Success For The Future
Starts Today – Everyone Should Play!
I sincerely hope I do a
great job writing this article. My goal is for its contents to be
read by every teacher, professor, parent and government official that
can help me change the perception and then laws surrounding the game
of pool in this province.
It will not be a short read.
However, I hope that when you have finished reading you will believe,
as I do, that it is time to “right a wrong” that has been placed
on this game and the time is now to make changes that should have
been done many years ago.
The very first thing I need
each of you to do is imagine that I have a PhD in Physics,
Mathematics, Behavioral Science and Bio Mechanics. Believing my
credentials to be impeccable will add validity to each of my
statements. Or, you could just take my word that I know what I’m
talking about!
The second thing I need you
to do (and this may be the most important request of all) is to
remove every aspect of your perception of this game (we’ll call
“pool”) and all the history you think you know about this game. I
want your mind to be free of negative knowledge and open to the true
values this game offers.
Some people call this game a
sport. Some refer to it as a hobby or a pastime. Just for purposes of
this article perhaps you could trust me that the game of pool is a
sport that has many of the elements of other games that are always
considered sports. I will compare this game to other “sports” as
well as other games of strategy as we go. There are so many aspects
of this game that are truly unique that determining exactly what it
is becomes a completely separate article.
Please follow me on a
hypothetical journey. Remember, you have removed all past knowledge
of this sport from your mind! (My behavior science degree!) I have
set up a 4 ½ x 9 foot pool table in your high school gymnasium. It
has six pockets (on all four corners and 2 on the sides exactly half
way from each end) and is covered by green cloth. All of the rails
between the six pockets are rubber covered by the same green cloth.
For our purposes today we are going to play the pool game called
9-Ball. On the table are 9 balls numbered one to nine and a cue ball
which are all perfectly round spheres 2 ¼ inch in diameter (please
convert that to cm. for me when you get a moment). The nine numbered
balls are “racked” in a diamond formation and placed in the
centre of the table approximately 1/3 of the way out from the back
rail. The cue ball is placed behind a line approximately 1/3 out from
the other end rail. The cue ball is going to be struck by a cue stick
(approx. a 56 inch tapered stick with a compacted leather tip about
12 mm in diameter) directed at the rack of balls and … THE GAME
BEGINS! (I hope none of that was too
technical and could be visualized)
The object of the game of
9-Ball is to strike the cue ball into the lowest numbered ball on the
table and sink the nine numbered balls, in order. The player who
sinks the 9 Ball is the winner. (I am NOT going to get into all the
rules except as they occur in my journey below).
The opponents are, most
often, one person against another. It could be partners or even teams
but typically it is one on one.
Now, this is the exact
moment that some of the amazing aspects of this game begin:
- Unlike virtually any other
sport the opponents “pitted” against each other could be so
diverse it’s almost limitless: male / male, male / female, female /
female, young (8) / old (108), and on and on. By the way, I used to
say old (88) but I have a remarkable friend who just turned 89 and
plays as one of the top 1% of skilled players in this province!
Strength is not a significant factor. You can play this game from a
wheelchair or with one leg or one arm. All of those factors suggest
to me that it truly might be a sport for almost everyone. Amazing
- Our journey involves two
15-year-old girls (remember, high school gym!) who will play a race
to whoever wins 5 games first. Each game takes about 8 minutes so
this “match” will last about one hour maximum. (My degree in
mathematics!)
- By whatever method approved,
the “breaker” will be determined. She then (as noted above)
strikes the cue ball with the tip of the cue into the rack of balls!
A loud crack is heard and the game begins. The 10 balls on the table
scatter around the table and come to rest in a completely random
position. A limitless, infinite number of landing patterns (is that
redundant!) every single time the break occurs. Amazing
- If no foul occurs and any
ball goes into a pocket except the cue ball, the breaker remains at
the table and will then shoot again. Her next shot must be at the
lowest numbered (object) ball on the table. (Remember, not too
technical for those who know the game!) As long as she continues to
hit the lowest numbered ball on the table and a ball is sunk, she
will remain at the table. Another of the amazing aspects of this game
is that it is possible, if she has the skill, to win all five games
in a row with her opponent NEVER getting to the table!
- Now, the player is looking
at the pattern of the balls on the table. She is thinking very hard
(tremendous thought processes occurring, very educational). She knows
that if she misses, her opponent then has the very same advantage she
now has and the opportunity to achieve what was noted in the last
point. She strategizes her next shot but also envisions exactly where
the cue ball will stop for the next lowest ball! She is a skilled
player and she sees each of the shots required to “run this rack of
balls” from this pattern. She is planning ahead. She has created a
strategic plan to win this game and must now put her plan to the
test. Amazing
- For our purposes today she
runs 5 balls in a row and misses. That number of balls in a row would
be typical of an average player of the game. That means that a below
average player runs 4 or less and an above average player can run the
rack of nine balls with one turn at the table. Highly skilled players
can run more than one rack at a turn at the table and exceptional
players can sometimes achieve 5 or more racks at one turn. The
ability to improve your skill is limitless. Amazing
- Our original player
developed a strategic plan but failed to execute it this time.
However, all is not lost and the chance she will get back to the
table, if not this game, then the next, is highly likely. How typical
of life. How typical of business. Imagine, thinking about what went
wrong and developing skills and mindsets to resolve the problem next
time. Amazing
- The ebb and flow of the game
is truly exciting for the players and anyone watching who fully
understand the rules and the complexities of the game. The players
know that the more they practice the better they will get. Proper
instruction from qualified people can improve their game. They
develop their own stance, bridge and stroke. They emulate other
players they see who are successful. They try to control their
emotions like professional golfers with a 3-foot putt and the nerves
that need to be harnessed. It’s not physical strength that carries
the day. It is mental, emotional, nerves and consistent visual
attention to every detail that prevails. You need physical stamina to
compete for an extended period of time in one session but you can
improve that stamina with healthy eating, drinking and exercise.
- This match has gone back and
forth and is now tied at 4 games apiece (hill / hill) and the final
game is about to get underway. Imagine, these girls have struck the
cue ball and caused it to hit the “exact” spot on the object ball
that will cause that ball to drop in the pocket they aimed at a total
of 72 times. They have probably attempted well over 120 shots and
missed several times. So many details to focus on and so many factors
come into play. It requires excellent hand / eye co-ordination, a
smooth stroke, precise speed, an understanding of deflection and
geometry (my physics degree!). They have probably “banked”
several balls (hit into the rail allowing it to rebound into the
pocket on the other side of the table). They have probably
strategically “hid” the cue ball behind another ball forcing
their opponent to calculate exactly where they must hit a bank to
“kick” into the lowest ball on the table. Amazing
- Has anyone gone back to the
beginning of this article to add up the number of educational aspects
that have come into play in this single match of eight games? If you
do, I am certain you will be amazed.
- Let’s not finish this
match. Let’s fully understand though that there will be a winner
and a loser. That is what life is all about. The fact that one of
these 15-year-old girls lost does not make them a loser. Hopefully it
makes them stronger. Hopefully it makes them practice more, seek
additional coaching and makes them more determined to do better next
time. That would be so similar to what happens in real life that it
would be amazing.
- I imagine this high school
has plenty of sports activities. There will likely be individual and
team sports for both male and female. However, I doubt there is even
one sport, team or individual, that enables male and female to
compete on a virtually level field. I also doubt there is another
sport available at that school that would enable every, single
student a chance to compete at some level. I need you to simply stop
and imagine some of these things I’m saying. The petite grade 10
girl challenges the largest football player in grade 12 to a
match….and wins! Those types of “what ifs” are endless. But
think of the self- esteem, confidence boosting results that are
possible.
- At the same time it is
important to remember that you can practice this sport on your own
and “hone” your skills at your own pace. There will always be
those who have difficulty with this game, the same as any other.
However, once played and understood, this game can be a tremendous
spectator sport as well. It is the one sport that almost any member
of the audience can duplicate a very difficult shot, if shown
properly, and execute it as well as a professional in one try. That
is simply not possible in golf, football, hockey, tennis, soccer and
on and on. Amazing
- I believe they have now
determined beyond doubt that continually “testing” your brain
long into your later years helps prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The game of pool does that. Learning and understanding the
complexities of this game at an early age allows for a lifetime of
enjoyment, challenge and competitive activity. Every single game is
different. Every pattern after a break is different. How exciting is
it to test your ability in a different way every time you step up to
the table?
- If you have followed me to
this point I want to thank you. However, we’re not done yet. I have
provided some irrefutable positive aspects of this game that should
cause many people at influential positions to say…”he might just
be right”! The key point at this very moment is, what is occurring
right now regarding our youth and the game of pool? The
answer…virtually nothing!
- Youths under 19 are not
allowed in any commercial establishment that offers pool. Their only
option is someone whose parents have placed a table in their home.
They get together and play amongst themselves with likely very
limited instruction and structure to what they are doing. They likely
don’t know all the rules of whatever game they’ve chosen. I’m
certain there are some parents who have played at a competitive level
and are passing on proper instruction but that number will be very,
very small. That is truly a shame. A sport that has so much to offer
is being slowly phased out.
- The next significant problem
is when these young adults do turn 19 and go into an establishment
that offers pool, they don’t have the proper respect for the value
of the tables, the cost to maintain them and the etiquette required
to let others enjoy their leisure time. That simply adds more reasons
to get them involved, at least from the age of 14 to 18.
The next thing to happen is
that we must get this message “out there”! We have to reach the
right people. We have to ask them their perception of the game of
pool. It will likely be negative, trust me. However, I honestly
believe when they really think about it, the only negatives they will
come up with will be lingering perceptions from years gone by.
Haven’t we proven over the past 50 years that society needs to shed
prejudices and perceptions that are simply no longer valid?
I will challenge EVERY
EDUCATOR out there to show me another sport, currently enjoyed in our
high schools by some students, that can even come close to matching
the values available in the game of pool!
Imagine competitions between
schools, between grades, between teachers and students. Imagine the
thrill of a student who is not tall enough for basketball, strong
enough for hockey or football or soccer or agile enough for badminton
or tennis…but fully capable of being cheered on in a match playing
pool! What percent of the student body could be playing this game
versus ANY other?
And how cool is pool! It’s
shown on commercials all the time. It’s played by the “rich and
famous” and also the working class. It’s the National Sport of
Taiwan! They have been trying to get it included in the Olympics as a
“test”. A little “turn” in another direction back in about
1880 and the game of pool would have followed golf into our living
rooms via TV and tournaments enjoyed by millions.
Pool Hub Nova Scotia needs
your help to get this message out. Don’t wait for someone else to
take it to your high school, college or university educators. Take it
yourself. If you need help, contact me at the Pool Hub website. If
you want me to come speak to any group, just ask.
This article is Pool Hubs
first step in our fight to get junior players into this game.
- Brian Bedford
