SPM Billiards Magazine Issue 31

Licking County Juniors Billiards Story

By Kieth Shaner

We, in the pool world, have had mad

rush of young talent being celebrated like never before in the history of our sport. We’ve also had a huge surge in youth initiatives and available events for Juniors, tours, national events, and Junior worlds.

Today, I would like to introduce everyone to one of those initiatives, The Licking County Ohio Junior Billiards Program!

I have had a part-time association with this group over the years, and I have seen many young players develop and I have seen this program grow bigger every year. I spoke with Stella Pegan recently on their program. Here is their story…

A little history

A lady, here in Newark, originally started a junior program but due to some personal events happening, she couldn’t continue. So, Stella Pegan and William Lockhart, after some discussion, decided to take over, as their son WJ was already involved in the game, and they were familiar with many of kids.

They started with two trainers (William

Lockhart & Ernie Drumm) a treasurer (Stella Pegan), and a league secretary (Mari Church). They originally operated out of Drumm’s Family Billiards at their Main Street location in 2015 playing APA and feeling their way through the process.

When the 2016 season began, they had solidified their program a bit more and added a few new players. They also had switched to NAPA.

2017 saw some big changes in the program, they were now playing VNEA, the program added and reshuffled their officers and trainers. Eight players went to the VNEA Junior Championships that year and placed in two team events.

Another big change came in 2018 as they moved to Newark’s Townz Family Billiards. They now had fifty kids in their program, so they divided the league into 2 divisions (A & B) and they began staggering the training, with the older A division doing their 2 hours of training and league play and then the younger B division would come in and do their 2 hours.

They continued to thrive over the next 342

43seasons Forming their committee and adding their own fundraising events and Junior tournaments., which were open to all youth players.

They have also had great sponsorship over the years, such as Ed’s Sleds Car Sales, American Trophy as well as Drumm’s and Townz billiard rooms.

In 2021 they really exploded on the scene at VNEA Junior Nationals. They had the largest contingent of 24 kids, and they took home a ton of honors. They also added GSB cues as a sponsor for many of their players as well as donating to their events. Willie, Jody Boggs and Joe West were the main trainers, Jason Angus had become Treasurer and Stella the Secretary.

The new 2021-2022 season has them back at Drumm’s at their new location as they prepare for this year’s VNEA Junior

Championships. With more kids, more trainers and new equipment & technology. Now how did they do it? I asked Stella to explain…

KS: What is the basic format of your league?

SP: Singles League has been the biggest format, but we have had teams in the past years. The struggle was kids not being able to make it when we did teams.

KS: What is the structure of the instructional portion of your program and how has it evolved over the years?

SP: In the beginning, Willie would research different training techniques to do with the kids as a group after they did the matches. Then we started getting bigger, so we split the kids into groups of Division A, being the more advanced kids and division B for the kids who were beginning. At one point we

44

even had a C division. They would play their matches and then get training on their division.

The younger kids we worked on basics. Then the older kids working on more advanced techniques. William Lockhart and Jody Boggs went to Vegas in 2021 and became certified instructors.

This past year we bought a break rack that helps kids to be better in their break and control the cue ball. We also bought a Pro Billiards Projection, it has 700 drills and games that the kids can use to advance their game. We also received an iCue to help the kids work on cue ball control.

We want our juniors to go to school and get a good education, play sports, get jobs, stay out of trouble, and play pool. We highlight when they do great things outside of pool.

KS: How many parents and volunteers have worked with you over the years and how many former juniors have returned to help grow your program as volunteers? SP: Clayton Townsend and Makayla Swonger have come back to help the kids over the years since aging out. William Lockhart Jr will age out this year and will be returning next year as a trainer. We have had several people in the community that have come out to help our kids over the years. We welcome that. Keith Shaner, Bob Blamer, Barry Phillips, Ernie Drumm, Shane Albaugh, Travis Stewart, Shane Murphy, Amanda Combs The older juniors have helped many times mentor our younger youth during training. KS: What are some of the highlights of your program and what events have you traveled to over the years?

45

SP: Bringing home 13 charlies last year, best dressed award for the jersey that Jason Angus designed, sportsmanship award that went to Auna Poulnott, Top cat award went to Auna and Averie West.

Some of our kids Tanner Elliott, Skylynn Elliott, Lathan Elliott, Avaelah Elliott, Hunter Compton have traveled to JIC and BEF to play.

KS: Have your kids had any experience or interaction with professional-level players?

SP: Yes. Adam Smith & Dee Adkins locally, as well as Shane Van Boening, Tom Rossman (Dr Cue), and Dave Person at Nationals.

KS: Have you been around any other junior programs and if so, what have you learned from them that you have incorporated into your program and what have your shared with them?

SP: We started the only junior’s program in Ohio in 2015. Since than some other programs have started. We shared what we were doing with the Dayton area.

KS: How was your overall experience at the VNEA Junior Nationals in prior years?

SP: 13 Charlies, 7 certificates, 2 plaques, 11 sticks, 2 cue holders, $1,050.00 Ozone Gift cards. Singles

1st Youth Female Auna Poulnott 2nd Youth Female Averie West 1st place Major Female Redemption Hailey Kurtz

46

2nd Place Youth Male Trey Vogelmeier 7-8th place Minor Male Tanner Elliott 2nd Place Major Male Redemption Chase Combs 7-8th place Major Male Clayton Townsend Team

2nd place Youth team- Hollow Heads Gabe Cowgill, Lathan Elliott, Trey Volgeimier 4th place Youth team- Ounce of Fury Dallas Boggs, Auna Poulnott, Averie West 4th place Minor Team- Pocket Rockets Tanner Elliott, Skylnn Elliott, Faith Westbrook, Isaiah Angus

1st place Major Sport Team- Slingers Clayton Townsend, Chase Combs, Brayden Holtz 2nd Place Major Sports Team Junior Assassins William Lockhart Jr, Ethan Boggs, Curtis Landis 2nd place Minor Scotch Doubles Team Tanner Elliott and Kennedy Meyman Mini Singles 1st place William Lockhart Jr 2nd place Chase Combs 1st place Tanner Elliott 2nd place Isaiah Angus

KS: You are preparing for Junior Nationals this year right now, how many kids are going this year and who are some standouts in this year’s group?

SP: 29 kids are going with this year. I believe all the kids going have potential to do very well. Our only goal is to bring home more Charlies than last year. This will be the last year for William Lockhart Jr and Hunter Compton as they will age out.

47

Going: Wish them luck Addy Allen Trey Vogelmeier Steven Tice Payton Tice Kylie Sky Ethan Hottinger Curtis Landis Hailey Kurtz William Bolton Jr William Lockhart Jr Faith Westbrook Averie West Dallas Boggs Ethan Boggs Isaiah Angus Tanner Elliott Skylynn Elliott

Jacob Elliott Lathan Elliott Avaelah Elliott Tyler McManus Hunter Compton Madison Ham Donna Ham Riley Ham Trent Townsend Chase Dininger Jonryan Freeman Noah Majersky

I want to thank Stella and the program committee for taking the time to speak with me and share their story. Good luck to you this year and into the future!

48