Young Athletes and Billiards Gamblers

Pool has some outstanding young athletes. Do they equal the measure of Olympic champions?

The young pool player faces three potential hardships. Hardships that can erode character even as they carve success:

1. Degenerate poolrooms to "play in". Pool players must contend with bad attitudes, gambling and hustling—in those rooms allowing them to rule.

2. Competition itself. Pool players often jealously guard secrets of the game. They delight in triumphs over lesser players where they should be expanding our sport’s knowledge base. Thankfully, some players have missed this mode of competition entirely and welcome others to learn, too.

3. Gambling for the daily bread, man—great adult players start as great teens—some of whom become greatly addicted to gambling. Again, most poolrooms have clamped down on money competition where it is unhealthy lifestyle behavior.

Examine the young Willie Mosconi with us and others as we explore this deep subject.

Willie Mosconi’s Greatest Movie

Pool and The Olympic Games – Three Obstacles

Photo courtesy of John Slater/Getty Images