In the past, pool had a slightly unsavoury, yet tantalising reputation. Parlours and halls were depicted by Hollywood to be populated by dodgy characters in tight jeans and leather jackets, hustling for money. Cues would routinely be broken over heads.
Now it’s time to forget all that and take a look at Sessions Billiards Club in Bellville, Cape Town. It’s a safe, clean, accessible and professional environment with pristine tables, where, yes, you can get a beer and a pizza and hang with your friends, but you can also take your game seriously. In particular, where pool skills were once jokingly referred to as a “misspent youth”, this is where young players are encouraged and trained to the highest standards in a sport which has significant professional career opportunities. The Junior Billiards Academy at Sessions incorporates boot camps and junior tournaments which are open to all.
Sessions CEO Craig Bouwer puts his decades of personal pool playing experience, both socially and professionally, behind this endeavour; and his own 10-year-old son is confidently talented at besting players much older than himself. The age group for junior players is from nine up to 18 years old. “Younger than that, they struggle to focus – or reach the balls,” says Bouwer.
American-size tables
At this point it’s important to note that Sessions is fitted out with American-size tables, which are larger than the standard English tables most will be familiar with. In fact, everything is bigger – the tables, the balls, the pockets, and the cues – which are thicker and sturdier.
By its very nature, pool is a competitive sport: there is a winner and a loser, and Bouwer encourages this side of the game, which is why tournaments are hosted every two months. “We couple this with boot camp training, which is two to three hours-worth of fundamentals, tips and tricks for groups of up to 10 children,” says Bouwer. He is joined in these coaching sessions by Marnitz Hawkes, 17, a junior professional champion himself. He is something of a poster child for the new age of pool and Sessions, working at the club and being fully supported in his pool ambitions by his parents who homeschool him to allow him time to dedicate himself to the sport.
Besides the attraction of turning pool into a professional career, the game provides numerous benefits for children. Most obviously, it teaches and sharpens hand-eye coordination. It’s a game of strategy so it improves puzzle solving skills, and encourages planning ahead. Through this, it builds focus and the ability to handle pressure – learning to lose graciously is as important and winning. Patience is another benefit, and mathematical skills are applied through the use of geometry on every shot.
Breathing exercises
When he began playing in tournaments, Bouwer says he was extremely nervous: “My hands were shaking, and that was because it was outside my comfort zone. As I explored and played more, I pushed myself forward. Now I’m participating in national and international events. Nerves in pool are not a great thing; you end up trembling and when you’re dealing with millimetres and speed control and so many variables, any tightness in your muscles and you end up not in control, and losing. The really good players play without a care in the world. Now I look at it as an opportunity, an exciting moment…I can either decide to be nervous or capture that moment. With this sport – any professional sport for that matter – if you have any kind of negative mindset you are going to fail.”
Breathing exercises help, advises Bouwer, and points out that pool improves critical thinking. Over time, it will enhance and improve physicality through stretching, balancing, and power. Bouwer is working on a structured curriculum he can take to schools in the area, with the aim of encouraging young players to take up pool as an after-school activity. While eight players from Mitchells Plain – where Bouwer says there is a thriving pool scene filled with talented players – have been sponsored to train at Sessions, Bouwer is keen to pique the interest of those in the immediate area.
Boot camps are not only available to children, although building and promoting the sport is a huge part of what Bouwer hopes to do. Adults, whether beginner or intermediate, can hone specific skills too, like body positions, elbow positions, how to hold your head, where to look and how to stroke.
Even if you’ve been away from the game for a while, pool is one of the sports that never leaves you, asserts Bouwer. “The passion is always there. It’s like therapy,” he jokes. But really, the thrill of a good shot, or potting multiple balls in a row, or successfully working out angles – that joy never goes away. “It’s the social aspect but also the game,” says Bouwer. “Lots of players who come here, maybe used to play and are happy to come back to it.” Whatever your age or skill level, this is pool like you’ve never experienced it before.