HomeAbout Billiards DigestContact UsArchiveAll About PoolEquipmentOur AdvertisersLinks
From the Publisher
By Mike Panozzo
Mike became editor of Billiards Digest in 1980 and liked it so much that he bought the company. He has served on the Billiard Congress of America board of directors and as president of the Billiard & Bowling Institute of America.


Archives
• November 2024
• October 2024
• September 2024
• August 2024
• July 2024
• June 2024
• May 2024
• April 2024
• March 2024
• February 2024
• January 2024
• December 2023
• November 2023
• October 2023
• September 2023
• August 2023
• July 2023
• June 2023
• May 2023
• April 2023
• March 2023
• February 2023
• January 2023
• December 2022
• November 2022
• October 2022
• September 2022
• August 2022
• July 2022
• June 2022
• May 2022
• April 2022
• March 2022
• February 2022
• January 2022
• December 2021
• November 2021
• October 2021
• September 2021
• August 2021
• July 2021
• June 2021
• May 2021
• April 2021
• March 2021
• February 2021
• January 2021
• December 2020
• November 2020
• October 2020
• September 2020
• August 2020
• July 2020
• June 2020
• May 2020
• April 2020
• March 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• December 2019
• November 2019
• October 2019
• September 2019
• August 2019
• July 2019
• June 2019
• May 2019
• April 2019
• March 2019
• February 2019
• January 2019
• December 2018
• November 2018
• October 2018
• September 2018
• August 2018
• July 2018
• June 2018
• May 2018
• April 2018
• March 2018
• February 2018
• January 2018
• November 2017
• October 2017
• September 2017
• August 2017
• July 2017
• June 2017
• May 2017
• April 2017
• March 2017
• February 2017
• January 2017
• December 2016
• November 2016
• October 2016
• September 2016
• July 2016
• June 2016
• May 2016
• Apr 2016
• Mar 2016
• Feb 2016
• Jan 2016
• Dec 2015
• Nov 2015
• Oct 2015
• Sept 2015
• August 2015
• July 2015
• June 2015
• May 2015
• April 2015
• March 2015
• February 2015
• January 2015
• October 2014
• August 2014
• May 2014
• March 2014
• February 2014
• September 2013
• June 2013
• May 2013
• April 2013
• March 2013
• February 2013
• January 2013
• December 2012
• November 2012
• October 2012
• September 2012
• August 2012
• July 2012
• June 2012
• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011
• August 2011
• July 2011
• June 2011
• May 2011
• April 2011
• March 2011
• February 2011
• January 2011
• December 2010
• November 2010
• October 2010
• September 2010
• August 2010
• July 2010
• June 2010
• May 2010
• April 2010
• March 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• January 2008
 
August: Teach Your Children Well
August 2016

Thirty, maybe 40, pool fans took in the recent Atlantic Challenge Cup at the Schaumburg Convention Center outside Chicago. Most were family members and close friends of the participants. Others were interested parties from within the billiard industry…product manufacturers and suppliers, and a few top players. It’s a shame more people didn’t attend in person. The event, which pitted a team of top junior players from the United States against top junior players from Europe, was streamed live on the Internet. But to truly appreciate the effort that went into the event and the passion displayed by the players, coaches and fans, you really had to be there.

The ACC, as it is called, is a cooperative initiative of the Billiard Congress of America and the European Pocket Billiard Federation. Both national federations understand the importance of youth development in the game. But the notion of working together to create a single event that could well be the major catalyst in driving youth programs on both continents is sheer brilliance. The model on which the ACC was founded, of course, was the Mosconi Cup. The thing is, the Mosconi Cup was almost 20 years old before the U.S. and Europe began to look at the event as something bigger than a single tournament. They began to understand the value in leveraging the Mosconi Cup to increase interest from other promoters and enthusiasm among players. Today, promoters are lining up to have their tournaments qualify as Mosconi Cup points events, and players put singular focus on earning enough points to participate in the storied Cup.

On a different scale, the ACC is poised to help both continents drive interest at the juniors level. In two short years, the ACC has already become an aspirational event. In the U.S., junior players from every league system — American Poolplayers Association, BCA Pool Leagues, Valley National Eightball Association and more — now have something tangible to shoot for. Sure, medalists at the annual Billiard Education Foundation Junior National 9-Ball Championships qualify for the WPA Junior World Championships, but just physically getting to the worlds is a tall order. The ACC is sexy, team oriented, nationalistic. It’s Team USA. It’s an event that promotes unapologetic cheerleading. What kid wouldn’t aspire to wear that jersey and play in that event?

The 2016 ACC saw Team Europe dominate Team USA, 11-3. The final score isn’t representative of the talent that Team USA fielded, but it wasn’t a total shock, either. What those in attendance (and viewing online) got to witness was the disparity between the way youth programs are developed in Europe and how they are developed in the U.S. Junior programs throughout Europe, particularly in Eastern Europe, are far more structured, from formal coaching to tournament play. In some cases, national federations even offer stipends to help develop talent. In the U.S., the juniors predominantly play on bar tables, and coaching is hardly a full-time job. The better players occasionally participate in local and regional adult tournaments on 9-foot tables, but that is the exception, not the rule.

And make no mistake, the difference was noticeable at the Atlantic Challenge Cup. America has some terrific talent. But the system that could develop that potential into players who can compete on an international level simply isn’t in place yet.

The American kids need coaching in a structured environment. At the ACC, Team USA enjoyed the luxury of having four BCA Hall of Famers in their corner — Jeanette Lee, Johnny Archer, Allison Fisher and Nick Varner. The players were there to help Team USA captain Earl Munson get his players ready for competition. Not surprisingly, the passion and energy was there, but the structure was not. You can’t overwhelm teenage kids with information, instruction and pep talks right before they are asked to perform under massive pressure. On the eve of the tournament, one coach was trying to teach the kids a diamond system. I could see the kids’ heads about to explode. It was coaching overkill.

Across the hall, Team Europe captain Tomas Brikmanis sat in a chair and watched his players practice, smiling and not saying a word. “My job is easy,” he said. “These kids already know how to play. I’m not here to instruct. I’m here to decide strategy and keep them together.” This is how coaching is done properly. Forget the score. What the 2016 ACC did was identify to the U.S. pool community what it needs to do to compete, and what a great opportunity we have to grow tomorrow’s players today. I’ve said before, I would love to see the BCA at least partially fund an official Team USA program — a program that helps develop both Junior Team USA and pro Team USA. Forget putting money behind a single pro tournament. If the BCA is going to put money towards the “play” side of the game (as they like to call it), put the money where it will pay dividends. Let’s learn from the structure used in Europe. Let’s develop a legitimate coaching program. The ACC is one of the best tools pool has developed in years. Let’s not miss the opportunity it affords us.

MORE VIDEO...