What about the kids???

[Texas Prez]

I have seen a lot of posts where people fear the game is dying. First off I know this is not true. But I do wonder what programs are out there for youngins?

If you can't think of any, are there any ideas for some programs? It just seems like the key here, just like in anything, is to invest in the future. The only thing I can think of right now is the BEF.

 

[sjm]

Adapted from a previous post of mine:

The American BEF is a wonderful organization, but making the poolroom kid-friendly is the real path to vitalizing the game we love. Others note that pool can be brought into the schools, but cleaning up the image of the poolroom may be necessary before parents and school administrators will buy into the idea.

To me, the presence of the gamblers who try to prey on anyone that walks through the door (in most poolrooms I've ever frequented) ensures that American parents will never have the comfort level with the pool scene to encourage their kids to spend a lot of time in poolrooms. Further damage is done by the the gambler, who is, far too often, dressed in a slovenly manner and is too inclined to be rude and profane, which diminshes the dignity of the poolroom. It is easy to overlook that this tends to scare away many adults, too, and particularly the financially well off, who will choose other leisure-time pursuits such as golf and will dissuade their kids from frequenting the pool room.

Yes, gambling is scaring away the very demographics that pool needs most to thrive, and will continue to do so as long as the predators continue to frequent and be welcomed in the poolrooms of America. This is a big part of the reason that the kids frequenting the pool halls are, so often, those with less education and modest financial means.

It has been discussed on the forum before that even when televised pool attains decent ratings, it attracts demographics that do not represent important consumer groups. That's because we continue to allow the poolroom to be the seedy place that it is and has been for a long time. As long as the poolroom scene remains unchanged, not too many kids will take up the game.

You are right in noting that pool is not necessarily dying, but it is also failing to evolve in a way that gives it any chance for significant long-term growth in America. To change this, we must concern ourselves not only with how many kids play pool, but which kids. Until we do, the money in the game will be quite modest.

 

[Drew]

Get pool tables in schools...problem solved. Schools have swimming pools, basketball courts, tennis courts, driving ranges, ping pong tables. Why not pool tables?

 

[Tom In Cincy]

First period for 5 days a week, for their entire senior year, there has been up to 40 students from the Del Camp High School attending Pocket Billiards classes at Hard Times Billiards.

This class has been offered for the last 10 years.

The youth of Sacramento are just a start. A lot of the regular 20+ players that are regulars are from this program.

There are programs like this in the Bay Area supporting youth with pocket billiard events as learning skills of competition.

 

[Drew]

First period for 5 days a week, for their entire senior year, there has been up to 40 students from the Del Camp High School attending Pocket Billiards classes at Hard Times Billiards.

This class has been offered for the last 10 years.

The youth of Sacramento are just a start. A lot of the regular 20+ players that are regulars are from this program.

There are programs like this in the Bay Area supporting youth with pocket billiard events as learning skills of competition.

That's what I'm saying. Get pool in the schools and watch the magic.

 

[Texas Prez]

The only way to do this is to get the billiard industry to contribute to the schools. I come from an education background (Mother teaches, 14 years, Aunt is School Board member, 5 years, and a teacher before that, other Aunt a teacher, Grandmother was a school secretary.... I know a little about how that works) If the billiards industry will somehow invest, even on a preliminary test basis, in programs that will get pool tables into schools it will pay off ten fold.

Now simply putting tables into schools will not get the results we are looking for. If billiards is pushed as a competitive event and juniors events are ran in accordance with high schools, that will really make the sport explode in America. Kids are looking for something to do in high school, you will not get every kid to play pool but you will get some, and those kids will be better for playing the game.

 

["T"]

Adults only is okay!

If there were scholarships for pool then maybe all these things might fall into place.

But when the average annual prize money totals for the 10 best pool players in the world are not much more than a typical union plumber's annual wage here in the US, (No disrespect at all to plumbers!) there's not a lot of incentive for parents to encourage their children to play pool.

To me that's okay. It's a fantastic game and I enjoy it for my own reasons. I jumped in when I turned 41 and I'm digging it. The last thing I would think a serious pool player wants to do is baby sit when he (or she) is playing.

 

[Drew]

The only way to do this is to get the billiard industry to contribute to the schools. I come from an education background (Mother teaches, 14 years, Aunt is School Board member, 5 years, and a teacher before that, other Aunt a teacher, Grandmother was a school secretary.... I know a little about how that works) If the billiards industry will somehow invest, even on a preliminary test basis, in programs that will get pool tables into schools it will pay off ten fold.

Now simply putting tables into schools will not get the results we are looking for. If billiards is pushed as a competitive event and juniors events are ran in accordance with high schools, that will really make the sport explode in America. Kids are looking for something to do in high school, you will not get every kid to play pool but you will get some, and those kids will be better for playing the game.

Agreed. It must be organized, otherwise it'll end up like any of the other games we used to gamble on in school.

 

[mantis99]

Or even sponsoring a Billiards Team/Club where some instruction from a fairly knowledgeable coach might be a good idea also. I am sure a local pool hall would give a deal on table time also.

 

[Scott Lee]

FYI...The BCA Jr. Nationals, for decades, gave out college scholarships, as prizes for the top 2 or 3 places. These were recently cut of of the BCA budget (sometime in the last 5 yrs or so). The BEF is doing their best to revive this. Since MOST adult poolplayers have families, perhaps if they donated $1.00, for the betterment of junior programs, the BEF would have hundreds of thousands of dollars, to establish programs, and grant college scholarships to many more participants.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

If there were scholarships for pool then maybe all these things might fall into place.

 

[Texas Prez]

If there were scholarships for pool then maybe all these things might fall into place.

But when the average annual prize money totals for the 10 best pool players in the world are not much more than a typical union plumber's annual wage here in the US, (No disrespect at all to plumbers!) there's not a lot of incentive for parents to encourage their children to play pool.

To me that's okay. It's a fantastic game and I enjoy it for my own reasons. I jumped in when I turned 41 and I'm digging it. The last thing I would think a serious pool player wants to do is baby sit when he (or she) is playing.

This is a very valid point but you are missing the underlining theme of this; If you generate interest in youth, you are generating interest in a new market segment. And because pool is an activity that has no real age limit, you are investing in what could be a return that lasts 50+ years. And based on shear inheretancy, their kids would be more likely to be a future market segment.

So what does the new markets really mean? It means that the interest in pool will grow, which means demand of billiard products grows, which means the billiard industry grows, which means they can sponsor more events and with larger purses which means those pros will make more than joe the plumber.

 

[AnitoKid]

I second this!
And I kid you not!

Get pool tables in schools...problem solved. Schools have swimming pools, basketball courts, tennis courts, driving ranges, ping pong tables. Why not pool tables?

 

[Dawgie]

Adapted from a previous post of mine:

The American BEF is a wonderful organization, but making the poolroom kid-friendly is the real path to vitalizing the game we love. Others note that pool can be brought into the schools, but cleaning up the image of the poolroom may be necessary before parents and school administrators will buy into the idea.

To me, the presence of the gamblers who try to prey on anyone that walks through the door (in most poolrooms I've ever frequented) ensures that American parents will never have the comfort level with the pool scene to encourage their kids to spend a lot of time in poolrooms. Further damage is done by the the gambler, who is, far too often, dressed in a slovenly manner and is too inclined to be rude and profane, which diminshes the dignity of the poolroom. It is easy to overlook that this tends to scare away many adults, too, and particularly the financially well off, who will choose other leisure-time pursuits such as golf and will dissuade their kids from frequenting the pool room.

Yes, gambling is scaring away the very demographics that pool needs most to thrive, and will continue to do so as long as the predators continue to frequent and be welcomed in the poolrooms of America. This is a big part of the reason that the kids frequenting the pool halls are, so often, those with less education and modest financial means.

It has been discussed on the forum before that even when televised pool attains decent ratings, it attracts demographics that do not represent important consumer groups. That's because we continue to allow the poolroom to be the seedy place that it is and has been for a long time. As long as the poolroom scene remains unchanged, not too many kids will take up the game.

You are right in noting that pool is not necessarily dying, but it is also failing to evolve in a way that gives it any chance for significant long-term growth in America. To change this, we must concern ourselves not only with how many kids play pool, but which kids. Until we do, the money in the game will be quite modest.

Not sure if I agree totally about the gambling and slovenly dressing. How about the football and basketball pools. They are everywhere including the schools. Many parents bet on sports games. As for the choice of clothing - have you been to a high school or even middle school recently? Or for that matter have you been in the halls when classes change and listen to the foul mouths?