doing the jump shot and it hurts in your shoulder STOP your doing it wrong. Boy do I remember my first year teaching the jump shot I use to show the player what he was doing wrong with his shoulder it threw mine out.
Just lean over....DONT raise your shoulder...when you lean over your cue can be raised up...but NOT with your shoulder...that just locks up the shot and it HURTS ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top