Would YOU give back to pool and how?

[iownthe412]

i bet you're joking but you'd be surprised how many funny things i've heard non californians say they hear about how things are done in cali

No, I am not a "Californian" and thats just what I heard. I actually thought the idea was pretty cool considering I used to skateboard and I know how big it is there. It's another thing that keeps kids active and off the streets selling stamp bags and what not. Pool may not keep them as physically active but it will definitely keep them focused and develop them mentally.

 

[cuesmith]

This probably sounds stupid to a lot of you, but after several trips to the Philippines I've always thought if I came into a big chunk of money, I'd move to the Philippines and open an orphanage/school to help the under privileged street kids there. I'd also incorporate pool training whereby the kids could learn to play starting at an early age. I'm sure some of the top Filipino pros would volunteer some time to help out. I'm not saying that there aren't worthy causes here on the home front, but if you've ever seen Bantay Bata on the Filipino Channel or just seen the kids there in the Philippines you might understand. And I love the Philippines anyway, might as well be in paradise doing something worthwhile.

 

[Melissa Herndon]

Well I haven't done anything on a grand scale...but I have worked with kids at the local teen center, done a few charity events, and I am now running a ladies Regional Tour (the SCL9T) in So Cal so that other female players have an opportunity to qualify for the WPBA just as I did so many years ago.

Melissa

 

[Tom In Cincy]

Either you make it happen, watch it happen or ask... "WHAT HAPPENED?"

Which one are you?

45 years of playing this game and still feel like a little kid with a new toy when I learn something new on the table.

There are times that I just can't wait to get to a table to try something I've been thinking about.

If I could give back, it would be to the youth.

I already do that. Just about everyone in the pool hall is currently younger than I am.

 

[brandoncook26]

I completely understand the want to help professional pool. I would also like to help if I happened to win the lottery, but starting a tour and using your lottery winnings wouldn't be a viable long-term option.

People who have a great deal of money didn't get that way giving it all away. I would set aside an initial amount of seed money, and try to grow that with the help of sponsors and fund contributors.

The key to growing pool is to start from the ground up. Helping kids to learn and grow will produce young adults with spending power able to sustain a professional system. Without people to purchase products, there is no incentive for sponsors to spend money. If you put your lottery winnings into a tour, it would eventually be squandered and in 5-10 years, pool would be where it is today. You have to get amateurs interested in growing with the sport. There wouldn't be an NFL if children didn't play, watch, and become proficient enough to become a professional.

Pool, in my opinion, will never be as popular as the NFL or the NBA. There are too many obstacles that cannot be overcome. That's not to say pool cannot be a viable sport that can support professional players with a continual year-to-year tour.

It would be more realistic to have one DCC type event, like Lenny stated. To have a tour that could support a moderate group of professionals with a number of stops throughout the year would cost, at a very minimum, $10-15 million a year. Even if you won a substantial lottery, supporting it yourself would tap you out very quickly.

 

[JustPlay]

Professional Pool in the US is like Professional Soccer in the US. Soccer is the most popular sport around the world except the US. Just look at the last 20 years of pool here in the US- nothing has changed (for the better).

The Viking tour and the NE Joss tour is where pool is at it's best. Both tours could be expanded with greater sponsorship. These would be the best options for professional pool here in the US.

 

[Baby PacMan]

We all hate to see promoters guaranteeing money and then not paying the players. So my question to all you pool lovers is; if you won the lottery or inherited a ton of money would you give back to this game we love and how would you go about doing it?

If I had won a ton of money, like a 100 million in the lotto. I would give away free tables. Like the Olhausen Reno L series. The reasoning being this:

Pool tables are expensive, which makes them harder to come by then lets say, a playstation 3. I would give away tables to a families who had the desire to play, but didn't have the money. In hopes of turning the children on to billiards.

Personally, I think for pool to be more popular you need exposure. You need to flood as many homes as possible with tables. You need to make it something children grow up around. To me, that's the most important factor, the exposure as a child to pool being a normal thing.

Pool seem to be relegated to bars, or pool halls where you have to be a certain age to get in (at least that's how it is where I'm from). Whether sports bars or a hole in the wall, it's something that is inaccessable to a certain crowd, mostly young people.

I would try and make pool tables as common as basketball courts. More visibility, more exposure, and hopefully young people drawn to the game.

 

[greyghost]

B/c it loves me back as much as I love it

Either you make it happen, watch it happen or ask... "WHAT HAPPENED?"

Which one are you?

45 years of playing this game and still feel like a little kid with a new toy when I learn something new on the table.

Tho I'm still a spring chicken I've been head over heels for the game for dam near 20 years....I still feel the same, I still pay attention like I haven't seen this before......its still as fresh as the day i found it.

There are times that I just can't wait to get to a table to try something I've been thinking about.

My place is part cue shop, part pool sanctuary, part THINK TANK.....I'll just be sitting there looking like I ain't doing a dam thing....but my wheels are turning in my head...I'm constantly developing new things, figuring out answers to questions that haven't been answered or just better answers to some false or piss poor info that runs around.

I put this place together like it is so I would be surrounded with everything I need with no distractions or interference from anyone. I can't be distracted, as the people that have came b/f us I'm sure were not stupid, and look at the
situation of pool today....

I got many plans....some are under way, some yet to start....but mark my words with or without anyones help I'm building, starting with the foundation. The people are waiting for something and I aim to give it to them.

I'm dog tired of all the BS, all the crack pot ideas and dealings, people only stealing from the game and not doing a dam thing to change something for the better.

They been doing the same stupid sh*t for decades and it hasn't worked yet....IMOP whomever is calling all those bad moves needs to hang up their dam coat and go ruin something else somewhere else far away.....I don't know who's the genius b/h everything but if you know he/she/it you might as well tell them to have their luggage packed cuz I'm on my way to put boot to ass....Life is long and I'm a stubborn and brick headed SOB, get in gear or get ran the hell over.

I got nothing but time and enough sack and drive to know that I will be successful in my endeavors one day.

You can ask people that know me.....I don't get what I want.......
I FORCIBLY TAKE WHAT I WANT. I make it happen! WHY?

Because its all up to ME. I/WE must not depend on others to do the grand deed....we must go forth and CREATE, BUILD, TEACH, PROMOTE, COACH etc....

There is no probably or maybe that it "might" happen.....

Write this down: If you build it they will come.....they have been waiting for it.

If you are a negative little pus and would like to tell me I can't....PLEASE DO for I will relish when I choke the life out of you with those foolish words.

Never underestimate the WILL of someone........

Remember they laughed at Johnny Archer when he was just a kid telling people he was going to be the best player in the world!

If I could give back, it would be to the youth.

That is to be the foundation of my vision of the future....thats where our REAL STRENGTH in numbers is going to come from. Once it starts to roll it will build and build and build untill the dam goose gives me my golden egg....if it doesn't I'll shoot the goose and get another.

Tom I always said something similar.....

There are 2 kinds of people....the TALKERS & the DOERS


I'm a doer. I make a decision and I just go forward, I don't really care about problems along the way. Its just another question to answer, gives my brain something to play with.

Some didn't believe I'd do even close to the little I have rolling. My fiance was one of them....just figured I was screwing around with something that was kinda pointless. That all the time I spend on the sport was some kind of joke. That me building cues, or giving private lessons, or posting and helping others on this very site was a waste of time...

Then she sees me shoot to out to work with the kids, sees the instructional videos, the cues, kudos and compliments from places and people on the other side the dam planet, and it hits her! It wasn't stupid, I was dead serious.....but it takes time an patience. A TON OF IT!!

She's a gone pecan now.....If you aint with me then your against me....and I will forcibly remove people that are not getting with the program, or decide that its ok to bother me with BS when I'm neck deep into something. I work offshore, even out there this is all running in my head....when I come home and I have access to my stuff, well lets just say that I left one job and am now at "MY OFFICE"....yea i may just be typing or flipping through some charts or something, but keep your dam mouth shut and don't interrupt me I AM BUSY.

I haven't spent all this time for all these years working on these things and learning and doing whatever it took, to go ahead and listen to all the pansies and be a loser that quit. I don't waste my time.

In 30 years I'd rather be living under a dam bridge with nothing but my books and an old war worn cuestick, than to be like everyone before me that punked out on their dreams.

Thats why adults suck my nuts in general....they have no hope, no belief, they opened their hand and let their dreams fall to the ground....and they blame everyone else but themselves for their unhappiness.

Dude your unhappy b/c you sold out your inner child.

There are never any guarantees in life, b/c we can't control the world and everyone in it.

When its all said and done and I'm old a GREY for real....I may not have been able to accomplish my goal. But whomever of you are still around will be able to say :

"Hell he didn't get there, but that crazy hardheaded SOB gave it one hell of a run.....sometimes the balls just roll funny"


THIS IS HAPPINESS TO ME

If they want to stop me they better be willing to bleed, its going to come down to who has the most guts....and they aint got the character.

I never really gave a lick about what others thought about me or what I could or couldn't do, as every a**hole has an opinion.

Whats so diff now days is that I REALLY REALLY DON'T GIVE A DAM in regards to their opinions, its ME time and everyone else can stop and smell the roses but i ain't got the time.

Besides my lively hood that I make from the oil field that is allowing me to do these things at the moment....THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME IN MY LIFE.


JUmp in waters warm my friends,
-Grey Ghost-

 

[SlickRick_PCS]

I would start a private club with all discipliary kinds of billiards around the world where kids as young as 7 years old can enter; no smoking, drinking, drugs... ANYTHING that would hard one's body and mind involved; where "playing for money" would not be involved (whatsoever) but only playing for spots to go to an offical Jr. or Sr. tournament or to face up in a heated battle; and where there will be discipline of similarity as a sport and not a game. That's my dream!

 

[realkingcobra]

I guess I'm interested in giving back to pool in a different area than most of you are, as I'm at this stage of the game...more interested in trying to get pool tables used for Pro events...to all play the same, that way everyone knows what to expect from the equipment...which is why I work so closely with Diamond...and teach other table mechanics how to improve their skills....so that sooner or later we can all expect some kind of consistency from the tables we play on...leaving time to focus on who we're playing...instead of what we're playing on

Glen

 

[dedstroke38]

Tom I always said something similar.....

There are 2 kinds of people....the TALKERS & the DOERS


I'm a doer. I make a decision and I just go forward, I don't really care about problems along the way. Its just another question to answer, gives my brain something to play with.

Some didn't believe I'd do even close to the little I have rolling. My fiance was one of them....just figured I was screwing around with something that was kinda pointless. That all the time I spend on the sport was some kind of joke. That me building cues, or giving private lessons, or posting and helping others on this very site was a waste of time...

Then she sees me shoot to out to work with the kids, sees the instructional videos, the cues, kudos and compliments from places and people on the other side the dam planet, and it hits her! It wasn't stupid, I was dead serious.....but it takes time an patience. A TON OF IT!!

She's a gone pecan now.....If you aint with me then your against me....and I will forcibly remove people that are not getting with the program, or decide that its ok to bother me with BS when I'm neck deep into something. I work offshore, even out there this is all running in my head....when I come home and I have access to my stuff, well lets just say that I left one job and am now at "MY OFFICE"....yea i may just be typing or flipping through some charts or something, but keep your dam mouth shut and don't interrupt me I AM BUSY.

I haven't spent all this time for all these years working on these things and learning and doing whatever it took, to go ahead and listen to all the pansies and be a loser that quit. I don't waste my time.

In 30 years I'd rather be living under a dam bridge with nothing but my books and an old war worn cuestick, than to be like everyone before me that punked out on their dreams.

Thats why adults suck my nuts in general....they have no hope, no belief, they opened their hand and let their dreams fall to the ground....and they blame everyone else but themselves for their unhappiness.

Dude your unhappy b/c you sold out your inner child.

There are never any guarantees in life, b/c we can't control the world and everyone in it.

When its all said and done and I'm old a GREY for real....I may not have been able to accomplish my goal. But whomever of you are still around will be able to say :

"Hell he didn't get there, but that crazy hardheaded SOB gave it one hell of a run.....sometimes the balls just roll funny"


THIS IS HAPPINESS TO ME

If they want to stop me they better be willing to bleed, its going to come down to who has the most guts....and they aint got the character.

I never really gave a lick about what others thought about me or what I could or couldn't do, as every a**hole has an opinion.

Whats so diff now days is that I REALLY REALLY DON'T GIVE A DAM in regards to their opinions, its ME time and everyone else can stop and smell the roses but i ain't got the time.

Besides my lively hood that I make from the oil field that is allowing me to do these things at the moment....THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO ME IN MY LIFE.


JUmp in waters warm my friends,
-Grey Ghost-

Thank you for that, that post really hit me. The general message isn't even really about pool its more of a life message that can relate to anything but the fact that it is pool for you as well as many many people here like myself is what I could really connect with. Brutally honest. Best post I've read here.

 

[mnorwood]

I have been doing forcefollow for four years and when you take in to account all the sites it is on the views are around 4.5 million. I get daily messages from players about the role my efforts have played in their involvement with the game.

I have also started a program in the Pasadena school system.

If I were able to quit my day job I could really take my efforts with these projects to the next level. There just isn't enough hours in the week to do everything I am committed to.

In my opinion the future of billiards is with bringing the game to young people. THIS INCLUDES HAVING ROOMS THAT DO NOT SERVE BREW AND SMOKE.

Lately a supporter has stepped up and helped me with a better computer. I would really like purchase a canon 5d but that will not be for some time. At the moment I just don't have enough time to try to recruit campuses for the school program, I am putting all of my effort in to sustaining what I have.

Ultimately I would like to run a large room that was geared towards youth programs and tournaments, but that's just a pipe dream.

 

[realkingcobra]

I have been doing forcefollow for four years and when you take in to account all the sites it is on the views are around 4.5 million. I get daily messages from players about the role my efforts have played in their involvement with the game.

I have also started a program in the Pasadena school system.

If I were able to quit my day job I could really take my efforts with these projects to the next level. There just isn't enough hours in the week to do everything I am committed to.

In my opinion the future of billiards is with bringing the game to young people. THIS INCLUDES HAVING ROOMS THAT DO NOT SERVE BREW AND SMOKE.

Lately a supporter has stepped up and helped me with a better computer. I would really like purchase a canon 5d but that will not be for some time. At the moment I just don't have enough time to try to recruit campuses for the school program, I am putting all of my effort in to sustaining what I have.

Ultimately I would like to run a large room that was geared towards youth programs and tournaments, but that's just a pipe dream.

I'm in Vegas right now, your 3 8ft Valley coin-ops that I donated to your afterschool programs...are leaving Vegas with me...right to you buddy

 

[sfleinen]

I guess I'm interested in giving back to pool in a different area than most of you are, as I'm at this stage of the game...more interested in trying to get pool tables used for Pro events...to all play the same, that way everyone knows what to expect from the equipment...which is why I work so closely with Diamond...and teach other table mechanics how to improve their skills....so that sooner or later we can all expect some kind of consistency from the tables we play on...leaving time to focus on who we're playing...instead of what we're playing on

Glen

But-but-but Glen, that violates the very principle of "when you're at the table, you're play the table, not your opponent"!



J/K,
-Sean

 

[mnorwood]

I'm in Vegas right now, your 3 8ft Valley coin-ops that I donated to your afterschool programs...are leaving Vegas with me...right to you buddy

Thank you Glen. Looking forward to seeing you.

 

[greyghost]

Thanks my friend glad it hits home.....as well it should

Thank you for that, that post really hit me. The general message isn't even really about pool its more of a life message that can relate to anything but the fact that it is pool for you as well as many many people here like myself is what I could really connect with. Brutally honest. Best post I've read here.

Brother this game we all love is an absurd past-time upon which to be exhausting ourselves. But if you can find the meaning in the kind of playing you have to do to master the game, chances are you will be able to find meaning in another absurd past-time: Life. :wink:


Without the game, without AZ....without many of you I don't think I would be half the person I am today. It gives me reason, direction, drive and I feel a great purpose in life. I wouldn't be able to do my job in the oil & gas business if I were not a pool player....sounds weird but thats a fact. Its helped to build my confidence, imagination, character, social skills.....but most of all its taught me that its really all up to you....

Just like that quote below me says.....

Dont ever be afraid to go after what you want and to put in the work it takes to get there, just be willing to accept the consequences.


I can't not try.... they don’t know what it’ll do to me if I take the risks. But my friends know what it’ll do to me if I don’t. I gotta try.....I just couldn't live with my self if I didn't

It's always troubled me in knowing that a mediocre effort could win a match, and a magnificent effort can lose one. Winning a match wouldn’t necessarily mean that a player give it everything he/shes got from start to finish. I don't play any other way. Of course this goes deeper than just a pool game... I tried to not care and take it easy..... God knows I tried. But if I don't give it a fair shake I'm sacrificing the gifts I was born with, you may not know it....I don't care, because I know it!

I just can't sit there and watch it continue to fall apart or remain in rubble.....sitting on the rail and talking about it w/o the actions needed to accomplish something is just plain CHICKEN SH*T!

There's so much mess out there no one knows what to believe anymore.....

I believe in myself, and so should everyone else....
-Grey Ghost-

 

[greyghost]

I have been doing forcefollow for four years and when you take in to account all the sites it is on the views are around 4.5 million. I get daily messages from players about the role my efforts have played in their involvement with the game.

I have also started a program in the Pasadena school system.

If I were able to quit my day job I could really take my efforts with these projects to the next level. There just isn't enough hours in the week to do everything I am committed to.

In my opinion the future of billiards is with bringing the game to young people. THIS INCLUDES HAVING ROOMS THAT DO NOT SERVE BREW AND SMOKE.

Lately a supporter has stepped up and helped me with a better computer. I would really like purchase a canon 5d but that will not be for some time. At the moment I just don't have enough time to try to recruit campuses for the school program, I am putting all of my effort in to sustaining what I have.

Ultimately I would like to run a large room that was geared towards youth programs and tournaments, but that's just a pipe dream.

Pipe dream my a*s.......I'll happen old friend....just stay the course.

-Keebie

 

[Baxter]

I would open a pool room run entirely upon donations. Drink sales should cover payroll costs, considering I would be there a lot myself, would only need maybe 3-4 more staff members. Free table time all day every day to anyone who walked in. Donations always accepted. Also, misuse/abuse of equipment would be automatic ejection bar none. I'm giving you free table time on top quality equipment (10 Diamonds, 10 GCs, 5 Valleys, 5 Diamond barbox), respect it or gtfo.

 

[ROB.M]

pool and youth

I agree about how the world of pool would not be the same for many of us with out AZB..
As for the generation for youth in pool I agree' we all need to keep the stone rolling in the rite direction..I have set up many donated pool tables to schools,YMCA,friendly house and after school programs...its difficult for one person to make an impact on the youth billiards in one area, so we all need to work together even if it means donating our time and hats off to all you working to get kids involved and educated in pool/billiards..
-
Rob.M

 

[easy-e]

There are people I have met along the way that I would hook up if I won the lottery, but I wouldn't give a nickel to support pro pool. If I hosted a $2M added tournament where all the players won a huge chunk of change, most of the players would find themselves exactly where they are right now.

I would hook JCIN up with a new pimp pad in Vegas to go with his new Benz I buy for him. Oh yeah, and a shit load of hookers too.

Marge and Shannon (GSBT) would get a sweet new ride so they could cruise their tour in style.

Lenny would get hooked up with the finest pu$$y in Arizona.

Disco would get free laser hair removal.

Muttley would get his college paid for and maybe a room (right next to mine) in my new mansion.

I might even go off for a few thousand gambling some of the top players just for fun. Maybe I am just bitter, but in no way do I feel like I owe anything to pool or pool players. Only the ones who have made my life richer with their friendship would get a piece of the lotto money.

***When I hit the lotto, feel free to hold me to all of the above statements***