Recap of GREAT Posts by Pool Bloggers

"PoolSynergy" was the name we came up with for the pool Blog Carnival that started almost 3 years ago, and lasted about 2 1/2 years.  A Blog Carnival is basically where several bloggers blog about the same topic, and of course, our overarching theme was pool. 

Every month on the 15th, numerous billiard bloggers wrote an article about the same pool topic.  Topics ranged from strategy to media to top tips to favorite recommendations, etc.  Before it succumb to an end, we had 30 different topics!  It was really cool to receive a theme/topic, write about it, and then read what the other 5-15 pool bloggers said about the same topic! 

Each month, one of us picked a topic, and then we hosted all the articles.  This way, everyone participated in the workload.  Being a host was the only tough part of the job, because on the 15th of your month, you had to ensure all the links worked, everyone's article was up, and everything was working at exactly 10am Eastern time on the 15th, lol.

Honestly, even that wasn't tough. 

I really enjoyed the Blog Carnival!

PoolSynergy started out very strong, but after 2 1/2 years, it withered away.  People started to get busy and not contributing monthly, and eventually not enough participants allowed PoolSynergy to die a very slow, painful death.  An unnoticed death, really.

A few of us tried to keep it going, but with no feedback from a lot of the bloggers themselves, it simply dissolved.

I think monthly was too much for many of the bloggers and their busy lives.  Of course, I blog 10-15 times a month, so for me it was a piece of cake.  ;)

However!!

AHA - Luckily many of us still have the archives of the great articles.  And as I was writing a blog entry the other day, I searched for a particular article to link to that I had written for a PoolSynergy topic, and came across some other great Poolsynergy topics by my fellow bloggers.

I thought I would share all 30 topics with you all, as some of you are new.  Be forewarned - this is A LOT of reading.  It can be extremely overwhelming because there are so many great articles by my fellow bloggers on these different pool topics. 

But, since I am going to separate all 30 topics out, you can choose which ones you want to read about, which ones you are most interested in, which ones you want to skip. 

I will mark my favorite topics, too.  Because, well, that's just how I roll.   :)

Here we go:

THEME:  My article.
And the link to the main article (that will lead you to all the other bloggers and their great thoughts and opinions and help!)

1. STRATEGY:  My take:  Refocus Early:  I talk about what you can do during a match to help yourself - before the match ends, you must figure out things early!
Link to main article.

2. BILLIARD TALES:  I share two stories that helped improve my game.  ***Good Tips***
Link to main article.

3.  LIFE LESSON APPLICATION:  I talk about Leadership in Everyday Life. ***Excellent Quotes***
Link to main article.

4. FAVORITE PLAYER.  Mine is: "Someone that you learn something from."  I.E., not just one person, but everyone I ever learned from.
Link to main article.

5. POOL AND THE MAINSTREAM.  I don't think pool is mainstream.
Link to main article.

6. IF THERE WAS ONLY ONE THING TO SHARE.  My advice?  Take lessons!  **Repeat, Take lessons!**
Link to main article.

7. POOLOSOPHY.  WHAT DOES POOL MEAN TO YOU.  ***** For me, I loved this topic*****  Why?  Because Pool has made me who I am today.  Pool may just be a sport to many, but to me, there’s a DIRECT connection to ‘playing in pool tournaments’ to me being a happy, confident person in my life.
Link to main article.

8. HOW TO FIX POOL.  My take:  Pool is broken?
Link to main article.

9. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN POOL?  My story, how pool captured my heart.  ***Interesting to me, lol***
Link to main article.

10. SUPPORT.  First I didn't have it, now I do. 
Link to main article.

11. VIDEO OF WHAT's IN OUR CASES.  Here's my vid.
Link to main article.

12. THE FUTURE OF POOL FROM A FAN/SPECTATOR PERSPECTIVE.  Because I'm so optimistic, I asked a guest writer to help for this topic.
Link to main article.

13. THREE TIPS OF THE SAME CLASSIFICATION.  I chose to write about how to prepare for a tournament BEFORE you GET to the tournament.  **Good Tips**
Link to main article.

14. OUR FAVORITE RECOMMENDATIONS.  I shared my all time FAV book and DVD.
Link to main article.  ****Read ALL the recommendations from my fellow pool bloggers****

15. TEAM PLAY.  Instead of writing about something good, I shared a very tough team experience.
Link to main article.

16. FAV POOL ROOM.  Mine was easy:  Rusty's Billiards!
Link to main article.

17. TOURNAMENT PREP.  Bottom line:  I need good sleep!  *This is important*
Link to main article ****Great tips from NUMEROUS players!****

18. OUR FAV GAME AND WHY.  For me?  Duh, 8ball.  :)
Link to main article.

19. POOL MECAS.  For me, this is (still) BCAPL Nationals.
Link to main article.

20. GREAT TOURNEY EXPERIENCE.  A good Tournament Director goes A LONG WAY.  **A must read, imo**
Link to main article.

21. ADVICE TO OLDER PLAYERS.  I asked some friends what their advice would be to older players picking up the game new (or again).
Link to main article.

22. "TEN THINGS" RELATED TO POOL. Blog host Samm Vidal said we could write about anything.  Hmm.  So, I choose to share the top ten things I wish I knew 10-15 years ago.  *****Good tips!!!*****
Link to main article. *** GREAT tips and advice in this compilation from 20 bloggers!!! ***
Special Note to take time to read Jennifer Barretta's interesting and important article:  10 Ways to tell the level of a player without ever seeing them hit a ball

23. PRACTICE.  Sounds simple enough.  LOL.  I suggest:  Practice not only on the table, but your mental game as well.  Pool is 90% mental - we should be practicing that too!
Link to main article.

24.SHARKING. My experiences with sharking.
Link to main article.

25. THANKFULNESS.  What are we thankful for in regards to pool?  For me this is easy:  I am thankful for pool because I have met amazing, wonderful, impactful people.
Link to main article.

26. HOW DO YOU RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES.  I do this by setting goals.
Link to main article.  *** Read here what others do when they are burned out ***

27. CELEBRITY STAR POWER.  I don't see celebrities helping pool...
Link to main article.

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Still - GREAT plethora of awesome advice and tips and info.  RIGHT!?!  :)