Born to a family full of talented pool players, pool always has been a big part of his life. But in the past two years, it has become much more. No, I'm not talking about Shane Van Boening. There's a new kid on the block who's looking to reach for the stars.
Deciding to leave his other interests, like baseball and basketball, behind, he is putting his focus on pool, his new favorite game.
In May, he took ninth place in the adult men’s division of the Billiard Congress of America’s 8-Ball National Championships in Las Vegas, placing 129th out of 1,300 entrants overall.
After years of competing in amateur tournaments around the country, Taylor Anderson, 18, of Bonner Springs has decided he is going to take the next step and become a professional pool player. His younger brother, Jerron, 7, is following in his footsteps and already is competing in high-level amateur tournaments.
“He realized how good he actually was,” his grandfather, Larry Mitchener, said of the tournament results.
Now, Anderson thinks he is ready to take the ultimate step in playing pool.
Anderson was first exposed to pool by Mitchener. When Anderson was just 2, his grandfather would prop him up on a chair next to the pool table so Anderson could roll the balls across the table. He was 3 when he got his first cue, and he started playing – and beating – his grandfather’s friends by age 7.
Anderson’s mother and grandmother also are avid pool players, and he started playing on a league team, called “All in the Family,” with his grandfather, grandmother and Mitchener’s brother, Mark.
Anderson now practices on his home table about eight hours a day with his good friend, Michael Wells of Bonner Springs, and still plays in a league with his family team at Shooters in Olathe, where he has something of a fan base. The bar even recently gave him a custom cue.
He excels at playing on the shorter 7- or 8-foot tables found in most bars; Mitchener said he could beat anyone on the shorter tables. But professionals play on longer, 9-foot tables, so he is working on improving his game there.
Anderson has done some work with another local pro, Mike Banks Jr. of Blue Springs, Mo., who has taught him a lot about the skills necessary to play at a professional level. But Anderson still has a lot to learn about the other part of going pro — getting sponsors, which will be the next step in developing a professional career.
Source: Teen takes Passion for Pool to Award-winning Heights. [Retrieved 30 October 2011]
This is a great story about one youth in America striving to be the best. I will now be following his story and hope to read his name in the headlines soon. :smile:
After years of competing in amateur tournaments around the country, Taylor Anderson, 18, (right) of Bonner Springs has decided he is going to take the next step and become a professional pool player. His younger brother, Jerron, 7, is following in his footsteps and already is competing in high-level amateur tournaments.
Deciding to leave his other interests, like baseball and basketball, behind, he is putting his focus on pool, his new favorite game.
In May, he took ninth place in the adult men’s division of the Billiard Congress of America’s 8-Ball National Championships in Las Vegas, placing 129th out of 1,300 entrants overall.
After years of competing in amateur tournaments around the country, Taylor Anderson, 18, of Bonner Springs has decided he is going to take the next step and become a professional pool player. His younger brother, Jerron, 7, is following in his footsteps and already is competing in high-level amateur tournaments.
“He realized how good he actually was,” his grandfather, Larry Mitchener, said of the tournament results.
Now, Anderson thinks he is ready to take the ultimate step in playing pool.
Anderson was first exposed to pool by Mitchener. When Anderson was just 2, his grandfather would prop him up on a chair next to the pool table so Anderson could roll the balls across the table. He was 3 when he got his first cue, and he started playing – and beating – his grandfather’s friends by age 7.
Anderson’s mother and grandmother also are avid pool players, and he started playing on a league team, called “All in the Family,” with his grandfather, grandmother and Mitchener’s brother, Mark.
Anderson now practices on his home table about eight hours a day with his good friend, Michael Wells of Bonner Springs, and still plays in a league with his family team at Shooters in Olathe, where he has something of a fan base. The bar even recently gave him a custom cue.
He excels at playing on the shorter 7- or 8-foot tables found in most bars; Mitchener said he could beat anyone on the shorter tables. But professionals play on longer, 9-foot tables, so he is working on improving his game there.
Anderson has done some work with another local pro, Mike Banks Jr. of Blue Springs, Mo., who has taught him a lot about the skills necessary to play at a professional level. But Anderson still has a lot to learn about the other part of going pro — getting sponsors, which will be the next step in developing a professional career.
Source: Teen takes Passion for Pool to Award-winning Heights. [Retrieved 30 October 2011]
This is a great story about one youth in America striving to be the best. I will now be following his story and hope to read his name in the headlines soon. :smile:
After years of competing in amateur tournaments around the country, Taylor Anderson, 18, (right) of Bonner Springs has decided he is going to take the next step and become a professional pool player. His younger brother, Jerron, 7, is following in his footsteps and already is competing in high-level amateur tournaments.
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