As for my certifications I was one of the Billiards Congress of America (BCA) Master Instructors for a few years before some things changed within the BCA and I decided to drop them at my convenience.
I still have a Masters teaching certificate with American Cue Sports (ACS) and the world billiards instructors. Plus, I serve for Darrell Paul Martineau’s DPM Universal Billiard Instructors Association. I also hold two certifications as a referee, one for the BCA and the other for the ACS.
As you mentioned about my trophies at the school those are from my playing time. I don’t consider them much any longer as that was yesterday—200 plaques and trophies sounds like a lot but put in content it really is not as big an achievement as it sounds.
I formerly played in tournaments six nights a week for the love of the game. When the payout was a trophy rather than dollars, it didn’t take long to amass trophies for the shelf.
The “Crucible” and the “Can You Repeat?” school concepts are high concepts. Explain more about them, please. Would I have to wear a galvanized pail on my head at your Billiards Institute? I hope not.
Now, I’m so busy with lessons that I hardly ever play any more and as I get older I find that on those cold winter nights I would rather be home where it is warmer. Seems to work that way at 68 years old.
I have designed a couple of classes that are very well received the “Crucible” is designed based of the old target pool concept with a few changes made to suit my classes.
I also had a D.I. Class that is only for former Marines as the normal player could not accept the things that go on in this class. For example, if you miss cue ball position you had to give the D.I. five push-ups off the rail, or the D.I. would make you wear a metal bucket on your head and shoot out the pattern with the bucket on your head!
I would take their picture and put in the “Bucket Head Of The Week” then post it on the wall. As you can imagine trying to get the normal players to take this would be out of the question because they don’t have the discipline for the mental abuse.
This class has now been retired for lack of enough Marines to take it. But it was a great time and they all commented it was like being back in “Boot Camp!”
Another big improvement we have made is the option for private lessons. All lessons are given on pristine nine-foot pool tables.
One of the best things about the private lessons are the students feel they can ask more questions in a relaxed atmosphere. I have students who do not want their competition to know they are taking lessons.
It’s not like having a lesson in a bar or pool hall where everyone is watching as you are learning new things. That bring me to prices for lessons, as all other schools are going up on prices, my rates have never changed sense I started to teach. With me, it is not about the money as I’m retired and love to teach this game we all love so much.
