Running Tours Differently

I saw this post from FaceBook the other day and as par the course for me, I wanted to blog about it!  (smile)

This post shows a couple of photos of the committee members of the DFW 9-Ball Tour, "getting ready for season 2020."

(click image to enlarge)

The reason it stood out for me was because there is roughly 15 people around that table, working on the Tour.

As you may all remember, I ran the Omega Billiards Tour for 7 years in DFW.  When I stopped running it, the DFW 9-Ball Tour was formed.  I was SO thankful a tour was going to continue in the area for the players!  Relieved, actually.  So, it was a Godsend the DFW 9-Ball Tour came to fruition... for the players!

The difference is, I was a one-woman shop.  Don't get me wrong, I had a few advisors I would bounce ideas off of, and I ALWAYS spoke to the sponsor of the tour (Mike Hoang of Omega Billiards) to get his suggestions and/or confirmation of ideas.

Because I helped run the Ladies Tour in Texas for nine years, I was very seasoned and felt very comfortable in the role.  Further, I am extremely conscientious (maybe too much) and therefore updated the website and put out FB announcements routinely, frequently, and often.  I also was on top of writing the articles, taking photos, running the tournaments, etc.

I always worked hard to get the calendar ready early for the next year - the players were anxious to know the dates. I would call and try and confirm locations, which took a ton of time, and also ensure the dates didn't conflict with other big tournaments. Every October when the last location/date was confirmed for the next year, I'd throw my fists in the air with such happiness and satisfaction! I would be ELATED! It's such a big thing to get finalized, whew! But, all this was done by little 'ole me.

I always needed a couple of helpers at the events and luckily had some great help all those years - couldn't have run such successful events without them.

To see such a large committee for the new tour tells me a few things.  One, each person probably brings a certain talent to the group, which is great for a business.  Two, it's great they are planning things together - the success of a committee is to ensure all have input and know the vision of the business.  Three, that they are taking the responsibility of the Tour seriously (which of course I LOVE).  Four, I shouldn't have ran the tour with so little help all those years.

Number Four is the reason I wanted to write today.  I remember when I announced I was stepping away, one of the players told me they wish they knew I was burnt out and they could have helped me, so that the Omega Tour could keep going. He and another player even offered to help me, and I immediately felt anxiety and stress... I didn't want to even be "just an advisor," they reassured me.  By then, I was way too ready to stop being a Tournament Director, a Baby Sitter, and down right exhausted.

Do I wish I had a committee of people to help me?  Actually, no.  lol.  While running the Tour solo was in reality not a good idea, lol, but in the end - it was what was meant to be.  It allowed me to remove myself completely from running a tour and to step away about 1,000,000 miles, lol.

I am a FIRM believer that everything happens for a reason.  I am extremely thankful Mike Hoang and Rusty's Billiards believed in me, which helped start my dream to run a Tour in DFW for the players. While 7 years later I stepped away, it allowed for another Tour to jump in and continue the dream.

Me stepping away was beneficial to so many people. For myself, I now have more peace and happiness away from the pool room. For the committee members, the DFW 9-Ball Tour is allowing for new people to gain experience and/or showcase their talent/experience. For new pool players, a Tour continued in the area. And most importantly, for all the players and businesses in DFW, a Tour continued in the area and that is the best gift ever!

What's on Your Happiness List?

I have a new client I am giving lessons to.  We have met a couple of times now to spar and talk about strategy.  We go to one of the local pool rooms (Rusty's Billiards in Arlington, Texas) where they have beautiful Diamond bar tables for us to play on.

Both times we have met up, of course there are players in there that I know.

Last month we practiced on the same weekend as the new DFW 9 Ball Tour was being held an hour away in Dallas.  Someone asked me, "Why aren't you there?"  Uh, why would I be there?  I don't run a Tour anymore and have no reason to drive an hour to be around smoke and drama.  Some others  asked, "Do you miss running it?" 

"NOPE, not one bit," I exclaimed smiling.

This past weekend was the same pattern.  About four players asked me how I was doing, do I miss running the tour, etc.  I would smile and say loudly, "Not at all!"

A few of the replies were, "You look good and stress-free.  I am glad you are happy."

It was a nice reaction for me to hear.  I think most of the players are finally accepting I really don't miss running the tour.  They are also seeing on my face and in my body language how happier I am from the lack of stress and drama and all the issues I had to deal with.

Sure, I miss seeing some of my friends, but I don't miss much else lol.  Sounds rude and selfish, but it's okay to be honest.  It was a lot of work and energy mentally and physically running the tour and took a lot of time.  The lack of stress, the more restful nights, and the happiness it brings my soul to be away from drama and long days in a smoke-filled pool room is something I am very thankful to finally have had the strength to walk away from.

I am proud to have been a stepping stone for the new tour and over the moon with excitement there is a still an avenue for players to play in the area (the new DFW 9 Ball Tour).  But I am also thankful to be away from it now.

Happiness is important in life.  How many books and articles and therapists have worked so hard to try and convince us we should make changes about things in our lives that would create more happiness for ourselves.  We nod in agreement, maybe raise our fists with a "YES!" movement, and we might even make a list of the things we want to do to help our happiness.  But then we never do anything to move us to a point to check off things from the all-important list we thought was so enlightening.

I was VERY happy running the Omega Tour for numerous years.  But once I became unhappy, I knew in my heart I needed to make a change.  It was an agonizing 6 month decision, and I cried just giving the announcement, that's how tough of a decision it was.  But now that I no longer run the tour, I have noticed I have become happier.  Did I know that would happen?  NOT AT ALL.  No idea.

What is on your list that you could do that would make you happier, provide less stress, etc?  Life is short, peeps.

What I'll Miss Most

There were many special things that happened personally for me over the course of running the Omega Tour for almost 6 full years that I am honored and blessed to have happened. 

Let's look at some remarkable parts of running the tour in detail that I cherished and will miss:

PLAYERS BECOMING FRIENDS:  New friendships, even some love interests, happened because of running the Tour.  And not to mention all the cool players I met who either I learned a lot from (about pool or personal things) and also who ended up being genuine good friends.  Had I not run the tour, I wouldn't have met all these wonderful people who are now a part of my life and for that I will be forever grateful. 

RESOURCES:  One of the cool benefits were the contacts I gained.  As I mentioned in a previous blog post, having access to so many different types of people allows one to find trusted resources of expertise we may need.  Like I now have a roofer, a friend who works on cars, a friend who helps me with house improvements, people who will lend a hand if needed when friends are sick, etc.

GAME IMPROVED:  The other thing that of course happened was my game skyrocketed because I watched so many talented players compete for 2 full days at a time for 8 to 12 times a year.  That's A LOT of learning that not many people get to witness!  I admit completely that part of my winning run for a few years was because I was able to watch patterns of the top players and also see how well they stay down with smooth strokes.  You watch great pool like that so often and so much, you gain such incredible knowledge that helps propel your game.  And I was lucky to be on the receiving end of that.

LEADERSHIP:  And another thing I truly loved was all the leadership I gained.  Talking at times to all the sponsors allowed me to learn a lot of the ins and outs of a business and why decisions were better than others.  Further, a lot of leadership opportunities also arose by running the tour when I interacted with the players.  There's a lot more to just running a tournament and going through the motions, it's also about personalities, and how to handle conflict, and dealing with issues professionally.  Huge opportunity and experience for leadership.

FRIENDSHIP:  The thing I'll miss most is talking with friends and getting to know them.  Even a few friends would come to visit me at the tournaments on Sundays, and we spent hours chatting and catching up.  We have decided to continue that in other arenas (away from smoke and pool rooms).  Further, all the players who helped me run the tour became really good friends and I will miss them.  Heather, Ginger, Jeff Georges, Dana, Duane, and Kara.  Even my bestie Amanda and I only really saw each other at the tourneys.  But I gained valuable friendships in all these people and I will miss hearing their advice, learning more about them, and enjoying conversations.  It's not to say I'll never see or talk to them, but the Omega was the Perfect Storm for all that conversing to take place.  And of course hosting birthday celebrations for friends who I normally wouldn't see was a pretty cool side benefit of running the Tour.

And no... none of this changes my mind about my decision to get away from the pool room.  But, many have asked me what I'll miss from not running the Omega Tour anymore, so wanted to share.

But, the distance wont stop me from still having great connections with friends!

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!

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 :)

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!!

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!

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.

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!

Sweet Accolades

If you hadn't read yet in my blog, I announced I can no longer run the Omega Tour starting next year (read that HERE).

The loud begging for me to change my mind about running the Tour is sweet, but the outpouring of support about how I ran the Omega Billiards Tour has been really awesome and heart warming most. 

Here is one example I received via email that I thought I would share, because it really means a lot to me and really captures the type of feedback I am receiving:

"I was sad to hear that you were ending the Omega Tour. You did an amazing job and provided a incredibly organized venue for a huge community of pool players of all skill levels. What a success story! You should be very proud of what you've done all these years. To offer a tournament that constantly fills up months in advance is evidence of how everyone loved the tour. Now is your chance to take some well deserved time off.  I personally have enjoyed all the events I played in."

Such kind words.

No, still not changing my mind, lol.

But, truly, TRULY means a lot.

Tough Decisions

The hardest decisions in life are the ones that affect other people.  When I stopped playing competitively, that tough decision only affected me.  Maybe a few others indirectly (like a team that wanted me or a scotch doubles partner), but only me directly.  However when you stop doing something that you are good at and that others appreciate, it makes it all that much tougher to feel comfortable with any tough decision.

Last weekend at the Omega Billiards Tour stop, after five and a half years, I announced through tears (how embarrassing!) that the Omega Tour will end its run at the end of the year.

The sponsor and I came to an agreement and we decided it was best for each of us.

Here is the official announcement:

After much consideration and sleepless nights, myself and the sponsor of the Omega Billiards Tour made this announcement today:  

"Due to increased responsibilities at my job and any potential future career opportunities and because Omega Billiards Supply (the sponsor of the Omega Billiards Tour) needs to make sound business and financial decisions, we are sad to announce we have unfortunately mutually agreed we can no longer move forward with the Omega Billiards Tour after this year. This was not an easy decision - actually one of the hardest decisions! - but we must each do what is best for our livelihood and future pensions. We are very thankful for you all helping put the DFW pool scene back on the map for the past five and a half years! We know in our hearts this is just a start for more amazing things to come to the area. We love the players, pool rooms and the fans and we wish you all nothing but the best in your pool journeys!" 

I want to sincerely thank you for always being so supportive, responsive, and a great friend to myself and the Tour.   Please know this is one of the most difficult of decisions.  

I've been keeping this inside for many months and have been having literally months of sleepless nights about this heart-wrenching decision; it’s tough to sleep with that much weight on you.

You see, when you know you're good at something that people love, and a decision directly affects people and businesses, a decision like this is not taken lightly, accepted lightly, or even able to put into words lightly.

I'm at a loss right now of what to say or how to say it except the fact is I've been in the pool room for 25 years and I need to get out of the pool room... for so many more reasons than I can even put down on paper.

Mostly for my heart, my health, and my soul.  Being in the pool room does not bring me peace and further, my job is suffering.  Running a Tour is really a part time job, and it’s not fair to my career (that pays my bills) to keep interfering with that.  I can’t possibly even apply for any promotions because I couldn't give proper attention to both the players of a Tour or my day job. 

It was a tough weekend and week hearing all the accolades that my hard work has paid off, the players loved how I ran the Tour, and the offers to keep it going.  But the decision is made.

The good news is, many have told me the Omega Tour has a solid foundation and great momentum, so a few players have already approached me about ideas to continue some type of Tour for the Dallas-Fort Worth area and so there will still be great tournaments in the area for the players - which was my dream all along and why I started the Omega Tour. 

So, the dream will continue, but it’s just time for a new leader.

Tough to Lose With Class

One of the Omega Billiards Tour player's who is well-known for handling loss well and never showing emotions or getting upset, was sharing something with me and his fiance' after he lost a match late on a Saturday.

You see, just because he SHOWS no reaction to losing a match he cares about, doesn't mean he's not internally really pissed off!

He said, "Ya know, it really is tough to lose with class."

I looked at him kinda weird, knowing he handles losses better than anyone we all know.

He continued, "I'm actually really mad I lost that match and I'm out of the tournament already, but I don't need to be an asshole because of it."

I couldn't even see on his face or in his body language that he was that internally upset about his last match; he controlled his emotions that well.  If he hadn't uttered that confession, I never would have known just how upset he was.

He continued to share that when he was a kid/teenager playing pool at places with his Dad, he was punished for outbursts.  "Daddy took my cue away if I showed I was upset.  Or, he wouldn't let me play for two weeks.  That teaches you to stop showing you are pissed off when you lose.  I wanted to keep playing!"

He added, "It's so hard to be a good loser because we want to win so badly.  We don't have to accept it.  Hell, we don't have to happy about it!  But, always lose with style."

I think Tony Sulsar would be extremely happy and pleased to know that what his Dad instilled in him is actually what we all see and appreciate in Tony.  People talk about it all the time - how well he handles himself, is always a gentlemen no matter if he loses a tough match or wins, and never shows anger at all after losses.

He's a great role model.

His Dad would be so very proud of him!

Don't Interfere with Pre-Tourney Routines

While I'm driving to the Omega stop on Sunday morning last week, it crosses my mind that I could call and chat to one of the players, a friend of mine, who was on his way to the pool room, also.

He had a morning match, so I knew he would be driving about the same time I was.  The doors of Clicks Billiards in Arlington, Texas opened at 10am and he gets there early every time.

I figured we could catch up and chit chat about life, work, or nothing, lol.

But then I stopped myself.

You see, he had a winner's side match this particular morning, and he needed to stay focused on his mental preparations and normal pre-tourney customs, whatever they may be.  He doesn't need me to distract him from his routine to talk about minuscule crap (or even deep, thoughtful conversations lol) - he needed to remained focused on his typical routine and not be distracted so he is fully prepared for his match.

You see, when I am driving to play in an important tournament, I turn the volume up and listen to some R and B music from my personal playlist.  I do this to relax, to get in a good mood, and to also not think about the future match ahead of me - I'm just trying to sing along to great music, which puts me in a good mood before my match.

We all play better pool in a good mood, right?

So, whatever his routine preparations are or whatever he is used to doing while driving to a tournament, doesn't normally involve me calling and chit chatting.  To me, that would have been a distraction (and I wouldn't want someone to do that to me).

So, I instead told him when I saw him at 10am, that I would blog about why I didn't call him, even though I thought about it.  LMAO.

Is Honesty the Best Policy?

I wrote before how some people admit if they foul when no one is looking, and others don't/wont.

I wrote it has to do with your internal ethic meter, maybe how you were raised, sometimes it even depends on what the score is or if you are in a team event or not.

I ran across an interesting scenario last weekend during the Omega Tour tournament.  I saw this happen one other time on the the Ladies Tour I ran, and each similar situation still baffles me.

Long story short, a player called three fouls on himself.  The additional problem was, it was hill-hill.

Some people are so honest, that the concept of NOT letting their opponent know they have just committed their third foul is just unfathomable to them.

In this situation, a player called me over and gave me the scenario.  "Uh, well, I just told my opponent he's on two fouls, and he tells me, 'well, actually, that was my third foul in a row, so I just lost.' "

I stood there confused.

The player shares, almost with a sad, conflicted admission, "Melinda, it's hill-hill."

He was conflicted about the whole situation.  He was dumbfounded and didn't know what to do.  He hadn't told his opponent he was on two fouls until he thought he was on two, and now his opponent is telling him, "oh, I already was, so I lost."

I told his opponent that he isn't suppose to call fouls on himself.  He looked deflated.  You could tell he was internally upset that he did the right thing by admitting he was already on three fouls, yet I am telling him he needs to shoot again.

He tried to explain that he was on three fouls and deserved the loss.  Yet his opponent and I are trying to almost plead with him that he's not suppose to call them on himself, tho.

He finally just gave up the fight.  I was asked watch the hit (it was a really close shot), he fouled, and then it was officially three fouls in a row and he lost hill-hill.

I tried desperately to explain he shouldn't call two or three fouls on himself and so did his opponent.  He finally told me, "Melinda, I hear what you are saying, I really do, but I know I will call this on myself in the future if it comes up."

You see, some people are just that honest.  No matter how many ways I could explain to him why or show him the rule book that it's his opponents' responsibility to put him on two/three, he was not going to accept the fact because it is kind of lying or cheating in his eyes and heart.

And that's okay.

Pool Playing Hazards

The hazards of playing pool.  This happened to Omega Player Steve Raynes during the Omega stop Saturday evening.

But the ingenuity of a quick fix!  Ha ha ha.   As they say, duct tape can fix anything lol.

Afterwards Steve said, "They are still really comfortable!"

And then later of Facebook: "That was my favorite pair of jeans. Rip."

Rip or RIP?  :)

When You Beat Your Kids

I have mentioned a couple of times that the Omega Tour is now using the Fargo Ratings to rank player's handicaps, instead of going by just known ability.  We implemented this change with the first stop of the year (in Jan).  This takes out any "opinions" and is based on stats.

This meant that some players ' handicaps moved up and some moved down.

A father and son are frequent players on the Tour and the Dad moved down from a 6 to a 5.  The son remained a 6 handicap.

(btw, your handicap number is what you race to in the matches).

For the first or second time in 5 years on the Tour, they ran into each other on the bracket.  Come Sunday morning, father and son had to battle it out!

So, the race was 5 for Dad and 6 for the son.

I see them playing and playing, battling it out, and finally the Dad comes over and tells me that he won and what the score was.  As I'm writing down his name on the bracket, he leans in and confides to me, "When I was on 4 games and won the last game of the match, he tried to rack for the next game because he didn't know I had won already.  I told him, "Daddy goes to 5...."" in his sarcastic, funny, proud voice!

LMAO!

It was hysterical!

4-Ball Run Video Review (Amos Bush)

4-ball run?  What's the big deal?  Ahh.... but so much to see in just running these 4 balls.

Hopefully this helps even one person see maybe some things we hadn't considered before:

Do You Influence with Info?

I have been working on a the last couple of months looking into adjusting a few players' handicaps on the Omega Tour to reflect more their known ability.  This would take place starting with the new 2017 Season in January.

After careful and many discussions, the Board and I decided after research and evaluation, that the Fargo Ratings are the best way to go.

I had been losing sleep over all the complaints about certain players and wanted to do something about it, and using the Fargo Ratings is the way to go.  Every person the Board considered moving up did indeed move up when we looked at the cut-offs for the handicaps for the Fargo Ratings compared to the Omega Tour.  It was quite remarkable.

And as one player told me,

"Players will complain about anything. But the biggest complaint I always heard about the handicapping for Omega before was that there wasn't a set methodology to determining a players handicap.  Now there is, so it'll come down to them whining about Fargo and not the decision makers on the tour.  There are some people who moved around but I think overall they were all moves in the right direction."

I had known about this new change (using Fargo Ratings) and had a lot of background information provided by Mike Page of FargoRate and was ready to announce this but wanted to wait until after the Season Finale so we could flush a few more things out and get some graphics that explained well the system/criteria.

But there I was Sunday morning of the Omega looking around the room and saw a few key players that I knew would be moving up come January.

I knew I wouldn't say anything to them, but I DID wonder what effect that would have had on them?  Would they have be consumed that they were going up in Jan and in-consequence not perform that well by being distracted by the news?  Or, would the info propel them to try even harder this one last event at a lower ranking?  (that's pressure in itself, tho, and can back-fire)

One player told me after he finished the tourney that he things it will push him harder to do well being ranked higher (as he knows he needed to be moved up).

Still - interesting, huh?

Such a mental game!  And I didn't want to affect the players in any way with the new news.

Ego Breaking

I wrote a few months back how a friend of mine pulled me aside to talk to me about my break.  It wasn't a solid break because my stroke was all over the place.  I didn't put a lot of dedication to the strokes (like I have with all my other shots/stroke)... and I needed to do that on the opening shot he reminded me.

That same player, went hill-hill with a tough player on Sunday last weekend of the Omega Tour Season Finale.  He was down 0-4 and came back hill-hill.

He confided that when he broke on the hill, that he had too much adrenaline and wanted "to be the hero" and instead of breaking like he normally does (solid and controlled), he broke too fast and hard... and the cueball flew off the table.

That gave his opponent ball-in-hand and he consequently ran out.

He was very forthcoming with what happened and took full responsibility. He knew right away what he did, why he did it, and he was reflecting on the tough loss.

This blog points out two important things:

1. Remain calm and try and stick with your normal stroke during all shots even when under pressure or anxious.  We tend to shoot faster - instead, stroke more to slow yourself down a tad.  (read more here)
2. Reflecting right away about what happened will be HUGE for your game (as it will for his for the very next time he's in this situation).  Learning and reflecting after each match is crucial for your future self in future tournaments.  It goes A LONG WAY.  

Omega Tour Purpose Reminder

I have struggled a lot in my life the last few years with "purpose."  Well, I have eluded before that running the Omega Tour is one of my true purposes right now in my life.

And when I read things like this, it reinforces this elusive thinking for me:

(Click photo above to enlarge)

Omega Tour player George Merchan said:

"I had two main goals coming into this years Omega tour. Don't go 2 and out, place in the money for at least one event, and crack the top 50 by the end of the year. Done, done, and done. I'm excited about what I'm going to accomplish in 2017 "

I responded:

"Congratulations, George! This is one of the many reasons having the Omega Tour for the players in DFW means so much!"

I started the Omega Billiards Tour along with Mike Hoang of Omega Billiards Supply and we both wanted 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. 

It's been a dream come true for me personally, and the tentacles of the tour have spread throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex billiard community.  As Mike has always said, starting this tour helps not just the players want to improve and play more, but also has impacted positively the billiard businesses in the area.  From increased attendance at pool rooms to the needed table mechanics to the billiard supplies, etc.

George placed 43rd this year out of ~230 players, and that's with missing 2 stops, too.  

GREAT job, George!  And thank you for the lovely reminder about the purpose of running the Omega Tour (and of my life).