"Billiards touches the social, physical and mental needs of today's youth and allows students to apply new knowledge to life's challenges. The sport has the ability to raise one's self-esteem and social skills as well as enhance the development of movement skills. Please expand on how billiards has touched your life."
I have been around billiards my entire life and I have seen into all of its facets. From competing in tournaments and weekly leagues, to setting up tables and running tournaments, billiards has played an integral role in my growth as a person. Billiards has taught me sportsmanship, how to handle stress and it has given me examples of people I want to be like and, people I do not want to be like.
Playing in pool leagues since I was nine years old has taught me how important sportsmanship is. Billiards is one of the only sports where winning truly isn’t everything, and it reminds me of a draw from the cowboy days. Two people put all their skills to the test, as they compete they act respectfully and who ever loses has respect for the winning party, instead of feeling resentment towards them. There is no better feeling than having someone, who I just put out of the tournament, come and cheer for me later on. Truly, the only way to gain respect is to show it and without sportsmanship, that is impossible.
Billiards is an incredibly stressful game. When it is your turn there is so much pressure to perform, and when it is not your turn there is nothing you can do but pray. The prime example is if my opponent is running the table, as I watch him it is almost obvious that he is going to win. Then, out of nowhere, he chokes and it is now my turn. Of course he made it to the eight ball and it is sitting in the pocket where he could make it from just about anywhere. As I get down on the ball I can hear my heart beat but then, everything goes quiet and shot after shot I get closer and closer to the win. My hands are subtly shaking and my breath is rapid. As I chalk my cue I take a breath and, the stress disappears just in time to sink the eight. Conquering that stress is the best step towards succeeding in billiards and learning how to do so will be invaluable in the real world.
Because of the venues which billiards is played in, there is a variety of people who I come in contact with while playing. Not all of these people are ones that I want to be like and, through billiards, I have learned a lot about what kind of person I want to be. As I play, and watch my parents play, I notice all of the people and, the variety of ways in which they conduct themselves. Some of them are quiet and respectful while others are loud and obnoxious. I see a lot of people who are well-mannered and polite but there is always that one person who makes me ask myself, what did their parents teach them? They strut through the bar like they own the place and show absolutely no respect to any one. Meanwhile, everyone is silently despising this one person but, because each person knows it won’t do anyone any good to tell that person, they all continue to silently deride him. Seeing these obnoxious people gives me examples of what not to do and, I can learn from their mistakes therefore, preventing me from making these mistakes.
Through billiards I have grown into a better person than I would have ever been. From tournaments and leagues, to friendly basement games billiards has shaped me into the person I am, and with each passing tournament I learn a little about myself and a lot about who I want to be. The way billiards teaches me sportsmanship, prepares me for stressful situations, and exposes me to new influences is unmatched by any other activity.
