Hi all
Yes, in fact I used to play years ago on the WPBA - my first WPBA Pro event was in 1993 at The Bicycle Club in Los Angeles - I won my first match, played Jeanette Lee in my second and - won 9-7. I went on to play Gerda Hofstatter and I totally yipped in the 12th game, up 7-5 I missed the dang 8 ball in the side and never recovered, losing 9-7. Shoulda, Coulda... Woulda!
Anyway, I digress - My first real teacher were actually two teachers, one was a guy known as R.D, the other JJ. at the House of Billiards in Sherman Oaks, CA. I started playing there when I was 19 and as typical of the sport, it got under my skin so much I played from 10am until 2am, almost every day to the exclusion of just about everything else.
R.D. and JJ both took me under their wing and taught me the fundementals of the main disciplines in pocket billiards; 9 ball, Snooker (yes there were two Brunswick 5x10's in the place - gorgeous 100 year old tables), 14:1 and one pocket. I became the little queen bee of the room, too.
I met Ronnie Rosas a few years later. Known as "Baby Jesus", he'd already had problems, similar to Keith McCready, by the time we met, but he saw talent in me and agreed to teach me. I had a 9' AMF table at my home, and worked very hard with him to establish a stronger game. He, above everyone else, taught me how to cut a ball so thin, I could slice a molecule! Unfortunately, his path took him down a road I couldn't follow, so I moved on to find a new coach because by that time I was truly serious about wanting to play professionally. I'd known Steve Itule for years, and finally approached him to take me on as a student. He agreed and to be honest, after a short time under his tutelage, I played better than I ever had from thereon-in. In 1997, Steve passed away unexepectedly (I still miss his Ross Perot-like voice telling me "Annie, it don't matter, if you don't miss!". That, combined with getting married, having surgery, well, I lost my heart for the game - I had been traveling every weekend, playing all the time and finally got burned out.
Out of all my teachers, Steve was my favorite - he was calm, kept me focused, pushed me harder to play better than anyone else. But I appreciate all the people that took the time to teach me about this wonderful sport, and I am forever indebted to them.
It's amazing how walking into a pool room at the age of 19 has translated into a full time position for the WPBA, almost 25 years later.
As the Grateful Dead sing "What a long, strange trip it's been!"