SL 6s & 7s: Why do you play APA?

I just realized the purpose of this thread is to have a bunch of the members on here own up as to what their true speed is ;) . Now I know who to look out for if I ever meet up with any of them :D .

Maniac
 
Maniac said:
I just realized the purpose of this thread is to have a bunch of the members on here own up as to what their true speed is ;) . Now I know who to look out for if I ever meet up with any of them :D .

Maniac
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APA 7 is just a jumping-off point for good players. Most 'serious' folks consider anything under a 6SL a banger :)

I've seen 7's who could give other 7's the last 5.

-s

disclaimer: i'm not talkin about APA 9ball rating.
 
SL 7 in both (love 8ball)

I started out because one of my coworkers had a top shooters trophy on his cabinet at work. I said I would like to play you and we went and played. He recruited me to his team during practice. Like Stevea I knew how to play but I wasn't a 7SL. I started as a 4SL and went down to a 3SL, mostly nerves at the new format and team pressure. That was in 2004. I won the top shooters tourney that year after going back up to a 4SL. I became a 7SL a few years later and have never dropped down from that.

Last year one of the girls on our team went from a 5SL to a 6SL and at the end of the season she told me she wanted to drop the team but to stay friends with all of us. As a bonus she had already recruited her sister to join our team to take her place. Her sister had just gone up to a 4SL. When the sister got to the team she told me that the reason she had decided to come to our team was so that I could teach her. She said that her sister had told her that I was one of the best teaching couches in the league. That statement and others I have heard like it are my main reasons for staying in the APA. Yes, the people on my teams almost always go up in levels and go on to different teams or start their own. But I always have new players wanting to join the team to learn so it all works out.
 
I just got back from our cities in Atlantic City, NJ; It was the most fun weekend I've had in years, really.
 
Troublemaker said:
The APA League I play in has trouble attracting and keeping higher level players. I hear a lot of the better players say there's not that much in it for them. The competition is too weak or they don't like the handicap system, etc...

I'd really like to hear from some 6s & 7s who enjoy playing in APA as to why? Why did you start playing APA in the first place.

We've all heard the complaints on here before, so please, I'd really like to only hear from people who enjoy APA.

Thanks!
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I just became a SL6 in 9 ball and I will keep on playing on APA, but I know quite a few people that sandbag because of skill cap. Therefore I will keep playing APA for now and will join BCA again where competition has no skill cap.
 
Flettir said:
I started out because one of my coworkers had a top shooters trophy on his cabinet at work. I said I would like to play you and we went and played. He recruited me to his team during practice. Like Stevea I knew how to play but I wasn't a 7SL. I started as a 4SL and went down to a 3SL, mostly nerves at the new format and team pressure. That was in 2004. I won the top shooters tourney that year after going back up to a 4SL. I became a 7SL a few years later and have never dropped down from that.

Last year one of the girls on our team went from a 5SL to a 6SL and at the end of the season she told me she wanted to drop the team but to stay friends with all of us. As a bonus she had already recruited her sister to join our team to take her place. Her sister had just gone up to a 4SL. When the sister got to the team she told me that the reason she had decided to come to our team was so that I could teach her. She said that her sister had told her that I was one of the best teaching couches in the league. That statement and others I have heard like it are my main reasons for staying in the APA. Yes, the people on my teams almost always go up in levels and go on to different teams or start their own. But I always have new players wanting to join the team to learn so it all works out.
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I know Flettir he is a super nice guy. I wish Bakersfield was closer to where I live.
 
The thing I most enjoy about playing APA is half off on pool throughout the week and shooting all night on league nights for either free or $5.00 if you play.
When I was in Jacksonville the APA members shoot free mon-fri from 4:00pm - 8:00pm. Now that was sweet, so it does have it's ups.

The bad part is for me the sandbaggers and the system I guess. I'm a 6 in both 9 and 8 ball APA. I started shooting APA in '07. Came in as a weak 4 and worked to get to where I'm at now. The problem is my team doesn't need me to be a 6 and would rather me loose matches to move down to a 4. I don't play pool to loose on purpose, if you beat me or I beat myself then "ok". I just don't want to be a part of something I can't stand..."sandbagging". I was talking with another 6 on my team and he said another member, another 6 was talking about me being asked to leave the team for being too high. I'll gladly walk away!!
I'm going to stop shooting with this $50.00 Players Cue and spend some money on a solid hitting cue and move up to a 7 and make my own team!!
 
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hobokenapa said:
I think you are missing the point here. APA is not about "I", it is about the team. If you are on a team, you aren't sitting on your ass all night, you are with your friends, having a beer or two, and encouraging and supporting your teammates.
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Your right . . . not ONE, but FOUR of us "I's" are sitting around on our ass drinking beer, supporting our teammates for MOST of the night . . . . now back to my knitting.
 
While the APA has drawbacks, it should be recognized that the BCA and VNEA have their own. I have yet to see a league nationwide that operates seamlessly.

APA is about seeing friends.
It's about banging out a match that is a race to 5 or 5-4, which is similar to a lot of tournament play.
It's about coaching lower level players who are willing to learn. Nothing like seeing a lesser-skilled player finally snap a light on in their head about a stroke or a shot or some position play.
It's nice to have some type of regular activity during the pain-in-the-ass work week.
While playoffs can bring out the worst in some teams, it is enjoyable to feel that tension in the air, especially during states. Gives me goosebumps.

In our area, we have the trouble of finding new low-ranked players.
 
Derek said:
While the APA has drawbacks, it should be recognized that the BCA and VNEA have their own. I have yet to see a league nationwide that operates seamlessly.

APA is about seeing friends.
It's about banging out a match that is a race to 5 or 5-4, which is similar to a lot of tournament play.
It's about coaching lower level players who are willing to learn. Nothing like seeing a lesser-skilled player finally snap a light on in their head about a stroke or a shot or some position play.
It's nice to have some type of regular activity during the pain-in-the-ass work week.
While playoffs can bring out the worst in some teams, it is enjoyable to feel that tension in the air, especially during states. Gives me goosebumps.

In our area, we have the trouble of finding new low-ranked players.
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I agree with most of what you said. However, I do want to go to Vegas all expenses paid... that would just be too sweet!!! If you can't tell, i've never been.
I also enjoy BCA nights better because in my area the competetion is much better than APA. It makes you buckle down and play. I'm the type of player that needs some motivating to shoot to my level and a better cue wouldn't hurt.
 
Derek said:
APA is about seeing friends.
It's about banging out a match that is a race to 5 or 5-4, which is similar to a lot of tournament play.
It's about coaching lower level players who are willing to learn. Nothing like seeing a lesser-skilled player finally snap a light on in their head about a stroke or a shot or some position play.
It's nice to have some type of regular activity during the pain-in-the-ass work week.
While playoffs can bring out the worst in some teams, it is enjoyable to feel that tension in the air, especially during states. Gives me goosebumps.
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These are part of the reason I no longer play APA.

As I understand it, APA's primary demographic is the after work crowd that wants to a low key environment to play pool. They do not try to attrack high caliber pool players that want to compete in a team environment.

As I remember it, I seldom got to play another 6 or 7, and instead had to battle with the other team's lowest ranked player. It was a lot of people that wanted to hang out with friends and play pool at the same time. Not very competitive, not much skill development, but a lot of camaraderie.

Not many SL7's stayed around long...

-td
 
Coaching

Last time I played APA(as a 6) the coaching was what I enjoyed most.

One reason I no longer play is it is sort of a fun league and being NFG I just bum everyone out LOL.

-edit-Also it seams to me that the APA and the APA handicap system do not encourage player improvement as much as I would like.
 
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I mainly play so that I can play pool on a weekly basis with my friends who don't play great. It is the only organized league in my area to do so in. Our local ACS/BCA league would be too much for them to handle. Also, the tournaments that the APA offers can be fun sometimes( singles and team). Yes, there is a lot of *****ing and complaining that goes on in the APA, but that is part of life. You just have to develop thick skin. After almost 20 years in, I feel like an alligator.:)
 
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