Playing
A few months before I was 12, my Dad brought home a 6 foot table (all we had room for in the basement). Played around on it, but did not start taking it serious till I was 14, and had a restricted driver's license. My big brother, Knute, six years older became good, won the Snooker Championship of Kansas University, and got to play Mosconi in an exhibition match. He gave me my first cue (a 3 piece with adjustable weights ..lol) for a Xmas present when I was sophmore in High School. I played quite a few sports growing up, but always seemed to excel at individual sports, and I was little growing up.
Because of that, I always thought I had to be better, smarter, and faster in sports than my competitors. Math always was one of my best subjects, and I just kind of went together with Pool, became fascinated with it, I loved the Challenge and the Possibilities of it.