Starting With the Youth

Fast Lenny

Fast Lenny

Faster Than You...
Silver Member
I have thought of this time and time again about what would help pool become more mainstream. I know we all talk about the next pool movie but that is just temporary fix, Hollywood most likely will never do another pool movie to the likes of the Hustler and TCOM so we need to get past that idea. It would be great for rooms all over the country to take part in teaching and educating kids on pool. I have thought about rooms where on a Sunday during the day you could have kids of all ages come in and learn the game for free.

I believe if you start interest young then you will have future consumers and players. If you look at Asia the players start so young and grow up with the game like how we have little league baseball here, we all did not become pros, only some do but most of us love the game and support it as consumers. We scratch our heads about why we cant get pool from the gutter so to speak but the formula is quite simple really but will obviously take some time, if it can be done over in Asia where pool is prospering and covered well by the media then we can do it also.

An investment needs to be made so to speak not just money wise but time wise from room owners, players and instructors to turn the young on to the game. I think as you keep building up a following you will have a day when an event like the US Open is broadcast on ESPN live like it should be. It all starts with rooms making an investment, give up some free table time, perhaps a 2-3 hours when it is not busy one day a week, have the house pro show the basics and get the kids making balls. Believe it or not kids do spend money in pool rooms, much more then most think, one of the best spots is by a college for a poolroom. As much as I hate cigarettes I have to say the marketers were quite sharp with stuff like Camel Joe, he was cool right?, but I think cancer got him. :shrug:
 
I think you must have the right movie to serve as a catalyst to make pool mainstream. Lots of people have touched on this, but none have come up with the right answer like I have. I have the perfect movie idea. If this doesn't put pool on the map, nothing will. The movie is called "Fats". It's all about the live of Minnesota Fats, loosely based on reality of course. Lots of hustling and trick shots, and a loud mouth charismatic personality playing the part of Fats. That's the 1 name at all non pool players know.

As soon as somebody implements my idea, pool will be about as popular as poker is now. The masses just need the right movie to influence them.

Just remember that you heard it here first. It will be immensely successful if someone does it.

Fast Lenny said:
I have thought of this time and time again about what would help pool become more mainstream. I know we all talk about the next pool movie but that is just temporary fix, Hollywood most likely will never do another pool movie to the likes of the Hustler and TCOM so we need to get past that idea. It would be great for rooms all over the country to take part in teaching and educating kids on pool. I have thought about rooms where on a Sunday during the day you could have kids of all ages come in and learn the game for free.

I believe if you start interest young then you will have future consumers and players. If you look at Asia the players start so young and grow up with the game like how we have little league baseball here, we all did not become pros, only some do but most of us love the game and support it as consumers. We scratch our heads about why we cant get pool from the gutter so to speak but the formula is quite simple really but will obviously take some time, if it can be done over in Asia where pool is prospering and covered well by the media then we can do it also.

An investment needs to be made so to speak not just money wise but time wise from room owners, players and instructors to turn the young on to the game. I think as you keep building up a following you will have a day when an event like the US Open is broadcast on ESPN live like it should be. It all starts with rooms making an investment, give up some free table time, perhaps a 2-3 hours when it is not busy one day a week, have the house pro show the basics and get the kids making balls. Believe it or not kids do spend money in pool rooms, much more then most think, one of the best spots is by a college for a poolroom. As much as I hate cigarettes I have to say the marketers were quite sharp with stuff like Camel Joe, he was cool right?, but I think cancer got him. :shrug:
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Model is what the do in the Philippines, where Pool is like a National Sport. Has sponsor like beer, etc, etc.

Also in the state of IOWA they have a Very Active Jr. pool Program, with kids winning school scholarship MONEY!
 
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Not just the State of Iowa. The BEF handles all youth no matter where they are from...SPF=randyg
 
Donny said:
I think you must have the right movie to serve as a catalyst to make pool mainstream. Lots of people have touched on this, but none have come up with the right answer like I have. I have the perfect movie idea. If this doesn't put pool on the map, nothing will. The movie is called "Fats". It's all about the live of Minnesota Fats, loosely based on reality of course. Lots of hustling and trick shots, and a loud mouth charismatic personality playing the part of Fats. That's the 1 name at all non pool players know.

As soon as somebody implements my idea, pool will be about as popular as poker is now. The masses just need the right movie to influence them.

Just remember that you heard it here first. It will be immensely successful if someone does it.
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A movie could help but it would have to have a great cast and story line, Hollywood wants to put its dollars behind block buster films though. I know many people have said Fats life would be a great film, along with someone like Greenleaf who led a wild life. I hope one day pool gets another kick and a youth program nationwide in every room is implemented, would really bring the game up. :)
 
Nice post, Lenny. A great pool movie might give the game a jolt in popularity among grwon ups, but the key to the game's future lies with the kids, and I like your idea a lot. Making the poolroom kid-friendly is the only route to getting parents to permit, even encourage, their children to take up the sport.
 
Theres a little bar/hotel in a near by town to me, that once a year they have an adult/child scotch doubles tournament. All of us local pool players donate our trophies to this event. There was 18 boys & girls in the tournament this year. The hotel owners have put this tourn on for 20 yrs in a row. Every child entered in the tourn gets a trophy, no matter where they finish at. The kids really look forward to this every year, as do some of us adults as well. Its always a fun day & a great event. But the look on the kids faces when they see the trophies they get, its PRICELESS. Some of the trophies are just as big as the kids are. Just wanted to add great post by Fast Lenny. I would really like to see more kids get involved with pool also.
Jeff
 
The problems are these.

1. There is no future for a youngster in pool. There is no money in it even if they succeed. For that reason alone, parents will not steer their kids into it.

2. Pool is played in camoflauged beer halls. No parents are going to take their kids there on Sunday, or any other day, free pool and pro or anything else.

3. Pool has a well-deserved reputation as a smokey, back room gambler's game. That's what it is, for sure. The potential it has (actually the folks who surround it) for ruining a young person is enormous. No decent parent is going to take the chance on it.

I have played for a long time, and have seen a lot of what the game is. As much as I love it, I would never encourage one of my kids to take it up seriously. There are a million other better things they could do to be successful in life. It is that simple.
 
I happen to like the underlying premmis here. But the solution is to make poll, by and large, more family friendly--which will be a hard sell to many establishments.

By family friendly I mean, no cigarettes, booze, well lighted clean as a wistle environments. More like a municipal swimming pool (sic) in the summer months where mothers are happy to drop off their children for the afternoon and where they are watched over and (semi) protected from each other and from themselves. Perhaps these "lifeguards" would be sufficitnely proficient at pool to get them started in the right direction, and at a similar cost structure.
 
MitchAlsup said:
I happen to like the underlying premmis here. But the solution is to make poll, by and large, more family friendly--which will be a hard sell to many establishments.

By family friendly I mean, no cigarettes, booze, well lighted clean as a wistle environments. More like a municipal swimming pool (sic) in the summer months where mothers are happy to drop off their children for the afternoon and where they are watched over and (semi) protected from each other and from themselves. Perhaps these "lifeguards" would be sufficitnely proficient at pool to get them started in the right direction, and at a similar cost structure.
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Broke in 6 months but I love the idea of it.
 
There are plenty of opportunities to bring pool to the youth, there is the Salvation Army Boys and Girls club, the YMCA's, churches and a million other youth hang outs, if they don't already have a pool table I'm sure they would accept a donation.

Volunteer some time to teach them, have some small tournaments and start a youth league, talk to the PE teacher at the school and offer to bring in some Valley bar boxes for a few weeks, teachers are always looking for something new and different. Bring in a trick shot artist to dazzle the kids and inspire them, there are ways.
 
unfortunately right

TxSkin said:
The problems are these.

1. There is no future for a youngster in pool. There is no money in it even if they succeed. For that reason alone, parents will not steer their kids into it.

2. Pool is played in camoflauged beer halls. No parents are going to take their kids there on Sunday, or any other day, free pool and pro or anything else.

3. Pool has a well-deserved reputation as a smokey, back room gambler's game. That's what it is, for sure. The potential it has (actually the folks who surround it) for ruining a young person is enormous. No decent parent is going to take the chance on it.

I have played for a long time, and have seen a lot of what the game is. As much as I love it, I would never encourage one of my kids to take it up seriously. There are a million other better things they could do to be successful in life. It is that simple.
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I was reading through the posts before replying to Lenny saying pretty much the same things. Lenny is absolutely right, we need to start pool players younger if pool is to become a serious sport, maybe if it is not to continue to dwindle away as a commercial enterprise.

The catch is what you have mentioned. There are some nice pool rooms but do any of us want out 6-10 year old children or grandchildren going into the average pool hall every week? Not the environment I want them exposed to, especially not long term.

Another very valid point is that there is no future in pool for 99% of players and even the top players aren't making more than wages in competition for the most part.

Lousy environment, no future, just why should anyone want youngsters they love in a typical pool hall? The first thing we need is better class pool halls in better areas and that means that they have to be more profitable for room owners. We also have to grow the professional events into something. Much as I hate to say it, pool doesn't have anything substantial to offer parents at this time.

Hu
 
I'd rather have my kids go out and get some sun and fresh air. Letting them hang out in pool rooms is akin to child abuse.

Interestingly, the billiard game is a thing of beauty. Now, I have almost no problem letting them go to a 3 cushion room, as I find the players there to be giving, helpful beyond measure, and a credit to their game. Anyone ever chat with 3 cushion players? The difference between them and pool players are like night and day. So what does that say about pool.
 
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