Planning the next generation of pool players
- Thread starter justnum
- Start date
Start a high school program.
Well, unlike basketball (where you can just put a backboard and a hoop on a rather flat piece of land) or Baseball or Football or Soccer or track and field (where you just need a flat piece of land), in pool you actually need a responsible person hanging around to make sure the kids don't damage the table, cues, or balls, and the table has to be out of the rain/elements.
But to get the kids off the ground, you need someone who actually knows how to play (in order to guide their development), and knows that he will have more and better players in the future if he does not whomp the living daylight out of "them" every time they play ! I use this strategy in my local bar. My goal is to get as many people up to my level of play as possible, simply because it is more fun to play with someone as good or better than you are than someone who has no clue. I give the advice (and even lessons gratis) targeted at where they currently are, and will even pause a game and let them take 2,3,4 shots at a particularly difficult shot to get them over the hump.
That is, pool has to be a friendly game at least until you become a C+ player; a game where you are allowed to ask for help, and have help given.....You know, more like little league baseball than high dollar tournament play. That is how you bring new people into the game. Then in the middle of development you have intermediate levels of play corresponding to high school years and college years before going on to minor league and major league baseball.
{I freely admit this strategy goes against the mantra of:: "there should be exactly one set of rules for <pick a game> in pool"}
But if a novice was faced with BIH every time they mis-stroke the CB, fail to reach a rail, fail to make contact, that novice will never see a pool table again.
But to get the kids off the ground, you need someone who actually knows how to play (in order to guide their development), and knows that he will have more and better players in the future if he does not whomp the living daylight out of "them" every time they play ! I use this strategy in my local bar. My goal is to get as many people up to my level of play as possible, simply because it is more fun to play with someone as good or better than you are than someone who has no clue. I give the advice (and even lessons gratis) targeted at where they currently are, and will even pause a game and let them take 2,3,4 shots at a particularly difficult shot to get them over the hump.
That is, pool has to be a friendly game at least until you become a C+ player; a game where you are allowed to ask for help, and have help given.....You know, more like little league baseball than high dollar tournament play. That is how you bring new people into the game. Then in the middle of development you have intermediate levels of play corresponding to high school years and college years before going on to minor league and major league baseball.
{I freely admit this strategy goes against the mantra of:: "there should be exactly one set of rules for <pick a game> in pool"}
But if a novice was faced with BIH every time they mis-stroke the CB, fail to reach a rail, fail to make contact, that novice will never see a pool table again.
I like it. I practice with a pro often for $5/game. It's great practice for me, and he's cool enough to give me advice on a shot or safety any time I ask. He's always going to make a small score, so it's win-win.
As others have noted, kids need access to the game, and whether they get it through the schools or leagues or junior programs, they need a path to participation.
One of the troubling issues in the sport is the relative absence of role models. Part of the problem is that many of today's pros don't take their appearance or behavior very seriously and come across as unrefined and unsuccessful because of it. Kids will only emulate those they see as successful. Jeanette Lee, more than any player of the modern era, knew how to present herself as a successful role model, as have a few others.
I have long believed that the culture of the poolroom itself must change if young players are to feel welcome. At many of the poolrooms I've been to over the years: a) rowdiness is tolerated, b) drunkenness is tolerated, c) profanity is tolerated, etc. These are all deterrents to young people dropping by, and their parents will not view a poolroom as a place their child should frequent.
One of the troubling issues in the sport is the relative absence of role models. Part of the problem is that many of today's pros don't take their appearance or behavior very seriously and come across as unrefined and unsuccessful because of it. Kids will only emulate those they see as successful. Jeanette Lee, more than any player of the modern era, knew how to present herself as a successful role model, as have a few others.
I have long believed that the culture of the poolroom itself must change if young players are to feel welcome. At many of the poolrooms I've been to over the years: a) rowdiness is tolerated, b) drunkenness is tolerated, c) profanity is tolerated, etc. These are all deterrents to young people dropping by, and their parents will not view a poolroom as a place their child should frequent.
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Airdrop pool rooms on third world countries. OK poor taste but what's being farmed here is consumers. Playuhs is anything but.
boogieman
It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
I like this idea. As a player gets better and boredom starts to sit in, one may need a solid butt whipping to keep them competitive and interested. I know it's got me playing better, I got sick of racking, and it didn't even get to the point where they put my name above the ball return like they threatened
These guys I'm playing with are ruthless, but it's the kick in the pants I needed to improve.@justnum, I think kids just need exposure to pool. Not everyone will take a keen interest, but if you can get them in a competitive mindset with each other that can help. Some will naturally gravitate toward this aspect of the game and get hooked. Don't discount more advanced pool video games. I remember getting even more interested as a teen after playing virtual pool on my computer. It helped me understand how things worked when I didn't have the skill to pull off at the table. Video games are a safe, less embarrassing way to learn concepts without looking like a fool or putting holes in the cloth.
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Why would you want to?
People will play pool casually, in large numbers, as long as bars have tables. They'll go on to play as seriously as they want to.
And you're almost certainly not going to raise a world-class player.
There's a self-published book by Art Tulley called How to Hustle Your Friends at Pool, in which he advocates dumping using the strategies of a hustler so as not to overwhelm your less able friends or make them feel inadequate (thus putting them off the game). As they improve over time and you start to show your true speed, they supposedly appreciate what you've done.
Can't say I've had the problem of not being able to find anyone up to my standard though
People will play pool casually, in large numbers, as long as bars have tables. They'll go on to play as seriously as they want to.
And you're almost certainly not going to raise a world-class player.
There's a self-published book by Art Tulley called How to Hustle Your Friends at Pool, in which he advocates dumping using the strategies of a hustler so as not to overwhelm your less able friends or make them feel inadequate (thus putting them off the game). As they improve over time and you start to show your true speed, they supposedly appreciate what you've done.
Can't say I've had the problem of not being able to find anyone up to my standard though
Let us postulate that in 10 years there are 3× as many people playing pool in pool halls and that that 3× remains constant for 2 decades.....
Does anyone believe that the number of world class pool players would increase by 3× ?
No, it is far more likely that the number of world class pool players remains the nearly the same.
However, there WOULD be a 3× increase in the number of people willing to watch pool on TV.
AND this might be enough of a population pool for advertisers to desire !
There is something pretty awesome going on right now that apparently many on here are still unaware of. Ra Hanna’s Junior international 9-ball tour, which features top junior players playing at a tournament once a month, held in venues all across the country.
There has never been anything quite like this that I can recall other than the once annual BCA Junior nationals. The talent level at these tournaments is very impressive! One of our local junior players is trying to play in most of these, and as good as he is, it is extremely competitive!
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