When a player is beginning, they are complimented as they begin to improve. People boost their confidence and tell them how much better they are than they were as a rank beginner. Nights that they shoot as bad as a rank beginner they are reassured and encouraged to not give up.
Then, as they develope into run out players, they are compared to league players. They are still complimented when they turn out a good performance. On a bad night they are still encouraged.
Then, as a shortstop, they are compared to other good local players. They are encouraged to go play in some pro events, and are celebrated for turning in a good match or beating a champion or two. On a bad day they are still encouraged.
This continues all of the way until the player's begin to compete professionally on a regular basis and develope a reputation. ALL OF A SUDDEN, everything changes. People begin to compare them to their idea of what the perfect pool player should play like, and our best human players will never come close to perfection. People begin to ridicule them for not being perfect, and post videos of their misses all over this website in disgust.
The attitude is like: Oh, sure, I miss all of the time, but I am just a local player. These guys are professionals, so they are supposed to be perfect. I can't play that good, but they ought to play better, and they shouldn't be proud of what they have achieved because they are a long way from where I think they ought to play.
GUYS! Instead of becoming hung up on how far from perfection human pool players are, lets show some appreciation for what they have accomplished. The women may not be playing as well as consistantly as some of the top men, but they are out competing. If people posted videos of every mistake you made and talked about how bad you played, I doubt you would ever play another tournament. For these players to get out and perform in spite of this is incredible. And, they are getting better. There is no question that the women have come a long ways over the last decade. Maybe not as far or as quickly as you wanted, but as fast and as far as they could.
In the end, the pros have even harder expectations on themselves than you do, that is why they got so good. It tears them up to play badly after sacrificing a lifetime to play. Maybe they, like the beginner that misses five shots in a row, could use some encouragement and some appreciation, and be given a break from the unrealistic expectations that people crucify them with.
Then, as they develope into run out players, they are compared to league players. They are still complimented when they turn out a good performance. On a bad night they are still encouraged.
Then, as a shortstop, they are compared to other good local players. They are encouraged to go play in some pro events, and are celebrated for turning in a good match or beating a champion or two. On a bad day they are still encouraged.
This continues all of the way until the player's begin to compete professionally on a regular basis and develope a reputation. ALL OF A SUDDEN, everything changes. People begin to compare them to their idea of what the perfect pool player should play like, and our best human players will never come close to perfection. People begin to ridicule them for not being perfect, and post videos of their misses all over this website in disgust.
The attitude is like: Oh, sure, I miss all of the time, but I am just a local player. These guys are professionals, so they are supposed to be perfect. I can't play that good, but they ought to play better, and they shouldn't be proud of what they have achieved because they are a long way from where I think they ought to play.
GUYS! Instead of becoming hung up on how far from perfection human pool players are, lets show some appreciation for what they have accomplished. The women may not be playing as well as consistantly as some of the top men, but they are out competing. If people posted videos of every mistake you made and talked about how bad you played, I doubt you would ever play another tournament. For these players to get out and perform in spite of this is incredible. And, they are getting better. There is no question that the women have come a long ways over the last decade. Maybe not as far or as quickly as you wanted, but as fast and as far as they could.
In the end, the pros have even harder expectations on themselves than you do, that is why they got so good. It tears them up to play badly after sacrificing a lifetime to play. Maybe they, like the beginner that misses five shots in a row, could use some encouragement and some appreciation, and be given a break from the unrealistic expectations that people crucify them with.
