What is your Great Idea to Create more Pool Players

[Pidge]

Anyone watch the UK snooker championships last week? They had a 17 year old from Belgium, I think giving Shaun Murphy the fright of his life. They also had 3 or 4 other young players around 18/19 that exceeded expectations and set the tournament alight. All of which were the result of an academy set up by...well I forget who set it up but it just shows how far a little private and government investment and quality instruction can go.

I'm not sure if anything like this is available in America, but with the population the USA has there is no doubt there are kids in the US that have the potential to be future world class players. Its just a matter of will they ever pick up a cue?

 

[336Robin]

Will they ever pick up a cue?

Anyone watch the UK snooker championships last week? They had a 17 year old from Belgium, I think giving Shaun Murphy the fright of his life. They also had 3 or 4 other young players around 18/19 that exceeded expectations and set the tournament alight. All of which were the result of an academy set up by...well I forget who set it up but it just shows how far a little private and government investment and quality instruction can go.

I'm not sure if anything like this is available in America, but with the population the USA has there is no doubt there are kids in the US that have the potential to be future world class players. Its just a matter of will they ever pick up a cue?

Pidge,
I have to wonder the same thing. Will they ever pick up a cue? It seems to me that I can find no one entity in pool that does grassroots pool development. I would really not like this if I were a billiard wholesale distributor.

It seems this industry is a greatly disjointed mess quite actually that has managed somehow to survive up to this point and now that the country is having problems pool isnt being left out. It seems to me that the general public knows very little about pool. So I doubt very many people will get the idea that they might want to play pool.

There are pockets of activity here and there and that will keep things alive somewhat but I think we have a major problem if something isnt done about it but there doesnt seem to be anyone body that is designed to care.

So Im guessing that anything that is done will be a private concern totally and offer yet another disjointed effort of someone trying to make money in a very low margin business affair.

I see that there are things that can be done but the artful part of the equation will come in finding someone to help write checks to keep ongoing market development.

Outside of creating an "Association of Somebodys" whose sole purpose is to develop markets in pool and hope that people would want to be a part of it and would write checks to that effect, Im not exactly what could be done except put in a lot of work and get little from it in return.

It appears to me that a grassroots effort is the way to put sustainable growth to the market so how do you get a lot of people to create billiard clubs? and who signs the notes? Inquiring minds want to know.....

Just another lovely day in paradise....

336Robin :thumbup:

aimisthegameinpool.com
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com

 

[336Robin]

Bump to the Top

Pidge,
I have to wonder the same thing. Will they ever pick up a cue? It seems to me that I can find no one entity in pool that does grassroots pool development. I would really not like this if I were a billiard wholesale distributor.

It seems this industry is a greatly disjointed mess quite actually that has managed somehow to survive up to this point and now that the country is having problems pool isnt being left out. It seems to me that the general public knows very little about pool. So I doubt very many people will get the idea that they might want to play pool.

There are pockets of activity here and there and that will keep things alive somewhat but I think we have a major problem if something isnt done about it but there doesnt seem to be anyone body that is designed to care.

So Im guessing that anything that is done will be a private concern totally and offer yet another disjointed effort of someone trying to make money in a very low margin business affair.

I see that there are things that can be done but the artful part of the equation will come in finding someone to help write checks to keep ongoing market development.

Outside of creating an "Association of Somebodys" whose sole purpose is to develop markets in pool and hope that people would want to be a part of it and would write checks to that effect, Im not exactly what could be done except put in a lot of work and get little from it in return.

It appears to me that a grassroots effort is the way to put sustainable growth to the market so how do you get a lot of people to create billiard clubs? and who signs the notes? Inquiring minds want to know.....

Just another lovely day in paradise....

336Robin :thumbup:

aimisthegameinpool.com
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com

Bump to the Top....

Just another lovely day in paradise....

336Robin :thumbup:

aimisthegameinpool.com
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com

 

[Spider1]

Disclaimer: no answers in this post, just an observation. Hope this isn't useless, but:

Pool lacks exposure to young people. Nowadays the only places to really play are bars and halls that are 21and over. Sure there are all ages pool halls, but they are few, and without more widespread exposure people/kids aren't going to go seek them out much. Reading books on past champions, and reading posts in this very thread, I keep seeing "started playing young and..." that's where passion is normally developed: at a young age. If people are first exposed at 21, it's normally too late for them to get really "into" it. Sure you gets some, but it's just a numbers thing: how many more would be pool fanatics if they had had the chance to experience it at a younger age and find they liked it?

Clubs for younger folks, school related would be an awesome idea from both sides, but I don't see that really happening as pool tables are expensive and take up a lot of space. If some forward thinking school administrators or parents got into the idea they wouldw quickly see the benefits of it though: kids shooting pool in a controlled environment is a lot better than most of the leisure alternatives for that age group


Edit: I'm thinking something like the Boy's Club but with pool tables as the focus instead of bball and more physical stuff. Kids could hang out, but be playing pool also. Not sure if the Boys Club is even around anymore, haven't been in one in 25 years, haha

 

[jay helfert]

Make it a high school sport. It would be easy! Kids love to play pool, you only need a space the size of a classroom (two tables), the equipment is not expensive (no basketball court, baseball or football field), and the players don't even need uniforms (a monogrammed shirt is cool). Why the BCA never embraced this idea instead of fighting the losing Olympic battle for two decades is beyond me.

 

[336Robin]

Recreation Centers

Make it a high school sport. It would be easy! Kids love to play pool, you only need a space the size of a classroom (two tables), the equipment is not expensive (no basketball court, baseball or football field), and the players don't even need uniforms (a monogrammed shirt is cool). Why the BCA never embraced this idea instead of fighting the losing Olympic battle for two decades is beyond me.

Spider/Jay,
I am warming up to this idea you both mention as a way to make some changes but it going to be a huge undertaking thats going to have to involve more people than just me. I actually do see a way maybe to set a template up where this could be done successfully. If its done successfully then it would just be something that needs repeating....a lot in a lot of places....and that is going to take a lot of folks to help do it.

Just another lovely day in paradise......

336Robin :thumbup:

aimisthegameinpool.com
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com

 

[dakraljic]

First of all
Shoudn't changing rules each year or month.Serious games have rules for thousands years.That is basic for becoming a sport,not to change rules so often.(especially in Europe)
Second
Organise positive healthy promotions and marketing and start to learn kids about a pool
Third
Retired almost all people who are in pool associations for many years and who haven't done anything for the game
Forth
Employ knowledgable people with vision who really want to help the game
Fifth
Love the game,and try with your love contaminate as much as you can others

 

[chefjeff]

This Holiday season when relatives come visiting, take a few of the punksters to the pool hall and teach them how to win against their friends.

I'd think any of us could teach someone in an hour a few basic principles of how to win more than half the time (against the avg player, not most of us here). That would give the punksters the confidence to play more out in public when possible.

I know its just a little dot in the big picture, but if a lot of us do it....

Jeff Livingston

 

[336Robin]

Sound Advice

First of all
Shoudn't changing rules each year or month.Serious games have rules for thousands years.That is basic for becoming a sport,not to change rules so often.(especially in Europe)
Second
Organise positive healthy promotions and marketing and start to learn kids about a pool
Third
Retired almost all people who are in pool associations for many years and who haven't done anything for the game
Forth
Employ knowledgable people with vision who really want to help the game
Fifth
Love the game,and try with your love contaminate as much as you can others

Very Sound advice, thankyou Dakraljic.

Just another lovely day in paradise...

336Robin :thumbup:

aimisthegameinpool.com
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com

 

[Rio19]

I think pool should have a season just like every other sport. Have the pro's play one another weekly with the winners of those matches getting paid 1500 loser getting less and when the season ends having a playoff system of some sort with player seeding being determined by their record through out the season (lets say the top 25 to 30 players) the last player standing getting a payout of 250,000 or something like that ( I am just spit balling here) with payouts to all the players determined by how they finish like golf does it.

The problem I see with this idea is sponsorship. If Nike or Pepsi or Gatoraide would be willing to sponsor a format like that it would give pool more exposure to the masses and younger people will see that they can make a good living playing pool therefore getting more people interested in playing the game.:thumbup:

I know I would love to see something like that..

 

[336Robin]

Plan for Pool

I think pool should have a season just like every other sport. Have the pro's play one another weekly with the winners of those matches getting paid 1500 loser getting less and when the season ends having a playoff system of some sort with player seeding being determined by their record through out the season (lets say the top 25 to 30 players) the last player standing getting a payout of 250,000 or something like that ( I am just spit balling here) with payouts to all the players determined by how they finish like golf does it.

The problem I see with this idea is sponsorship. If Nike or Pepsi or Gatoraide would be willing to sponsor a format like that it would give pool more exposure to the masses and younger people will see that they can make a good living playing pool therefore getting more people interested in playing the game.:thumbup:

I know I would love to see something like that..

Rio,
I agree with you. It would be good to see that some of the top players had a reason for regular play and could earn money doing it, perhaps one day we have it all together, one could only hope.

Just another lovely day in paradise....

336Robin :thumbup:

aimisthegameinpool.com
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com

 

[Rio19]

Spider/Jay,
I am warming up to this idea you both mention as a way to make some changes but it going to be a huge undertaking thats going to have to involve more people than just me. I actually do see a way maybe to set a template up where this could be done successfully. If its done successfully then it would just be something that needs repeating....a lot in a lot of places....and that is going to take a lot of folks to help do it.

Just another lovely day in paradise......

336Robin :thumbup:

aimisthegameinpool.com
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com

That is a great idea. While I was stationed in Japan, there were a lot of the kids over there playing pool for their high school. Pool is widely popular in Asia and I learned so much about the game while I was over there.

On a side note. I see a lot of young players turned away from the game because there is always someone in the pool hall that tries to hustle them. We need to change the culture of our game if we want it to survive.

Some of the best players I have ever seen are unheard of because they make more money on the road. I was looking at a match with Shane and Dennis Orcollo that only payed out 7,500 to the winner. Now just having these two on the same table should pay both men that much.

 

[336Robin]

No argument here

That is a great idea. While I was stationed in Japan, there were a lot of the kids over there playing pool for their high school. Pool is widely popular in Asia and I learned so much about the game while I was over there.

On a side note. I see a lot of young players turned away from the game because there is always someone in the pool hall that tries to hustle them. We need to change the culture of our game if we want it to survive.

Some of the best players I have ever seen are unheard of because they make more money on the road. I was looking at a match with Shane and Dennis Orcollo that only payed out 7,500 to the winner. Now just having these two on the same table should pay both men that much.

You wont get much argument there, a lot of things need to change about the game in general and its going to take a lot of people together to change it.

Just another lovely day in paradise.....

336Robin :thumbup:

aimisthegameinpool.com
aimisthegameinpool@yahoo.com