Trophy Disposal

Yep, you read the title correctly.

Am I /really/ getting rid of my trophies?

Well, I'm de-cluttering!  I've mentioned it several times now and I know you are hoping this is the last mention of it, but this time it's about trophies.

I can remember writing just only a few years ago about trophies and how I longed to win some of those really big ones I only saw in other players' arms.

You see, the leagues I had been in didn't give big trophies.  Plaques or statues were given in place of trophies.  So, when I played in a few tournaments that gave big trophies out, I was more vying for the trophy than the win (and of course I lost b/c my mind was on the prize and not on the table in front of me).

I remember people making fun of me, too.  "Oh, they just collect dust anyway, Melinda."  Well, I WANTED big dust collectors!  lol.  Here is just one story for ya.

So, every so often throughout the years I would win a little trophy and be SO happy, literally like a little kid on Easter or Christmas.

Here, see for yourself:

And then comes along the 'de-cluttering Melinda' trying to get ready for a garage sale.

One thing I need to share with you all is I'm a HUGE green person.  I recycle everything I possibly can both at home and work.  I bring used batteries to work for the collection box, take my own recycling to the recycling dumpsters because we don't have curb-side yet in my city, I am in charge of ensuring the proper recycling for my coworkers, and I'm even on the "Green Team" in my building and help participate in making the world a better place to live in by the decisions we make in our building.

So, when I decided which trophies needed to go (yes, I didn't chunk them all - I saved the biggest one, lol), I was going to recycle them and not just throw them away (of course).  Then I looked online to see if places accepted trophies and sure enough the place I order the Omega Tour plaques from welcome used trophies and reuse them for teams and sports of kids who can't afford trophies and prizes.

How cool is that???

So, I'm not just de-cluttering and being green, I'm also paying it forward to help others.

Now, let me point out that every plaque and acrylic statue I have are still on my shelves.  I'm not de-cluttering my whole pool life away, just the trophies that, well, are collecting dust.  lol.  The plaques and acrylic standing plaques are from State and National events and I LOVE seeing those on my walls and shelves.

Paper Brackets - Goodbye, Mementos

I can tell I'm moving on from my pool playing days.

I recently came across all these paper brackets I had saved from the numerous Ladies Tour Second Chance tourneys that I won:

These paper brackets were proof of the little successful beginner in me. 

Let's face it, the first true steps in moving up the pool ladder are always the first few tourneys you win, no matter how small the field.  These tourneys only had 10-18 players, but your first wins are still so awesome, right?

I recall how after each win, I would be so proud to be able to take these home and save them to remember my accomplishments!  These wins were few and far between and I cherished them so much, and wanted to always remember them!  (so I thought.)

But, I have already delicately placed all these paper memories into my recycle bin. 

I felt funny parting with these large brackets, the proof of my early successes, but I admit the newer plaques and trophies obviously mean so much more to me.

But after I leave this world, who is really going to keep these around because the win column says "Melinda"?

Time to recycle.  :)

Really, More Hardware?

Pretty tough to do, but Greg Sandifer and I WON the BCAPL Texas state Scotch Doubles event undefeated!   Second year in a row for me!  And with a new partner.

Then came singles.  After a very long, exhausting, tough day full of close matches and lots of nerves and adrenaline, I found myself winning all my matches somehow and won the hotseat match.  I would be I the finals the next day!!

As you might recall, I won this event last year - THE tourney I always wanted to win.   To be in the finals the next year didn't even make sense to me how I could do that.

Felt pretty fortunate to be in the finals!!  I got double dipped by a super talented player (Ricki Casper), and plus I didn't play well enough.  But very pleased with second place in a really tough field!!

People kept acting disappointed when I told them (after they asked how I did in singles), that I placed 2nd (and not 1st).  Well, I still think I did great, honestly!!  (even tho someone actually told me second place is the first loser).   BUT.... I found out after the finals, that my opponent lost her Grandmother just the week before, and she wanted to win it for her. So, I'm even more glad she won!  I've been in her shoes and I know that means a lot. So again, second place was great for me, and my opponent played her heart out to win it!

And my women's team, 8 Ball Heat, placed 7th!!

Good pool week.  Made me reflect a lot about pool and where my future lies with it as I can sense a change acoming, but still feel extremely fortunate for my week!

Comment About Glass Trophies

I'm usually the last person to comment negatively on trophies.  You all have read how I yearn for trophies and get giddy over them, lol.

But I have to admit those clear trophies are very hard to read. 

So what I did was, bought a black poster board and put it behind the glass trophies on a shelf!

Against white walls or in brown cabinets, you can never read what they say.  This solution works well I think! 

Trophy Effects

On my Monday night league, we had our end-of-season award ceremony and then a singles tourney.  This league calls that tournament "The Turkey Shoot."

I kinda felt like a turkey! 

At the awards ceremony, I have to admit it was pretty dang cool!  I wish my boyfriend could have been there to see all this.

My team won FIRST place in the league/playoffs.  Here is our awesome plaque (with our names on it!!):

(click photo to enlarge)

And then the individual awards were given out.  I was SO surprised!  I had no idea I won two awards (and $25 for EACH award!):

Most break and runs for a female and most rack and runs for a female! 

And THEN I was also given a trophy for each of these individual awards!

And THEN our team was given a trophy for 1st place - and I mean, we EACH received a big trophy with our names on it!  (I guess the plaque was for the pool room we played out of.)

I was elated!  I don't have a lot of trophies to my name, even though I've played pool forever.  So, it was so awesome!

Here is a pic of me and the three trophies:

(click photo to enlarge)

And here's how I REALLY felt:

(click photo to enlarge)

I posted the close up on FB and one of my friends said, "You were holding more trophies than Adele after she won 12 Grammys!"  LOL!  Funny funny.... :)

I have written before how I love trophies - it's a symbol or recognition to me.  Some people may have a million of the dust collectors, but I don't have that many.

Then we had the tourney!

Suffice it to say I found out that not only do I have title tournament jitters and ruin tourneys with expectations, I now know I have trophy pressure!

See the two pics above?  See that HUGE trophy in the background on the table?  That was the first place trophy for the Turkey Shoot!  OMG, I WANTED that trophy!  It would have been THE biggest trophy I've ever received in my life!

After I won several matches, I found myself in the hotseat.  I walked over to the new table they put us on, and on the very next table was this magnificent beast!   I think I slobbered a little.  I wanted it SO badly!

Well, I don't know if that was the reason I lost that match, but I did.  Wanted something badly and expectations can KILL your focus on the game in front of you.

I'm not saying that's why I lost, because I mostly felt like I was playing "catch up" the whole time instead of being in control of the match; this short race to 3 Nine-ball!

I barely squeaked by my teammate in the next match 2-1 to have a rematch with the girl I played in the hotseat.

The men were already done - hardly anyone was there watching.  Just me, and all her supporters for her.

I played my little heart out but I was playing too fast.  Even though I am the better player and the whole time there was never a doubt I would I would force a second set, it just didn't happen.  I lost 2-3 AND the dang trophy............

I texted a few girlfriends about it, as they were asking for updates.  Two of them texted back, "We'll MAKE you a big trophy!"

LOL.  Love my friends!

Better Late Than Never

I wrote before how the BCAPL Texas State TDs saw some trophies in a garbage can a few years ago when they were packing up the tables after the tournament was complete. They decided that maybe the players didn't want trophies after all.

Wrong.

So, they made a decision to only order plaques/trophies if the 1-3rd places asked for one.

Wrong.

Well, this message wasn't passed on to the players. So, for two years, we all just waited for our plaques to magically arrive in the mail after the event.

Wrong.

The players asked about the plaques and we were told the above, and further - we didn't ask for the plaques.  Well, we didn't KNOW we were suppose to ask for plaques.

However, when SO many people complained that they did indeed wanted trophies, the BCAPL Texas State TDs made it right for the players.

Yes!

They got trophies made for all the players and teams who placed 1st-2nd places for the past two years, and they gave them to us back in April at the event!

Yes!

Local ref and now-hero, Steve, helped picking out the beautiful plaques and the players were once again happy showing their metal.

:)

Since our team event requires 4 ladies, but we had 5 on our team that placed 2nd last year, I was allowed to order that fifth plaque at the April event.  As I did this, I decided it wouldn't hurt to ask for one more plaque, for a friend of mine, who won the BCAPL Texas State ladies event, back in 2011.

She never got a trophy and she wasn't even aware what had happened.  She just figured she would never get one; but didn't really know why.

I asked.

I received!

Yes!

So at our women's league individual tournament in late May, I gave a little speech about her title from 2011. I truly felt she deserved recognition for her accomplishment.

I basically said that out of all the female players in Texas, our league had a BCAPL State Champion; out of every player in Texas!

I then shared how she never received a plaque and I thought it was such a HUGE honor and honestly - a life goal that I yearned for - and so I thought it would be awesome she finally got a plaque that she so deserved.

And then I surprised her and presented the plaque to her in front of her colleagues and teammates!

Later I would find out she doesn't like the spotlight, but on FaceBook when she said..... "I won that tourney 2 yrs ago and never rec'd a plaque. A truly amazing women, Melinda Bailey, got it for me. Thanks Melinda, you're awesome!" .... I figured I did good and my surprise, genuine speech worked! :)

Congrats to my teammate, Connie Kovarcik-Svoboda!!

 Connie and her trophy (they made me get in the pic, too, for some reason). 

Connie looks so pleased!  I am so proud of her!  HUGE accomplishment.  :)

Trophies

Funny, those little dusk collectors people make fun of.

Funny, those little trophies that get moved from box to box.

Funny, when you are so excited to win one, even a little one, and people make fun of you.

I remember this huge gesture by Vivian Villarreal one time several years ago. She won the Texas State Open (again) for the millionth time (exaggerating, obviously) and after the win, she gave her trophy to a young fan who watched her win.  She has trophies everywhere I'm sure, so this was a great moment for the fan.

I remember this Valentine's Day Trophy I won for a scotch doubles event.  My boyfriend wouldn't even carry his.  I carried both, proudly!

I haven't won many titles in my life, so when I DO happen to win an event with a trophy or a plaque, I am pretty dang excited!  I have expressed numerous times in this blog and to my friends that the title and trophy mean more to me than the prize money.

And I have to believe I'm not the only one. 

And I'm not.

I might get made fun of by guys, or maybe players that win them all the time, but for me they are few and far between.

Funny then, when the BCAPL Texas State tourney didn't have trophies or plaques the last two years for the players.  The ladies wondered where the trophies were.  We figured we would get them in the mail.  Didn't happen.

Then for BCAPL Nationals, my Women's Team WON the Team event! There were only 4 plaques, so being the Captain, I offered to be the fifth person who would receive their plaque later in the mail. Still haven't received it.

Even the other day, the WINNER of the BCAPL Texas State singles women's division had yet to receive her plaque.  Her husband declared, "If they aren't going to send it, at least let me know.  I'd like to order my own plaque for her." 

THEN.........something amazing happened.  My boyfriend's Men's Team won the ACS Texas State team event earlier this month.  All of a sudden, my boyfriend isn't making fun of trophies anymore.  There was only one trophy per team, but almost every player ordered their own copy, and one for the pool room owner who they represent.

It was pretty damn awesome to see these macho men be so proud of the plague.  Granted, it was a beautiful piece of metal, but to hear them each want one ordered for themselves, was pretty special.

I then came home and emailed the BCAPL Nationals.  They didn't have a record I had ordered my Nationals plaque, so they dropped it in the mail this week!

And, they contacted the BCAPL Texas State folks, and there was a miscommunication there, too.  So, both the 1st place and 2nd place women's teams from the last two years will be getting their trophies ordered soon, and my friends (Tracie and Connie) who won the singles division the last two years will be getting their plaques soon, also.  After the owner gets all the info from my friends and I, they will get ordered. 

He was VERY apologetic and thought this was already taken care of.  Then he shared that 2-3 years ago, when they were cleaning up and moving tables out, they found plaques in the trash.  So, since they pay for the trophies with their own money, their new policy was to order plaques after the event if anyone wanted them.  That message wasn't passed down to the players, but some of us know now!  And, we are getting plaques soon.  Yay!

I am so proud of my boyfriend's team that won.  Even the captain has added "State Champ" as his signature for all his texts now.  :)  Pretty cool.

I know the feeling - and IT'S AWESOME.  And soon, they will each have a plaque of their won to prove their awesome win!!  What a great memory piece that will be for them for years and years to come!

See?  Trophies and plaques ARE awesome after all :)

Valentine Scotch Doubles

On Friday Feb 11th, at the last minute on that evening, I heard there was a special Scotch Doubles tourney being held (probably out of respect for Valentine's Day).  My Scotch partner, Brian, said he would play and we raced quickly to Good Times in Arlington, Texas because sign ups were at 730pm and we were running late.

It was such a last minute decision, I didn't even have time to go home and get my cues first! 

We show up and there aren't many teams there.  I can tell Brian is nervous about wasting his time at this little tourney with no players, when instead he could be playing at his normal Friday night tourney that he likes so much.  But this scotch doubles tourney had a calcutta and we were one of the favorite pairings in the room, so I hoped his apprehensiveness would change soon.

By 8pm, Brian was convinced we should stay - he could tell how excited I was to be playing in a tourney with trophies, but more so because more teams showed up.  More teams means more money!  Once he made his mind up to stay, he was ready to play and win!

We didn't go highest in the calcutta, but we still were one of the top picks, and that was a great confidence booster for me.  I didn't know all of the players there - being one of the best female players in the area, if I don't know a lot of the other players it normally means they don't play that good.  It might sound conceited, but the fact is I play in so many tourneys with well-known, good players that we all know each other.  And because pool is dominated by men, everyone knows all the female players because there aren't many of us.

We play our first match (8ball, race to 3) and we win pretty easily 3-0.  We have to share his cue, but because it's a Jacoby and I own two myself, I get acclimated to it on the first shot.  :)  During the first match, I shoot one shot pretty sporty and I tell Brian afterwards, "I shot it that way because I have been watching you gamble so much lately and my confidence with those shots have increased."  I was all proud of myself for how well I executed it because I normally don't shoot those type of draw shots.

The next match we win again 3-0.  The female opponent complains to me that they didn't do well because they don't practice together.  I didn't have the heart to tell her Brian and I never do.  lol.

The next match is against some friends of mine.  They are the first team to get a game on us.  So, we definitely won't win 3-0 this time and keep our streak going, lol. But that's okay.  ;)  When the score is 1-1, I come with an amazing shot!  I even hear someone shout "good shot" from another table.  Well, I guess that got to me because I was too pumped up and missed the 8ball next.  :(  Our opponents go up 2 games to 1 in a race to 3.

I get bummed and yearn for confidence from Brian because I feel pretty bad.  I recognized at that point that if I get full support and compliments from my partner who helps me try to reverse the negative thoughts in my mind, I will get over embarrassing situations quicker.  Otherwise, I just want to crawl under a rock because I am embarrassed and because I feel like I am disappointing my partner. :(

He noticed I wasn't happy (I wasn't smiling anymore and being super quiet) and he gave me a big hug and told me it was okay and we would do fine.  I felt much better as he hugged me and even tho I was nervous and still a little apprehensive, we ran out the next rack after some good safeties to tie the score 2-2.  In the next game, they only had one ball left while our solids were covering the rest of the felt.  We took advantage of that and kept playing safeties until we earned ball-in-hand to run out (and we ran out good!).

We then played in the hotseat and won 3-1.  I made a few mistakes because I had lost a little focus because I admit the team wasn't that good.  But we won the hotseat!

Then.

We waited.

To play.

For hours.

I am not exaggerating, either.

Brian was getting frustrated.

It was getting late.

Seriously late.

By the time we play in the finals, it is 3am in the morning!  OMG.  16 teams and it's 3am?!

But we were determined to win that top place prize (and I wanted that dang trophy!).

We played a really good team in the finals that played well together, but we played much stronger and dominated with a 3-0 win at 330am!

We win about $340 and trophies!  Brian jokes "you won two trophies!" because he wasn't about to take it home with him.  lol.

I warned him early in the night how excited I would be if we won, but he was still surprised how excited I was about winning the trophy.  lol.

Brian and I play real good together - I am lucky!