Support

This article is the 10th of a monthly collection of the best writing on pool called PoolSynergy. This month’s theme is on “SUPPORT” hosted by Charlie Eames aka Forumghost516.

“This can mean what is your support system, who supports you, what you do for support in your life or in your game whether it be friends and family etc etc. This could also mean previous or current mentors or coaches, sponsors and more.”

Support, as it pertains to this article, defined in the first four entries by Merriam-Webster:
1: to endure bravely or quietly
2: (a) to promote the interests or cause of, (b) to uphold or defend as valid or right, (c) to argue or vote for
3: (a) to pay the costs of, (b) to provide a basis for the existence or subsistence of
4: to hold up or serve as a foundation or prop for

I would like to take this opportunity to pay homage to my loyal sponsors and supporters who have done all of the above for me at some point. Their many years of generosity and faithful belief in me have enriched my life and I hope to illustrate why they deserve your business. All I can ask is that whenever possible, you support me by supporting them.

Chris Byrne Custom Cues

Chris Byrne Custom Cues

Before CB stood for Cherry Bomb, it stood for Chris Byrne, as in Chris Byrne Custom Cues.

Chris was my very first sponsor since 2004. I was incredibly fortunate that so early on I was able to get connected with such a quality product that I truly believe in. His craftsmanship is top notch and I absolutely LOVE the way my cue hits. The best part of it all is that Chris and I have become great friends after all these years. He’s a wonderful person and a real stand up guy. I strongly recommend anyone in the market for a new cue to check out his stuff.

CB Cues
Thursday nights at Table Steaks South (soon to be Billiards Ink)
3201 South Bryant Street
Englewood, Colorado 80110
(720) 206-4034

Dr. John Hamilton, Active Health Chiropractic

Dr. John Hamilton, Active Health Chiropract

AKA “Dr. John” as I like to call him, has been getting my pool playing back in shape since 2007. Since our bodies weren’t designed to be in such precarious, stationary positions for so many hours a week, Dr. John gets my spine back in line. He’s a loving family man who believed in me and wanted to do what he could to support me. He generously donated his time on more than one occasion when I couldn’t afford to fix myself.

And that’s just how giving the man is! This is something he does on a regular basis, on the first Saturday of each month, as a matter of fact.

Active Health Chiropractic, pllc
Iliff Office Park.
2323 South Troy Street, 3-107
Aurora, Colorado 80014
303.766.2357
1.800.545.9440 ext.3

Uncle Joe, Angle’s Hair Salon

Uncle Joe with Vegas at Angle's Hair Salon

My dear friend Joe, whom I refer to as my “uncle Joe” is another loyal supporter. For the past three years, he’s been single-handedly responsible for the red streaks in my hair. Only under dire emergencies will I allow anyone else to touch my dome. The man works overfull time between the salon and teaching at the local cosmetology school. But yet, he still makes time for the game he loves.

Aside from the dedication to making sure my hair is presentable, he’s also my faithful student as well as a compassionate cornerman when I’m at tournaments. His support and friendship goes much farther than a semi-monthly hair appointment. And besides, he lets me bring Vegas to the salon. You can’t beat that!

Angles Hair Salon
6811 West 120th Avenue
Broomfield, CO 80020-2300
(303) 460-8827

Rack’em Billiards

Rack'em Billiards

Once the room I was practicing and teaching at stopped caring for their equipment, the owner of Rack’em invited me to begin teaching there. When times were better, he was even able to assist with some of my tournament and travel expenses. I am currently still the house pro there where I conduct private lessons, I teach my free monthly pool clinics to players of all levels, and I practice for free whenever I want.

They have 9-foot Diamonds there that have all been recently recovered and it’s just a few miles from my house. The staff is super friendly and they care about the players and frequently have various pool and drink specials for the customers. As a pool player, one of my favorite things about the place is that it’s in the basement of a bingo hall and there are NO WINDOWS! Yeah! You could stay there all day and not even know the sun went down until you’re walking out to your car. That’s my kinda pool hall!

Rack’em Billiards
1919 South Havana Street
Aurora, CO 80014-1011
(303) 755-7675

PoolDawg.com

me with Frank, the PoolDawg mascot

Last, and definitely not least, I want to give a huge shout out to my wonderful friends at PoolDawg.com. My love affair with the company and its amazing staff first begin in April of 2006 when they started carrying my products in their catalog. Since 2008, I’ve had the privilege of working in their office alongside their friendly, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable staff. It’s truly an honor to be a part of this team.

Their support for me goes beyond words and money. As of last year I was officially accepted as a part of the PD team with my very own avatar on their Team PoolDawg page and I tell you, it’s a great team to be a part of. They even entrust me to be Frank’s handler, that’s their official mascot. PoolDawg has been a longtime supporter and sponsor of mine, so many of my wacky ideas, events that I’ve promoted, and even my free monthly pool clinic by providing me with a new training aid each month that I can introduce to my students.

Not only do they support me on various levels but they have supported the WPBA and other tours and events in the past. They are truly good for business!

When customers order from PoolDawg, not only can they expect a 60 satisfaction guarantee, but they can be guaranteed excellent customer service from a knowledgeable staff of people who truly care.

Shop online with them at PoolDawg.com
1-866-THE-DAWG

I consider myself unbelievably fortunate to be involved with so many generous people through my career that understand that following your dreams does not necessarily mean getting rich. Their genuine support, along with their faithful friendship and belief in me, have provided more than just a sponsorship to me.

The businesses I’ve highlighted have been with me for 4-7 years and still continue to support me. Additional contributors who have supported me on my journey in some way are: Delta-13, Tiger, Predator, Jim Murnak Custom Cue Cases, Ivan Belmonte Custom Cases, Frank’s Center, BilliardCoach, Table Steaks East & South, Seyberts.com, 6 Pocket, Tom Ross, Bob Keller, Denny, FastMikie, and Carter Nakashima.

Lastly, I’d like to thank YOU, my readers for keeping this blog alive all these years. Your amazing support and encouragement throughout my best and worst times have all been documented here and I appreciate all of you for taking the time to follow it. If I missed anyone, it was not intentional. I have just been so lucky and honored to have received support from so many wonderful avenues.

Don’t forget to check back here on the September 15th as I host next month’s theme, “GEAR: What’s in your case & why?” We’ll be getting personal with our bloggers by asking them to show us what’s in their cases; the photos, the junk, the stories, and more. Stay tuned!

This article is the 10th of a series of posts written in coordination with other pool bloggers entitled "PoolSynergy".

This month's theme is "Support"
To see others, go to:
http://forumghost516.wordpress.com/2010/08/15/pool-synergy-volume-10-support/

Share on Facebook