Pool - A dangerous sport for kids.....
Island Drive said:
I look back at some of my errors growingup learning the game and wanted to share with you TWO incidents that I find humorous and at time dangerous, here are mine.
I was probably 16 yr old and in that one year I miscued so bad
a. I broke my opponents collar bone as he stood behind the 9-ball rack watching me break.
b. I also launched the cue ball 9 feet straight up and broke a light
Any one else?
Oh also, later on (when I could play), I broke a 8-ball rack, the cue ball flew off the table and landed perfectly in a tall chimney Tom Collins glass, it did not break, most all the drink came out.
Yeap, pool is practically dangerous, specially for the youth, whom sometimes don't seem to comprehend the potential dangers of playing the game. I've seen many instances in which someone gets hurt for being close to table for specific shots. For instance, how many people have been hurt because the shooting player does not wait until the person racking has cleared the table. To avoid this, I learned early on to lay my cue before the rack. Rack the balls, and then pick up my cue, and although I may have tried to control the scenario, the other player still goes ahead and breaks without waiting for the opposing player to clear the table. I have seen many fights ensued because of this lack of patience by the "breaking" player.
Other dangers we all know is that the equipment; racks, balls, cues are often used as weapons when fights break up at the pool halls. Sometimes the pool table is used as a weapon. If the parents happen to have seen the Hustler and Color of Money, they won't allow their children to "practice the game or sport."
Then we have the seedy characters at the pool hall. People who want to hustle the "new kid" that is learning. Plus the people who smoke and drink alcoholic beverages. What parent wants this scenario for their upcoming kid?
All this info goes out around town, and then the parents refuse to let their children go to the pool hall, so they tend to sneak around, and get into further problems with their parents for disobeying.
This is only one of the many aspects that parents and schools want to avoid with pool. Pool is an absolute dangerous sports from the beginning, unlike basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, etc.
The cost of pool equipment and set-up is much greater than buying your son or daughter a basketball, tennis racket, baseball, glove, bat, helmet, soccer ball. Therefore, parents prefer these other sports for their kids.
It has been this way for the past century. How are we going to change parents and school-board minds when we have maybe one or two parents that would support the sport but have 20 or more against it?
Anyone with any ideas?
) times ever being taken out with him to play.
