Danielson's 2017 Year!

Danielson had his best year of the last three years on the Omega Billiards Tour.  I joke it's because of me - you know because I was giving him mental advice starting in the Spring.  But, alas, I suppose I should give some credit because he was the one who was actually shooting in the matches and competing in the games.  haha

Let's go over his stats real quick, and you will be very excited for him!

In 2015 he played in 6 stops of the Tour and cashed only one time.  That means 5 of the events he never lasted until Sunday.  He ended the year ranked in the 60s.

Last year (2016) he played in 8 stops of the Tour and did not one time cash or last until Sunday.  Not one!  Poor guy.  Because he played 2 additional stops, he did finish the year ranked in the 40s.

This year was spectacular!  Presenting 2017 stats:  He played in 12 stops and cashed/lasted until Sunday 6 out of 12 events!  This is a HUGE transformation and improvement!  He went from no money to cash money, baby!  And he finished the year ranked in the mid 20s in the end-of-year standings!

We started to talk about the mental game in March/April and in the April Omega Tour stop he cashed for the first time in two years.  And then went on a great run.

What did we talk about?  Just about many aspects of mental toughness, really.  Why some feelings of pressure interfered with performing his best, how he can overcome mental obstacles, etc.  All the topics are HERE.  You are welcome to read them for yourself.  There are gems in there!

I am glad he had the idea to share his progress and learning experiences with you all.  I think it shows how valuable it is to talk about the mental game, the what and whys of why things happen, and the feelings/pressure that can affect us (or not).

Danielson's stats not only rose, but I noticed his thoughts and words did, to.  In the beginning he was more worried about how he should finish and what people thought about him.   At the end of the year he said inspirational things that impressed me, and proved how far he had come in his maturity of the game and his mental toughness.  Like this he said after his final tourney in 2017:  ”3 things you should never take with you to a tournament:  fear... compassion and expectations.  All of these will get you beat before the lag."

After hearing that, i suggested he start blogging himself!  He said, no... he's leaving that to me, lol.

Danielson wanted me to share this with you all:

"I want the readers to know that all these things didn't get me back on track... it got me ON track.  From countless 0-2s to winning my first 5 matches and making it into the money consistently.  This wasn't a stepping stone... this is a major milestone."

Danielson finished in the top 20-25% of almost every tournament he played in this year, not just on the Omega Tour.  That's a heck of a feat!  And proves how much he has improved.  Also proves just how effective mental toughness is to our sport.

CONRATS Danielson!

And don't worry - the series will continue into 2018 for all you fans!

Effective Teams are the New Successful Business Model

Another leadership post!  Stop reading now if you hate to read about leadership in my blog, and save yourself some time.  Or, if you are like most motivated peeps, read on :)

I have learned the most about leadership through my job - through classes, required reading and on-the-job training that has led to leading and running well the Omega Billiards Tour. 

But, the overall success of running the Omega Billiards Tour was several key things that helped:

• I multi-task very well
• Those leadership classes at work
• Am extremely consciousness about duties (e.g. writing articles timely, updating standings right away, posting photos right after event, etc all on website and Facebook)
• Had 9 years of experience running the OB Cues Ladies (/Hunter Classics) Tour 

All 4 of those things combined created the person in me to be able to run the Omega Tour well.  I have heard I have created a great foundation for the new Tour.  Which leads me to my topic today.

I just read this article passed on to us from one my boss's at work.  Long story short it discusses how an effective and trained teamwork of teams is the new leadership model, in lieu of the single leader running a business.  Success has transitioned to effective and powerful teams.

And the new tour in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) will be run by a team of individual experts all working together to run the new tour:  the DFW 9 Ball Tour.  

I had several people help me AT the tournament stops (run the brackets, photographer, stream, etc), but all the behind the scenes work was a solo act.  Looking back, it probably wasn't the best idea to do all that myself.  But in the end, it really was ideal as it allowed me to step away completely and transition the Tour to someone else.

I am very excited that a group of players will be running the new Tour.  That will help any overwhelm-ness, fatigue, and the load will be shared by all.  I LOVE this idea and am very excited for the players in DFW to have this new tour to play in!

Teamwork, Baby!

Sparring on Video

My friend Tina and I had a sparring session yesterday.  I really love our time together - it's nice to get to know her better every time we play.  She has a great heart and soul, and I love learning from her about life-things.

Then it's time to hit the table and get good practice in!

When we spar, I talk about shot selection - reasons why to go for outs or why not, lol.  We talk about runs, break outs, safeties, etc.

We mentioned in passing a few times in the last year about video taping our sessions.  So, I finally came through with our idea, lol.  I brought my camera tripod that my friend Janet gave me last year as a Christmas present, and I captured 10 games on video this day.  But, am only showing one right now.  Main reason is I miss in most of the other games lmao!  And the other reason for not showing more right now is Tina hasn't even seen them yet.  So, need her permission first.  Gots to be proper, ya know.  So, since this one mostly shows me, I figured I was safe.

On the video, you can hear me (hopefully) talking about why I chose stripes and some of the difficulties that were on the table.  I happened to somehow run out this game; not sure how - especially considering I made it tough on myself lol.

One more thing - this is a great example of why I like to practice in the pool room.  Normal distractions all around us, like in a real tournament.  You can hear people around us and even see someone talk to me during the run.  I love it!

Top Golf and Pool

I went to Top Golf a couple of weeks ago for the first time.  It was a lot of fun!  I highly recommend going with fun friends if you ever get the chance.

Here I am trying to earn points for my team:

I also went downstairs snooping around and look what I found:  Other ways to make money!  (j/k, I didn't hustle anyone).

Really cool colors and looked like great shape! 

I just love it when random places have pool tables.  All helps our sport, right?

Male Vs Female Spending

I had an interesting conversation last weekend with one of the managers of a pool room.

He mentioned to me the difference between male and female pool players and their spending habits of a tournament weekend. 

Here's the kicker - not their spending habits during a tournament, but after the tournament.

As we stood there and talked on Saturday night of the 2-day weekend tournament, there was a ton of players still there (male players), even though they were already out of the tournament.  They were hanging out with theirs friends and drinking, watching/betting on gambling matches, or gambling themselves, as there were a couple of sets going on and also a ring game.

He told me that the female players don't really stick around.  And he's right!  I don't hang around the pool room after I get kicked out of a tournament.  I drive my ass home with my tail between my legs.  Or if I'm out of town, we get a group together and head out to dinner for some girl time.  Some have even gone to a different bar where there is karaoke.

He explained it in simple terms as to why the difference, which made me laugh out loud from the truth of the words:  "Male players don't leave the pool room after they get kicked out of the tournament.  They want to stay and try to make their money back!"

LMAO.

No Pressure Proven Well - Danielson Series

Danielson played in an 8-ball tournament back in November. 

He doesn't know 8-ball well, he didn't prepare for the event, and playing in it was a last minute decision.  And yet he finished 4th!

So, what does this prove?

It proves that feeling no pressure can do wonders for our game.

Danielson had a lot of things going for him this tournament. 

1. Since it was a last minute decision, he didn't have time to over-think about the tournament and the "what ifs." 
2. It was also an open event, and he feels less pressure in open events.  He has said, "Maybe handicaps put a weird pressure on some of of us.  If you think you're the best or the worst at a particular ranking maybe it affects your pure game and ability.  One handicap tournament I dogged my brains out cause I thought I was stealing. And not just playing pool."  While funny, it's very true!  We are too worried about what our ranking means in matches instead of playing pool.
3. He felt no pressure playing 8 ball because he doesn't know the game well.  While knowing 8 ball well is obviously an advantage, it can also make one (like me) over confident.
4. And he didn't practice:  "I put zero preparation into that tournament. I didn't play the day before and haven't played 8 ball in forever. "

Let's expand on the last point:

Sometimes we can practice too much.  Sometimes we can prepare too much.  If you think about it, if you do all these things you are suppose to do to prepare for an upcoming tournament, then when we get there we find ourselves under this invisible pressure of "I should do good, I prepared so much."  But, that mentality is actually not good.  It adds pressure to us.

I am not saying not to prepare.  But I am saying that if you put too much preparation into a big tournament, it can have reverse effects because you feel like you must do well, right?  You took all this time to prepare right before the event, so you must do well!

What I have found is the times I finish best is when I reviewed my checklists, reviewed my tabbed pages of Play Your Best Pool and Winning Ugly.  We already have our fundamentals down.  We have already been playing a lot - either in leagues or sparring.  But to over-prepare right before a tournament is not helpful.

If you are running a marathon or playing football, preparing for those physical sports is different.  Being mentally prepared for our sport is key.  Sure, playing pool keeps us consistent, but too much playing pool right before a tournament makes one think, "Well, I should do great!"

Even if you look at the preparations of the Mosconi Cup teams - you didn't see them playing pool hour after hour days on end, instead we saw them participating in team-building exercises.  Things that help their mental side.  They already know how to play pool.  And so do you!  So, don't over-prepare.

If Danielson had played 2-weeks straight of 8 ball before the tournament, I would bet money he wouldn't have placed so high.  His head would be full of options of what to do, lol, and he would be over confident.

Instead, as Danielson said after that great finish, "I never really felt any pressures yesterday. Which seems odd considering it's a game I never play and know very little about. lol."

Appreciation for Running Omega Tour

I admit I was scared of the potential of the Omega Tour ending with just a kick out the door, lol, but I found myself on Saturday morning of the very last (forever and ever) event of the Omega Billiards Tour era receiving a gift from some of the players.

It was an award/plaque for my years running the Omega Tour!

I'm so ecstatic and happy to be honored!  Means so so SO much!!

Appreciation goes a long way, and this meant the world to me!

Bet you can't tell in these photos :)

TBT - When ESPN Contacted Me

Throw Back Thursday!

That time ESPN contacted me in 2010.

Introducing: Capelle's Columns - 21 Years of Pool Instruction

Phil Capelle's new book is out!

Phil has been a columnist in Pool and Billiard magazine for 21 years, and EVERY SINGLE column is in this book!

And, oh, hey, look:  My name is on the first page!  (click photo to enlarge or buy your own copy via his website)

Okay, okay, enough about me.

This book is huge!  512 pages to be exact!  Photo doesn't do it justice, at all:

It contains:

• 430 Diagrams​
• Discoveries from Capelle’s research
• Cross referenced
• Position play
• Shotmaking
• Fundamentals
• Safeties
• 9&10 Ball
• Eight Ball
• Straight pool
• Pro’s analyzed
• Mental game
• Much more …

Order yours today to get it by Christmas!

Guest Contributor - Author Stan Popovich on Anxieity

Stan reached out to me a while ago and said I could share some advice he had written.

Here is the first piece:

MANAGING YOUR ANXIETIES IN BILLIARDS

By: Stanley Popovich

At times, our worries and anxieties can overwhelm us. In addition, our worries can distort our perception of what is reality and what is not. As a result, this may interfere with how you play billiards. Here is a brief list of techniques that a billiards player can use to help gain a better perspective on things during their anxious moments.

Sometimes we get stressed out when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could read the newspaper, listen to some music or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things. This is a great technique to use right before your next event.

Remember that our fearful thoughts are exaggerated and can make the problem worse. A good way to manage your worry is to challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make you fearful or anxious, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense.

Remember that all the worrying in the world will not change anything. Most of what we worry about never comes true. Instead of worrying about something that probably won’t happen, concentrate on what you are able to do.

Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that you can carry around with you. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you. Whenever you feel stressed before your event, open up your small notebook and read those statements. This will help to manage your negative thinking.

In every anxiety-related situation you experience, begin to learn what works, what doesn’t work, and what you need to improve on in managing your fears and anxieties. For instance, you have a lot of anxiety before your event and you decide to take a walk to help you feel better. The next time you feel anxious you can remind yourself that you got through it the last time by taking a walk. This will give you the confidence to manage your anxiety the next time around.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Remember that it never hurts to ask for help.

It is not easy to deal with all of our fears and worries. When your fears and anxieties have the best of you, try to calm down and then get the facts of the situation. The key is to take it slow. All you can do is to do your best each day, hope for the best, and when something does happen, take it in stride. Take it one step at a time and things will work out.

BIOGRAPHY:

Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com

Pool Players and Snow

What do you get when pool players get around snow?

A hustling snowman, of course!

The south U.S. had some unprecedented snow last week (click to enlarge and view the snow accumulations):

And one of my fellow pool players (Yvonne Ramirez) from Victoria, Texas created this great snowman, who btw, is looking for action!

Checklist Report - Danielson Series

If you have been following The Danielson Series I bet you are chomping at the bit wondering if he used a checklist during his last tournament, right??

I was wondering too!

Quick background, checklists can be an amazing resource to a player as reminders before and during tournaments and Danielson and I talked about this before his last big event, as he didn't have a checklist.

So, did his checklist help him? 

Wait, did he even write a checklist?

I figured he didn't write a checklist, I admit it.  So I surprise him Saturday morning of the Omega tournament and gave him one.

Here is the list:

The only thing I added that I felt would be helpful was "walk around."  Otherwise,  the three other  items he had told me he wanted to remember.

As I handed him MY list for HIM (lol) he told me, "I already wrote a list."  Oh?  Embarrassed that I didn't have faith in him, but so elated he listened to my advice, I then asked him, "Oh cool, well let me see yours.  What is on your list?!"

He responded, "It's in the car."

Omg. 

You have to have it on you at all times during an event!  He countered that he went over the list several times in the car, though. 

But, he then carried my list around so he had something on him that weekend to go over reminders.

He told me before the tourney started that he never plays good at this certain pool hall, so I think that helped any of his expectations - ie reverse psychology - because he felt no pressure.  So, he ended up lasting until Sunday!

I asked him if he looked at the list at all and he said, "I did look at it during some matches... and I think it really is a good reminder."

So, while the checklist isn't the all-knowing-quick-fix-solve-everything-tool, it is a GREAT tool in our toolbox to have.  And certainly doesn't hurt to re-read important reminders before or during a tournament!

Must Do Well to Move Up

As a tournament director of a handicapped tour I hear a ton of complaints when a player finally has their first real good finish. 

I get SO FRUSTRATED!!

Not because I can't handle the whining, but because do people not really realize that in order to move up you have to have a few good tournaments first??

Seriously - we don't know to move some up until they have a good tournament or two.  And the data (like Fargo Ratings) wont have the stats to prove to move someone up if the player hasn't a few good tournaments.

People don't seem to truly grasp that in order to move up, you need to place well a few times or place real high one time to finally be moved up.

Instead, everyone complains and bitches about their handicap when they finally have a good finish, "They aren't a 6" I hear over and over when a player is finally having a good finish.  Further, people don't see that the player themselves are trying hard to move up, too.  They practice, read articles, watch videos, all they can to move up.  And then instead of getting compliments of their great finish, they get complaints instead of kudos.

It's such a crazy thing that people don't really recognize or comprehend you can't move up without first doing well, lol.

What Would Your Hobby Had Been?

My fellow online billiard activist and friend, Tam Trinh, had a really cool question the other day on her Instagram account:

Tam asked, "If pool was never invented, what do you think your replacement hobby would be?"

I have pondered this question a few times and the answer is still the same for me:  I have no idea!

Seriously, I have no idea.  I started to play pool in arcades that had pool tables.  Eventually, I started to test my skills at playing pool since I had over-exceeded on the video games and they were no longer a challenge for me (I was top gamer on all the popular video games in the place).

So, not sure what I would be doing. 

Some people commented: darts, sewing, poker, skateboarding, school/studying, archery, shooting range, etc.

I mean, I can see a natural progression for me might be playing darts, since I did that sometimes at the bar, but otherwise, though I wasn't very interested in darts.  So, what would I be doing?  Sure, I love poker, so maybe I would be doing that, but I wonder if one is out of the pool room, how do you get into a poker room?  It seems they are all related and intertwined.

I did dabbled in arts and crafts out of college, but eventually stopped doing that and can't see that leading anywhere.

I guess I'd be only working?  Nooooo, can't see that.  I'd have to be doing something in addition to working, right?

I can't believe I have no answer, lol!

However, what I can say is, I'm SO glad pool was around and was my hobby!


BTW, you can follow her on Instagram by searching for "mztamcom" and you can follow me on Instagram by searching for "mellbers."

Complaints Can Be Validation

One thing I love is when players talk to me after their tournaments.  They share things I either hadn't thought of, can relate, or can't wait to blog about!  lol.

Here is one that came up recently in a convo that I thought was intriguing and interesting, and am very excited the player said I could share.

A player who was ranked a 4 was having his best finish yet in one of the Omega tournaments recently.  I knew he would move up to a 5 pretty easily after the event, as he was finally having a good tournament.

He joked with me that very next week, "I am going to miss being a 4!"  Then confided, "No, not really, it was kinda embarrassing."

A 4 is the lowest level of the handicap scale on the Omega Tour.  It's fascinating to me that some players who are 5s WANT to be a 4 while others who are 4s see it at embarrassing.  But that's a whole 'nother blog post lol.

As we continued our convo, he shared he knew making it into Sunday of this two day tournament was going to put him in 5 territory.  He added, "Just making it to Sunday was a huge personal accomplishment for me."

Then he confessed, "It probably sounds bad - but it felt really good that one of the players I beat complained about me after I beat him... I guess it just felt kind of validating (if that makes sense)."

It didn't make sense.  Ooooooh, what did he mean by that?

So I asked, "Validating what?"

He said, "Hmmm, I don't know, I guess that I belong."

I prodded him some more, excited where this was going, "Belong where?"

He shared, "That the work I've been putting in really is improving my game.  And that I belong in the tournament - I've been playing on the tour for so long and never made it into Sunday, and that's made me question myself a bunch of times.  I've felt like I've been on the cusp for a long time, but could never put it all together."

"Bingo!  There you go!" I exclaimed.

I loved our convo.  And I am SO happy for him to have moved beyond the cusp to valid in himself he should be ranked higher, just as he thought.

While a lot of people complain about handicapped tournaments, there is a sense of pride it can bring to oneself to move from different levels.  

I am so happy for him!!

Good Will Hunting

We have all heard of players who stop at every pawn shop they drive by looking for the elusive pool cue in the corner of the building, being sold for only $100 that is really a $2,000 cue unbeknownst to the owner?  Right?

Heck, I even found an old Huebler in a remote pawn shop a few years ago when a took a vacation driving south along the Appalachian Trail.  I bought it for $150 and sold it for $275 just a few weeks ago.  (every bit helps, right?)

Well, I hadn't thought of Goodwill stores!

I went in the other day looking for a certain colored vase (found two!) and then ran across this:

Do you see them?

Sure, they don't have tips, but pool cues nonetheless!

You Don't Choose THE Song

What I have learned along the way in my pool journey is that certain songs that come to mean meaning for us in our pool journey are not chosen by us.

We might imagine that our first big win will be to the Rocky theme song, right?  Or as our team is playing in the finals, we all hear "We are the Champions" by Queen blaring from the speakers.

Or, if we are in a bar out of state, "Turn the Page" comes on by Bob Segar or "Bad Company" by the band of the same name.

Well, those things don't even come close to reality.

Sorry.

LOL.

Sure, we all have certain songs or type of songs that give us a little skip in our step as we play pool, but the songs that exude winning or champion do not come on magically as we drop the last 9-ball or lift the trophy up over our head for the crowd.

No, no, no.

What happens is, though, is something even cooler!

When I won my very first ladies event, a tournament on the Fast Eddies Tour way back when, I was completely in the zone and the song that was playing as I was playing with no distractions and light on my feet was Chris Brown's, "I Can Transform Ya."  Sure, I loved hip hop anyway, but I barely new the song.  But after I won, I LOVED the song.  And what happens now is pretty damn sweet:  every single time I hear that song, it takes me back to that win, that first win, that amazing win!  It's like I'm right there in the zone in San Antonio at Fast Eddies snapping off my first tournament.

It turned out to be my personal Rocky theme song.

So, while we think of certain champion songs, the ones that come to mean the most to use are chosen for us while we are succeeding.

APA on The Price is Right

I love seeing things like this - pool showing up even in the most unusual of mainstream places!

Like this guy wearing an APA shirt on the Price is Right!

(click image to enlarge)

Acceptance of Your Level of Competing

I have wondered off and on throughout the years, what makes a person stop competing in pool?

I can recall numerous ladies I used to play with in Texas that don't play on the ladies tour anymore.  Was it because they got older?  Because they never got better and got frustrated?  Did life things get in the way (money, divorce, marriage, kids)?

I suppose for each person the reason is personally different.

And at one point, a successful player eventually isn't in the winners circle as much. What do they do then?  And how do they handle it?

Do they accept they are not as talented for some reason anymore, but yet still play?  Or do they stop competing due to frustrations?

Some people can't handle the disappointment and decide to move on from playing pool.  Some people accept they will never play at the level they used to play and are fine with playing for fun.  Some players frequent the pool rooms during the week on afternoons and enjoy sparing with friends, in lieu of competing in leagues and tournaments.

As I type all these words out, I am liking my reasons for retiring (after having a successful pool journey the last few years) more and more!  I can just imagine if I was to keep competing and eventually not be relevant or a formidable opponent how frustrating that could be.  I am liking my decision to choose to stop competing rather than having to stop not on my own terms.

Whatever their flavor is behind the reason, acceptance can go a long way in feeling good about their decision.

Btw, in case you are curious why these thoughts came up this week, it was after I read this excerpt from "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" by Haruki Murakami:

"I don’t care about the time I run. I can try all I want, but I doubt I’ll ever be able to run the way I used to. I’m ready to accept that. It’s not one of your happier realities, but that’s what happens when you get older. Just as I have my own role to play, so does time. And time does its job much more faithfully, much more accurately, than I ever do. Ever since time began (when was that, I wonder?), it’s been moving ever forward without a moment’s rest. And one of the privileges given to those who’ve avoided dying young is the blessed right to grow old. The honor of physical decline is waiting, and you have to get used to that reality. Competing against time isn’t important. What’s going to be much more meaningful to me now is how much I can enjoy myself, whether I can finish twenty-six miles with a feeling of contentment. I’ll enjoy and value things that can’t be expressed in numbers, and I’ll grope for a feeling of pride that comes from a slightly different place. I’m not a young person who’s focused totally on breaking records, nor an inorganic machine that goes through the motions. I’m nothing more or less than a (most likely honest) professional writer who knows his limits, who wants to hold on to his abilities and vitality for as long as possible."

Second Day Tourney Thoughts - The Danielson Series

Danielson, like most of us, has a more difficult time playing well on Sundays of a two-day tournament.  Why?  Because there is so much more pressure on day two!

What helped me get over that hump was to stay as ever-present as I could and not think ahead.  Experience also helped - the more times I lasted until Sunday, the less pressure I felt because each time I lasted until Sunday was another success and I started to feel more comfortable.  Experience helps immensely.  (that's why I preach to play in as many tournaments as you can)

Danielson had another great finish in the November Omega tournament and I asked him how he felt going into Sunday.  I was so impressed by this thought process, I wanted to share it.

On the Omega Billiards Tour, we whittle it down from around 100 players and bring back 24 players on Sunday.

Danielson told me, "I just look at Sundays as a new 24-man tournament.  That helps any pressure I might be feeling going into day two, as I just look at it in a different way, not the continuation of a big tournament.

"24-man tournament" - that's perfect!  GREAT philosophy.  Wish I had heard this when I was competing!

Fargo Ratings Rule!

Although handicap tournaments are more difficult to run than Open tournaments, Fargo Ratings help me out so much!  And not just to me personally as the Tournament Director, but also for the players competing in handicapped events. 

Fargo Ratings allow for more accurate handicapping which helps all the players overall.  Further, as a Tournament Director, it saves us a ton of time trying to nail down someone's true handicap.  Accurate handicaps also lead to less complaints.  And a big thank you to Fargo Rate for that!

Btw, in case you are new to the term "Fargo Ratings," Fargo Ratings are world-wide pocket-billiard ratings designed to rate every player on the planet on the same scale based on wins and losses against opponents of known rating." Check this link for further details.

Below are two excellent examples from the Omega Billiards Tour stop just a couple of weeks ago that prove how effective and helpful Fargo Ratings are. 

We had two players enter the tournament who no one knew well.

One guy was from California.  He moved to the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area only a few months ago and it was his first time to play on the Tour.  In the past, I'd have to ask around, "how does this guy play, who does he play like?" in order to try and establish his handicap for the tour (we use rankings from 4 to 10).  But that weekend, I just type his little name into http://www.fargorate.com and there he was!  He was an established player and he had a pretty high Fargo ranking - so high he was automatically an 8 handicap.

Fargo Rating  -    Omega Tour Handicap:
Above 750     -    10 handicap
700-749         -     9 handicap
645-699         -     8 handicap
570-644         -     7 handicap
515-569         -     6 handicap
460-514         -     5 handicap
below 460      -     4 handicap

THEN - another player signed up.  He was from the country Jordan, and it was really cool - he also had an established Fargo Rating!  Took the guess out for me, reduced stress, saved time, and made my job easier for sure.  :) 

This player had an even higher Fargo Rating and he was a 9 handicap on the tour (one spot away from top pro level).

The point is, it is really helpful to have Fargo Ratings for players all across not just the U.S., but the world, as well.  Even a guy from California and a guy from Jordan had an established rating and we were able to set their handicaps accurately right from the get go!   So awesome. 

What a great data system!

Noticing Players' Games

I find myself wanting to help players improve more and more.  Because I give lessons now, it kinda comes even more naturally for me to see things more than usual and wanting to help.

I've actually been a very perceptive person anyway, but it's compounded more because I want to share the things I've learned from my own journey with pool.

I don't actively seek out players who might need help, I just happen to notice players, who if they had a just a few extra tips, they would be succeeding more.  I wrote about helping a friend back in 2012 just from observing her.  So, it's not like I'm seeking people out, I just happen to notice their game could improve remarkably by just a little tip or two (tips I wished I learn A LOT earlier in my journey).

I was watching a player over the weekend at the Omega Billiards Tour and he has improved a lot in just the last few months, but he's missing out on wins because of not knowing 3-ball shape.  I wanted to grab him, take him to a side table, and go over 3 ball shape with him for an hour!  LOL.

I also found myself thinking this in the middle of a tournament last month, while playing in a match, about my opponent, lol!  The guy kept missing late in the rack and it was because he didn't know about 3-ball shape.  It was quite comical to myself I thought about how I could help him improve..... while I'm trying to beat him, lol.  But, I knew if I could work with him a little bit, that his game would skyrocket.

I'm more of a strategic and mental coach, not one who teaches fundamentals or how to hold a cue.  So, the key to all these players is:  they already have a great game and set of skills.  They just haven't been taught or are not aware of 3-ball shape or strategy yet.   Once we get that down, it's amazing how much we improve and win more matches!

P.S.  The reason I didn't approach these two players to help was (1) I didn't know the one player and wasn't sure if he would be amenable to the idea and (2) the other player already has a coach I found out, and "strategy" is part of the plan in his future lessons.

Cleaning During Tournaments

We all appreciate really great, assertive waiters/waitresses, right?  Well, one over the weekend was too assertive while at the same time very unfamiliar with pool.  Even tho she was working in a pool room!

Deep into the tournament on Sunday last weekend of the 11th stop of the Omega Tour this year, one of the players was sitting quietly at her table as her opponent was shooting.  The air was a tad humid and so she put some chalk on the table where she was sitting, so she could lay her fingers on the powder and stroke the powder on her shaft before she shot so it would slide easier for her.  Several people were doing this throughout the weekend.

As this waitress gets on shift later on Sunday, she starts moving very fast to start to clean up the area.  She moved all the stools in their proper place (which created extra noise as they hit the metal tables), she sprayed the tops of the tables and then wiped them down, even if pool cues were leaned against them, and as she walked by the table with the chalk of this player, she sprayed the table and wiped away the chalk!

I cared more about the cues that she accidentally sprayed at first, but then it was crazy she also wiped away the chalk.

I think one of the issues was tempo.  We were used to the waitress who was there all day, and then this new one comes in and changes the dynamics around us.  If this was Saturday with 100 players in the area, it wouldn't be an issue and we wouldn't have even noticed her, but when you are down to only a few tables and a handful of people in the area, we see more distractions easier.  Plus, we had been used to a waitress who stayed out of the way all day.

I heard it wasn't her first day there, but I think she just hasn't been around big tournaments or something because she wasn't very cognizant that high-stake money matches were going on and instead cared more about clean tables, straightened chairs, and getting things done by walking by the matches. 

I'm not really complaining, as some tournaments I have been to you can never find a waitress or the tables aren't cleaned up all day long.

While we all appreciate her great service, there are times it's okay to leave things be until matches are completed.  It can be more of a distraction.

The Way You Say Things

I think we all could be more careful with our choice of words.

Sometimes they come off harsh and rude and uneffective.  Obviously, this is true in all aspects of life, not just our pool game.

A friend of mine received some "advice" that wasn't very positive nor helpful.  It could have been said in a much softer, gentler, more effective way.  Instead, he told her, "You make things so much harder on yourself."

You may be thinking to yourself that wasn't that bad.  And you are right, it's not that bad.  But, it still could have been stated with less negativity and with more effectiveness.

Further, as soon as she told me his words of unwisdom, I told her, "Wow, now you will be thinking about that every time you have to play pool in front of him.  Darn it."

And she agreed in disappointment.

I've written several times about how the way people say things become a hindrance, not helpful.  Negative words, repeatedly from the same people, have affected me so much, that when they happen to watch me play pool, it distracts me because I get nervous about what they might say after my match.  Which, is never positive lol.  NEVER.

Luckily for my friend, her thought process is to improve so those words he said to her don't bother her.  As a matter of fact, she played in front of him at a weekly tournament full of great players and she placed 3rd!  Take those words and shove them up your a$$!  lol

Better is a Never Ending Quest (video clip)

I love, LOVE this commercial!

Listen to it.  You'll love it, too.  It's very clever and can be helpful to our pool journey.

Not My Baby

No, no, don't worry - this has nothing to do with real babies, lol.  

Someone keeps telling me that the Omega Billiards Tour is "my baby."

Every single time they tell me that, I counter with, "No, it's not.  It's the players Tour, not mine."

I appreciate the kind words that the Tour has a great foundation and has momentum because of me, but it's not my baby at all.  I never once thought that.  I always and only considered it the players' tour.

I wish I didn't have to keep convincing people otherwise.  I don't brag about the Tour or even talk about it that much.  But people seem to think I need accolades or a remembrance some how for when a new tour starts.  No, I don't.  I'm just happy there will still be options for players to play in Dallas Fort Worth.  That was my whole goal and the mission of the Tour:  "To provide an avenue that allows all levels of players to play the game they love to improve their skills and where they can make some money at it, too."

See?  Not my baby.  Players' baby!

Checklists - The Danielson Series, Nov 2017

Danielson and I were chatting a couple of weeks ago and we both mentioned that all of these learning lessons are really awesome, but too bad we can't go over things right before a tournament, instead of learning after each tournament. 

Tournaments have 3 main parts:  Pregame, the game, and post game.  And yet he and I really only focuse on the post game.  How did you do?  What happened?  Why?  And what can be learned?

He said, "Yeah, before the tournament starts, it'd be cool to go over things to remember...what to guard yourself from...play to your strengths...a little pep talk...kinda like what a football team would do."

As soon as he said that, I announced, "Blog topic!"

Poor guy - instead of telling him what he can do to pump himself up before a tournament, I make him wait to read it in this blog post, lol.

And here it is:

First of all, I can't be like a mouse in his pocket and give him a pep talk before every tournament.  We'd have to start to discuss payment options for that specialized service!  lol.

But, he does bring up a very good point of something I still do to this day that is just as helpful:     Checklists!

I am a huge fan of writing down reminders.  There is SO much we need to try and remember before our tournaments, that it can make our head spin.  And sometimes in the throws of the moment, we forget things.  It's normal.  You've been in high stressful situation and all of a sudden you can't remember your email password or pin to check your bank account, right?  It's a very surreal, sometimes scary moment.  But, if we can review many of the key things we have learned (and need to remember), we are prepared for things that may be thrown at us during matches.

In a post from 2012, I wrote about a match preparation checklist.  I wrote about this again in 2014, and shared that I reread my notes before I won BCAPL Texas State singles event.  :)

I am a huge proponent of match preparation checklists, reminders, pool prayer, whatever you want to personally call it.  It will go a long way.

Here are some examples of lists I wrote throughout the years:

Shown here are 8 checklists!  And you can see some were written on hotel paper - which means I was out of town for a tournament and going over my reminders and wrote them down to take with me to review before each match.

So, everyone, get your pin out and write your own personal reminder checklist!

Male or Female Tournament Director?

I know I talk a lot about leadership in my blog, and today is no exception!

I wanted to share a discussion I had with someone about the Omega Tour ending, and a new Tour  starting up that will be run by guys.

A player (male) shared his opinion with me that he thought that a male running the Tour would have less issues to deal with.  I guess he was saying that it's tough to run a men's Tour as a female.  And he thought as a guy, he would be able to handle the male players "better" because, as he said it, "If they start bitching, I won't put up with anyone."

I listened to his words and my first thought was running a tournament well is not about being male or female, but about leadership and how one handles players and issues.  Respect, empathy, fairness, and integrity go a long way.

In my humble opinion, it really honestly doesn't matter if you are male or female.  An abrasive female will have a difficult time handling difficult situations with guys or girls.  And a male Tournament Director (TD) with no leadership skills will not handle confrontations well.  So, it really is mostly about personality - not male versus female.

I shared with him, from my perspective, I think a female TD has a slight advantage dealing with male players than a male TD would, tho. 

Hear me out. 

If a male player is pissed and gets upset, he is going to vent his frustration to me and be vocal.  How I react and respond is key to handling these situations well.  However, if a male player is pissed and gets upset, he is going to vent his frustration more confrontational against a male TD than a female.

Most of the time, most guys are more asshole-ish with other guys, than with girls in public.  They will be more in fight mode with a guy.  With a female, when they are upset it will be a verbal argument, yes, but less confrontational.

Don't get me wrong, I have been chewed out royally by players after they lose (you know, it's always the tournament directors fault).  But I have a feeling the players would be even more vocal with a male TD.  And depending on the male TD, how will they handle it?  Will they simply argue back, or will they handle it well with leadership skills?

See?  PERSON dependent, not sex dependent.

Happy Halloween!

Boo!  Happy Halloween from me to you! 

May your pool journey be filled with cat like reflexes and calm when needed.

Rawr or meow?

Pics from Daytona Shoot-Out from 1999

In 1999 while living in Florida, I drove to Daytona Beach to take photos for AZBilliards.com of some players battling it out in the open air for everyone to watch/see/cheer, during bikefest in Daytona Beach.  I ran across these pics the other day and I thought I'd share:

Steve Mizerak, Jeanette Lee, Ming Ng and Mike Sigel!

Excitement from Interviews!

I am finding that my after thought that I had long ago to do interviews, has become more of walking dream!

I had no idea how much conducting interviews and bringing you all (the pool fans) the answers to little  but meaningful questions, has ignited my spirit and helped my soul.

Every time someone says yes to being interviewed, I get happy.

Then, after I read their responses, I get ecstatic!

In the past when I would think about how I wanted to do interviews, I didn't really, truly realize how much I would enjoy them and how happy they would make me.  Instead, it's been bringing me pure joy to be able to be the conduit between them and you.

If you haven't read the recent ones in the online magazine Billiard Buzz from pro Dennis Hatch or Mike Page of FaroRate, find them at this link:  https://pooljourney.blogspot.com/p/billiard-buzz-columnist.html

Next up is Melanie Archer!  (Johnny Archer's wife)  I am so excited!  I already love her answers and can't wait for the September issue to come out.

We are all learning so much from others.  I am excited for us all!

Carrying Upsetness to Next Match - The Danielson Series, Oct 2017

Danielson placed well in his last tournament (Omega stop at The Hideaway) and had another very consistent finish, placing 17th-24th. 

Last year he never placed 17th or higher (not even once), and this year he's placed 17th three times and twice higher than that!

When I asked him if he had any thoughts about the tournament for this blog post, the tournament still stung two weeks later, "No thoughts.  It was just pure self destruction."

Wait.  What?

In Danielson's 3rd match, he was on the wrong side of rolls and it was enough rolls to "put me on tilt," he described.  Unfortunately for him, he didn't have enough time to recover from being upset. His next match was called right away and the anger and frustration from the previous match carried over into his next match.

Seeing things from the outside though, he won two tough matches to finish 17th, but it's difficult for us to focus on any good when we feel we could have finished even higher and played better.  

But, let's face it, in competition we don't want to be "consistent" we want to do better each time.

He shared (finally, after some prodding), "I didn't even want to play my next match... and it showed... the aggravation lead to embarrassment... that's why I stormed out after."

"I just robbed myself of another opportunity.  I didn't play well... I wasn't focused... and I got what I deserved," he confided.

You can feel his pain, too, right?  Ugh. 

It's very tough to not let a previous match affect our next match.  I only know of two types of advice:  (1) go ahead and feel the emotions so you get them out of your system and (2) remain in the present - if you do, then the past match has no consequence.  Easier said than done though for both, as you sit in your chair and think about the missed opportunities and that you shouldn't be in this current position on the bracket, blah blah blah.  But, the key is to remain in the present and remind yourself you are STILL in it!

But, it's very, very difficult.

Kinda like getting into an argument with someone.  The feelings and emotions don't just go away right away, it takes time to calm down.  And in Danielson's' case, he didn't have enough time to calm down in between his matches.

This is actually a HUGE learning experience. 

Yay!

I know, it seems weird I'm excited, lol, but we all need to have these painful experiences... so we can LEARN from them.

This is why playing in more and more events to experience these tough situations is crucial - for the next time.  Next time Danielson will remember this transitional match and remember how badly he felt.  And he wont want to feel that way again.  He will have a talk with himself and demand he focus on the match at hand, not the previous match he has no control of anymore.  He will prevail.  And he will remember to "remain in the present and focus on the shots in front of you."

I feel very hurt along with Danielson.  I know how it feels to be playing well, and yet not finish higher than we could have because of emotions getting in the way.  This mental toughness shit is HARD!

I have much faith in him and I know from personal experience that he has already learned so much from the two losses that day and it will propel him in his future tournaments because he will have had this tough experience already under his belt.

I want to state again it was a GREAT finish!  17th place is tough on the Omega Tour.

Distractions During Practice - In Stereo

I  sparred with my friend Tina a couple of times in early October.  Here we are before the bloodbath:

Both times we met up, we were distracted by another player.  He came in all cocky, and he had his own personal stereo.  He was listening to music, but not via headphones.  Instead, it was clipped on his shirt or something and everyone could hear it.

It was very annoying.  If he turned toward us to shoot, the music was louder.  As he turned away to shoot, we could still hear his song of choice, just muffled a little bit.  He mostly listened to 80s music, but not hip hop like I'd of preferred, lol.

It may seem like this shouldn't be a bother, but it really was annoying for some reason.  Sure, people play music on the jukebox all the time I may not recognize or like, but for some reason that never bothers me.  This guy - bothersome with his personal stereo system we could all hear.  If he was just walking by it prolly wouldn't have been an issue, but it was lingering around us for over 2 hours.  Even when the guy found an opponent (not sure how), he didn't turn it down or turn it off, just kept on his little own world.

I didn't say anything to Tina the first Saturday about my thoughts about him, but when he walked in again the second Saturday, I noticed we both kinda grimaced at the same time lol, and then we talked about how he was a distraction.

Here's the thing about this guy and his personal karaoke system:  I'm glad he showed up!  The whole reason to practice in a pool room is to experience the same non-controlled atmosphere we might encounter at league or in a tournament.  It was almost the perfect set up!  Except, I would have chosen a different annoyance, lol.

If I Was a High School Athlete

I have wondered at times throughout my pool journey if I had been more active in sports in high school, would I be a better pool player sooner in my pool journey?

My Dad wanted me to focus on my grades in high school, so the one sport I was in for maybe 2 months (basketball) I had to quit.

I don't regret his advice (i.e. demand) at all, as I was able to get into college first stab because I was in the top 10 of my high school class (out of 650!).  #bragger

I do wonder, though, would I have excelled sooner in my pool journey had I taken up sports and been competitive in high school?  I would imagine it would have to be more advantageous for people who were in competitive sports in high school (heck even middle school).  They would have more mental toughness, right?  That's what I think (wonder).

While I guess high school athletes may not have necessarily have more mental toughness, they definitely would be introduced to it sooner.  Heck, I didn't really even understand mental toughness til my late 20s.  And didn't grasp it until my low to mid 30s.  Had I been in a sport in high school and was active in it, I would think it would have helped me understand and harness my mental toughness much, MUCH sooner than 10 years into playing pool.  Right?

Sure, the mechanics of playing pool would have still taken me as long to solidify, but mentally, I could have been so much farther ahead?

I do also wonder had I taken up golf, would my mechanics been more solid sooner?  Following through and staying down are also key to golf, just as in pool.  I do know people who have played golf well in high school or golf now, and they are not running away with pool titles, but I think my mechanics would have been more solid sooner.

Now, don't get me wrong - I LOVE my pool journey and all the amazing different steps and adventures that brought me to a state and national champion in my 40s.  I wouldn't change my path for anything.  I just wonder if there is a benefit for other players who were athletes in high school.

Just for kicks, here's me in high school!