Nicknames on Tournament Flyer

The title of this blogpost is probably confusing to you.

Why?

Because you've seen many-a flyers were two guys are in some big money match and the flyer states their nicknames. Like "T-Rex Tony versus Scott The Freezer."

Ugh, so why are you writing about this, Melinda?

Hold your horses, peeps!

Check out this flyer that lists the entrants of the Ladies Division of the Space City Open that was held in early December in Houston.  (click image to enlarge)

I admit I was pretty surprised and thrilled to see nicknames of the entrants!  So, if they did this back when I still competed, you'd see me listed as, Melinda "akaTrigger" Bailey.

That would be cool!

It's not just the pro's who have nicknames.  And to see a flyer with mostly non-pros and all their nicknames mentioned on a flyer is a nice touch!

I love neat and clever things like this!

Complimenting Opponents

During our women's league team playoffs, you'll have to picture that most of the women on the league all like each other and are good friends.  Like 95% of us are all friends!

So, it makes it difficult sometimes to play against each other.

I have learned, like my friend Lisa Marr says, "friends away from the table" because otherwise I use to have too soft of a heart when I played pool and that gets in the way of a killer instinct to want to win.

Anyway, so during our women's league team playoffs we are playing against some friends from an opposing team and one of the players is really struggling.  Turns out she was coming down with the flu, but she didn't know it at the time.

She's on her second match and struggling and she says out loud, "man, I can't make a ball today."

Well, one of my teammates immediately tells her something like, "You'll be fine, dont' think that way."

And I just REACTED.

I felt so bad I did this, but I said right away to my teammate out loud kinda snappy, "Don't tell her that!  She's our opponent.  Don't pump her up."

I realize they are friends and she was just helping her "as" a friend, but against each others teams we aren't suppose to be friends.

I know it was very natural for her to want to offer her support and kind words because she was struggling, but that was not the time nor place for it.

But... *I* could have handled that better and whispered in my teammates ear, instead of saying it out loud, kinda getting on to her.  I think our friend (yes, she was my friend, also) might have heard me say that, which is rude when you are trying to play.

I realize my teammate prolly took my words as advice eventually, but it prolly came across as getting on to her right then, not helping.  :(

To APA Or Not To APA

I saw so many of my friends show their pure excitement when they won the APA city tourney!  My female friends, 8 of them, had just won a trip to Vegas!

On Facebook they would count down the days!  They talked about it all the time - in person, on FB, on the phone, they were stoked!

When Vegas came, I saw so many posts about how much fun they were having!

After Vegas, I still heard what a great time they had, and from other teams, as well.

I wanted to be a part of that, I told myself.  It sounds like so much fun!

On Labor Day weekend, I was talking to one of the girls who had gone to Vegas.  Found out she didn't have a team this season.  Really?  hmmm...

I joked we should get a team together.  She immediately said yes.  And two other females in the pool room that day were also interested.

Wow!

I texted the league operator about her Saturday league to get some info.  Where it was located (turns out near my house, instead of the far away pool room I didn't like), and I would start off as a 6, and we would need 5 players on Saturday, but we could have 8.

I was excited about the possibility of this ladies team in APA!  And to find out this every-other-Saturday league was near my house was even better.  The previews location they held the ladies league, I don't like it all that much.  Too far, too much construction along the way, always hot, etc. 

A few days later, I call that first friend of mine and she was contacting other players for us and was still waiting to hear back.  I contacted the league operator and she suggested I call, instead of text.

Well, SHIT.

Turns out there are TWO APA leagues on Saturdays in my area.

One is mixed and EVERY Saturday (which I can't do) and the other is the ladies league, but it's now a 3-person team (not 5, ugh) at that pool room I don't really want to drive to (even if for every other Saturday).

So, dang, I had to call my friends and tell them I can't play after all this season.  :(

I found out the season is not long, so maybe next season I'll look into this again, as I sure was excited at first.

Name in Lights!

We finally made the big times!

Just kidding, but this is freaking awesome! 

I can't begin to express how cool it is to be able to approach a pool room and ask them to help sponsor us, and they say yes immediately.  

It's not just that they said yes, it's that we had 4 other pool rooms that wanted to sponsor us, too, and it felt wonderful to realize our team was that good and therefore could even ask for sponsorship.  

We only asked for our entry fee to be paid but it was still super cool that Carl from Diamond Jim's said yes.  Last year, he bought our shirts, this year was a step up and he paid our entry.

Last year my team won* and we presented Carl with a gift - a large framed photo of the team for Diamond Jim's.

This year, Carl presented US with a gift!  What a nice surprise! 

He added this to the Diamond Jim's marquee sign after he heard our team "Born Ready" won at the BCAPL Nationals!!

(Click photo to enlarge)

* Because we are in the Open division, we had to divide our team up after we won last year.  2 members started their own team, and Lisa Ellison and I started a new one, also (Born Ready) with Nina Stillwell, Maria Rodriguez, and Tracie Voelkering.

National Champs!

I am so happy to share that the women's team I was on, "Born Ready," WON the 2013 Women's Open team event at the BCAPL Nationals!!

I will write a more detailed blog about it later, but couldn't wait any longer to share the awesome news!!

Me, Lisa Ellison, Tracie Voelkering, Maria Rodriguez, and Nina Stillwell.

OMG!!!  National Champions!

 

Pre-Tourney BCA Texas State Thoughts

How will I play this week?  How will I finish?  Will my nerves and expectations get the best of me me?  (just typing that out makes my heart flutter!).  How will my fundamentals be?  How will I play?

Every year before the BCAPL Texas State tourney I share how nervous I get over title tournaments due to the expectations for myself and my desires.

This year, I wont talk about that.  Since I write about it every year, no reason to rehash it again for you.  Plus, I feel different this year.  :)  Not only am I more confident, and feel in my heart I have more good tourney experiences just in the past 18 months than in a long time, but I also remembered (the hard way) that I naturally have test anxiety.  It's not just pool, it's all competition and all impacts to my future.  That's a cool thing to figure out.  :)

I hope to play decent all three events: Scotch Doubles, Singles, and Women's Teams. My goal is to think outside the box, stay down well, and stroke more when I'm nervous.

I am confident, but I need to be careful not to be TOO confident.

Here are some quotes I found today cleaning off my work desk:

• Except what you accept.
• What is in your mind is what you put there.  So, make it something happy.  Why not make it happy thoughts?

 And notes that I wrote down from my last tourney (that I am putting in my purse right now):

• Play like a boa constrictor (don't let up at any time against any one)
• Someone has to win, might as well be me (don't feel bad for my opponents)
• Breathe
• Stroke more when I'm nervous
• Have fun!
• Confidence.
• Remember, you play good.

Second Place Story

Might as well get this over with.

Write about how depressed I am.  While people are giving me accolades, I'm depressed.  Hear me out.  Here's why:

Last weekend I played in the Season Opener of the OB Cues Ladies Tour.  I was a bit apprehensive for a couple of reasons:

1. I "hoped" to do well, but when I have "future expectations" I normally falter (it makes me nervous for some reason).  I do SO MUCH better with no expectations at all.
2. I felt a lot of pressure to finish well.  Sure, who CARES what others think, I KNOW.  But I had so many people who look up to me, I felt pressure to do well.  I know, SILLY, lol.

I got a bye and then had to play a real tough player.  I felt the pressure almost immediately and when my friends would tell me I would place well in the tourney, I tried to prepare them all that my opponent plays really good and it will be a tough match.

I surprise myself and got up 4-0 right away by playing well, even with my adrenaline pumping.  Then I got distracted from the sidelines and fell apart.  I was not able to finish anymore and I only got by my opponent due to taking advantage of her mistakes at the end.  I admit that because I pulled ahead 4-0 REALLY helped me, but in the end, I didn't play well and I was disappointed in myself b/c my nerves and the pressure got to me.

But, I won 7-5.

I then played a girl who came all the way from New Mexico to play!  Her previous opponent told me she played fast and aggressive and so I thought I was prepared for that, but wow!  Fast and aggressive was an understatement.

She was getting out from nowhere and at 2-2 I asked my b/f to leave the scene of the crime because I felt a train wreck coming on.  He obliged, then I fought my way back to the lead with some smart play and taking my time, not playing fast with fewer mistakes.  I had to really focus and I won 7-4. :)

I then had hours to wait to play one of my teammates.  She started off strong and although happy for her, I still needed to play my game and try to beat her if I could.  A couple of misses late in the rack allowed me to win 7-5.  She was very distracted by a family birthday she was about to miss, but I was so proud of her for doing so well in the tourney!  She would place 9th outta 41 players!  :)

This meant, wow, I was in til Sunday on the winner's side!  I was in disbelief.  Really?  Again?  Second OB Stop in a row for me?

I got real good sleep, but woke up feeling like a truck ran over me.  I therefore got out of bed a full two hours before my match to wake my mind and body up.  Ate lightly at Waffle House and took a hot bath with some stretches to warm up my body.

My first opponent Sunday morning on the winners side is a friend of mine and it was tough to see her struggle in the match, but I won 7-3 with some good outs.

Now, at the last tourney, I had NEVER done that before.  I had never won THE match to put me in the hotseat of an OB Cues Ladies Tour stop.  So, since I overcame that hurdle at the last stop, this time I just "played pool" because I didn't t have that monkey on my back.  This wasn't my first rodeo anymore - lol - I had played in the hotseat match just a month ago, so I felt NO nerves or pressure to reach the hotseat.   

I then waited a couple of hours to play in that coveted hotseat match,.  I had no expectations, wasn't nervous, nothing.  That's when I play my best anyway :).

My opponent was running over everyone in the tourney so I just expected the same to happen and would be happy to play for 3rd place again.

However, I made a few mistakes in the match and she was up 5-2.  At this point, my last ill-safe, I took a break to call my b/f who was at league.  He told me to calm down and focus.  I told him I was really upset because I was giving it away.  I then just made up my mind to take my time and enjoy the experience.  I def wasn't having fun and needed to get the scowl off my forehead.

At this point, she misses the 9ball so badly, it almost goes in another pocket and then she urges it to go in!  I was livid inside.  REALLY?  You are already beating me badly and yet you are wishing for the 9 ball to "shit" in?!  I told myself, "That's IT!"  I won that game and the next because she ticked me off.... I wasn't going anywhere.

However, she got on the hill first.

My opponent is a very talented player but I have noticed she gets out of line late in the racks a lot.  She started to do that as I won a few more games. 

At 5-6 her, I missed an 8ball and saw my future set, until she bumped the 9ball and had to bank it.  She scratches as she made the 9ball and the entire room moaned with disappointed.  I felt everyone was rooting her on when they did that.  Miffed, I say under my breath "sorry to disappoint you all, but we have another game to play."

In the final game, hill-hill, 6-6, I'm SO relaxed because I'm simply relieved I clawed my way back into the match and started to play better.  I'm actually thrilled to have 6 games and do not even care about the outcome.  I'm already doing better than the last tourney (I only got 3 games in the hotseat last month - heck, I was making progress!).

I lean over to my friend Amanda and said, "I've never had this many games in the hotseat before.  I don't care what happens, I'm just happy to have so many games!"  She tells me, " you are doing good!  And it's not over."  My opponent. misses a combo on the 9, I try and run out but get out of line and play safe.  She gets to the table and starts to run out and has another combo at the 9 - a tougher one.  Shes studies it and finally shoots, but misses....  and of course everyone moans again.  I take my time, as I really don't want to miss the combo she left me and in the past I HAVE very easily missed it by rushing.  I took my time and made it!

OMG, MY FIRST TIME EVER to win a hotseat match in the OB Cues Ladies Tour!  Only a few claps were going on and I was jumping up and down like an idiot.  I shouted "It's my firs time to ever win a hotseat match, come on people, clap!!"  People in the crowd clapped for me and then I immediately apologize profusely to my opponent for acting like that.  I felt so ashamed and a fool for doing that; I didn't mean to come across so rudely, I was just SO excited!

She told me she understood when I apologized later to her (again).  I don't know how she handled it so well, honestly. 

I felt so embarrassed for acting a fool and showing how excited I was and also verbally asking the crowd to be excited along me, as it seemed it was against my opponent.  But, it wasn't intentional.  I promise.  My emotions just took over. 

I can't begin to tell you all the feeling of winning the hosteat of a big tour like this, tho!  A tour I have played on for TWENTY Year!  Seriously!  Since 1992!

Someone reminded me I would have to be beat twice in the finals.  I had forgot that. 

Wait?  The finals?!?  OMG!  I was in the finals?  Of the OB Cues Ladies Tour?  For the first time ever in my life!  Wow.  I was so focused on the "hotseat" I kinda forgot that meant I would be a player in the finals, lol.

It's funny, last stop, I placed 3rd - my highest finish ever.  Now I'm playing for 2nd?  Really?

My boyfriend told me earlier in the week I was going to win the tourney.  I told him he was crazy.  I never had envisioned I could really do that.  Too many tough girls on the tour.  He says I'm one of them. 

I want to publicly state that he has been my biggest male supporter in pool I have ever had in my life.  No one else has had so much faith in my game as he does.  Of course, he might have been hit on the head as a child, too.  lol. 

I was pretty ecstatic of my "position" but - I was mentally already drained.  I could tell.  And I knew that wouldn't be good for me.

I got a little bit of food in my tummy, hit some balls, and waited for the winner between two killers, lol.

I again had no expectations and was just happy where I was - the farthest I had ever been in an OB Cues Ladies Tour stop!

I ended up playing my bff, Amanda Lampert.  She had lost her VERY first match and made it all the through the finals!  She jumped up and down after her final win before the finals b/c she had made it so far!  Our poor opponent had TWO people be ecstatic to beat her, lol.  Well, the girl plays good!

As I type this out, I am a little less depressed now.  I really did accomplish something, didn't I?  I got 2nd!

However, I feel I didn't get to where I was because of great play, but because of taking advantage of mistakes.  I'm sure that's part of pool and that's how things go, but as I won each match, I felt like it was just "my time."  Not because I played well, but because I was getting chances.  I also didn't get the toughest draw in the world.

Now, don't get me wrong.  It wasn't a cake walk and I still played really, really well!  I just didn't run rack after rack; but I did get out well when I needed to and when it counted.  And I need to pat myself on the back for all of those matches I did that and stop being so hard on myself.

So when I found myself in the finals, I was still extremely ecstatic and I WILL learn from this  experience (as they say, the second place loser is the real winner because they learn more).

However, I'm not very proud of myself in the finals.  I'm not proud of how I acted, I'm not proud of how I played... I'm not proud.

I felt good I didn't fall part - I have had wobbly arms from nerves and not been able to make two balls in a row before and giving away matches like that is FAR worse than anything in pool (imo), but I... I don't know what happened.

I came out firing well.  Ran out most of the first rack but missed a 6ball or something.  I made the other balls really well and got great shape, but missed the 6ball.  A few games later, I miss an 8 ball I don't know how to shoot.  I say out loud, "I knew I was gonna miss that."  Which shows I already had doubt in my head; which meant I shouldn't have shot the shot yet.

I felt embarrassment I said that out loud.

Many people were watching that had never seen me play before and I got embarrassed.  I also "felt" like people knew I wouldn't be able to handle being in the finals.  Let's face it - I'm new to it; I haven't been in many BIG finals before - I was very wet behind the ears.  Further, I didn't handle the mental thoughts well (pretty obvious reading about all my doubt and caring too much what others think, huh?).

My mental toughness skills were nowhere to be found.  And that hurt me.  It was almost like someone else wrote this entire blog, lol.  Where was all the vast info I have learned over the years???  lol.

I was playing well, I SWEAR I was!  Good safes, excellent kicks, but I would miss another 8ball.  And then ANOTHER 8ball.  And by the time I had a shot on a 9 ball in the side from a miss, I missed that, too.  My body didn't feel nervousness, and my arms weren't wobbly from nerves, but I wasn't finishing racks and I got more and more embarrassed.  I would say things out loud like, "I knew I was gonna miss another 8ball!"

I didn't really think that, but I was hoping I wouldn't.  I honestly missed it because I was worried about shape/scratching.  But, again, I verbally indicated doubt and mental weakness.

Everything happened so fast, I couldn't recover.  Honestly.  I have written a million times (exaggerating, lol) that it's important to figure out WHY you are missing and also to refocus before the match ends.  Don't wait til after the match to figure out your "aha" reasons for missing.  Figure out it asap.

I didn't do that.

I just kept getting more and more embarrassed.  And the match seemed to fly by so fast, I didn't have time to figure things out.

Ironically, I still made a lot of fantastic shots, safeties and outs, just not last in the rack for some reason.

I lost the first set 4-7 so those 3 8balls, yes, are haunting my brain cells.  I have replayed them over in my head a million times this week, sending me into a depression.

The second set I had a chance to take advantage of a miss - the 9ball sitting in the hole and I hit it so hard, it came back out.  I was DONE; at. that. moment.  I was done.  I was rattled and embarrassed and done.  And that was the very first game of the match.  :(

I still fought, but just couldn't make anything work.

At 0-5, from a lot of mistakes, I FINALLY figured out what was going on with me!!!  I wasn't looking at the object ball last.  OMG!  And that's why I missed the 9ball in the hole in the first game of the second match!

I then made a super tough long shot on the 4 ball and got out.  I got to 2 games (2-5) before she ended my finals experience.

I hugged her and was very happy for her but I was relieved it was over.  I wanted to get out of there.  I acted happy I got second, but that was only to deflect how disappointed I was at my own play and embarrassment.  And since she lost her first match, her win is that much sweeter for her and everyone is talking about it.  I am proud of her, OF COURSE, but I am depressed for my actions.

I know in my heart I will ONLY learn from this and be better for next time.

I know that from experience.  And I am ready.  I really am!  I just hope and pray for another opportunity.

But in the meantime, the pain of missing so many key shots b/c I hadn't figured out what was going on early enough really saddens me.

I will get over this; it will just take time.  And, the experience will help me out for who knows what is in store for me in the future!

Did I mention I placed my highest finish yet on the OB Cues Ladies Tour?  :)

Ladies Weekend

Last weekend was chalk full of pool for me.  And not just pool, but FEMALE pool.

SATURDAY

I play on an all-women's league and they have two big tourneys each season - 'Queen of the Hill' in the middle of the season and 'Queen of the Hill' at the end of the season.  Saturday was the mid season tourney.

I had never played in one of these tourneys before (as this is a new league for me), but I have seen the payouts for the calcutta once and was VERY impressed.

There were only 15 girls in the tourney this time, tho.  I don't *think* that's normal at all, but it was still a fun and competitive crowd of women.

I went for Pick of the Litter and must say I was quite surprised by the bidding and how many were trying to "buy" me.  I went quickly for $120.

My b/f told me to buy half myself and so I paid my $60 and was in the mix for once (I normally don't buy half myself).  The second highest amount was $100, and that went to the great player (Nina) who has won the last two Queen of the Hill tourneys.  Everyone was in contention and no one went for less than $15, most went for over $35.

I don't know why more ladies didn't come to the tourney.  I heard they normally have a second calcutta, but since there was not a larger field, they did not do that this time.

I won my first match, even though I was extremely emotional.  I had a rough start to the day, but still tried to hold it together.

In my next match, I play one of the top shooters, Teri.  She wins the first game and someone then shouts to me, "You have a target on your back!"

I was kind of confused, but then figured maybe they said that since I had gone high in the calcutta.  Since Teri had won the first game in a race to 3, she was on her way to being the hero who knocked me down.

I ran the next rack out and Teri says something like, "see what you did by saying that?" to the girl who made the first comment.

LOL.  All the girls are so much fun and nice!

Teri is a VERY tough player and she played extremely well against me.  She won the next game as well and had me down 2-1.  I somehow won the 4th game to tie it 2-2.  One game left to see who would march on.

After some great safeties by Teri and I, I finally had a chance at the table and ran out 3-4 balls to win.  Teri was a true sport, and she's a very gifted player who knows the game well.

I win my next match against the formidable player, Cindy.  Cindy has a great heart and a wonderful game.  We had fun and she joked she wanted to "grow up to be like me."  Which is funny, because Cindy's heart is so big, we all want to be like HER.

While I'm waiting for the hotseat, my friend Angelina has just secured her spot in the hotseat with me.  I went up to her and hugged her, as she was crying.  She had so much emotion because that win sealed her highest finish yet in a tourney!  I was SO SO proud of her!  And she did it by beating the previous Queen of the Hill.  That's strong!

We play our hotseat match and we have a good time and play well, and I come out on top 3-1. I was still so very excited for her because she was having a fantastic tournament!

Her Dad is very sick and is only given a few weeks to live.  I wanted to express to her I thought she was playing for him.  Further, he was helping her today, just as my Mom helped me all year.  They help us by giving us us strength, confidence, and the will to prevail.

Angelina plays her next match and WINS!  She now has a spot in the finals!

We again have a good time in that final match and both play well.

I win the match and therefore the tourney, and I am now the Queen of the Hill!  I won $170 for First Place and half of the first place calutta prize ($282 / 2).  :)

I am very excited I won the tourney, but I honestly was MORE excited for Angelina.  She placed her highest finish yet and I was SO happy for her!

Angelina and I

The Thursday all-women's league is run VERY well and I have admired the way they run the tourneys and league with such professionalism.  I am proud to be a part of the league.

SUNDAY

On Sunday, I played in the Rusty's Billiards quarterly bar box tourney.  54 players entered the event!  And for the first time, we had more than 2 women enter and so they paid out a "Last Lady" spot.  I believe there were 4 ladies total, and we each paid $30 entry.  The Last Lady paid out $50!  More than the entry and that was very generous.

I got a bye then played one of the regulars.  He got unfortunate against me.  He hooked himself on an 8ball and I got out.  Then made an 8ball out of turn another.  I ran out the last game to win 4-1.  

My next two matches were against two very tough players and I lost 4-0 and 3-1.  I was honestly way too tired to play my best and missed many shots in my last match because of exhaustion.  But, because I had a bye then won my second match, that sealed my Last Lady position and I won that $50!

I admit if I had a tougher draw at first, it could have easily gone to one of the other girls.  I got lucky; I admit it.