For Fun and Fitness, Pool is Everybody’s Game

(ARA) – From passionate professional to recreational wheelchair player and everything in between, pool promotes mental and physical well-being. Mark Twain once wrote in a letter, “I walk not less than 10 miles around the billiard table . . .” meaning he got physical exercise while stretching his mind through pool.
Some overcome tremendous physical challenges to pursue their passion, including professional billiard champion Jeanette Lee. Life has always been “a pain” for Jeanette. “I’ve always had arthritis,” states the Brooklyn native also known as “The Black Widow” for her striking black attire and deadly effect on competitors. Despite chronic pain and several surgeries, the self-described tomboy had an active childhood.
At 13, the doctor discovered the “S” curve in her back, and surgery fused two 18-inch rods into her spine. After three years of prescribed inactivity, she started playing pool in 1989. Three years later, Lee turned pro, and within two years became a top-ranked player and world champion in 1999. The grueling tournament schedule took its toll with severe headaches and neck pain, caused by a herniated neck disk, bursitis and bicep tendonitis.
Lee took the year 2000 off for three surgeries in rapid succession: first the back, then the neck and finally shoulder surgery. This helped somewhat, but she still plays through pain because of her love of pool.
Does she have a fitness regimen? “Cardio kickboxing, swimming and an elliptical trainer help keep me fit,” she responds. “I use weight training, isometric crunches and always hold in my stomach to support my back.” Does she recommend a fitness program to play pool? “It gives a competitive player an edge. Exercise makes me more aware and focused, a must to play a winning game of pool. Even on days when I don’t exercise, I stretch first thing in the morning, especially hamstrings as they are attached to the back,” Lee concludes.
How did she work through pain to become a pool champion? “The obstacles you overcome mold you into the person you become,” she replies. “No matter how badly I feel, I owe it to my fans, especially young women who view me as a role model, to persevere.” Toward that end, she established the Jeanette Lee Foundation, which demonstrates that despite disability, any goal can be achieved. She is also the National Spokesperson for the Scoliosis Association.
Pool is also a recreational vehicle for the wheelchair bound. National Wheelchair Poolplayers Association (NWPA) president Ken Force states, “Pool is a sport or game that can accommodate the player through the use of adaptive equipment. The challenge of reach is solved by the use of a ‘stretch bridge,’ and cue extensions expand reach up to 8 feet. One-handed portable cue bridges help one-handed and quadriplegic players,” he concludes.
Force played pool in the Army until a service-related spinal cord injury put a stop to that. Several years later, he resumed playing pool, this time in a wheelchair. Initially, it was recreational, and then he won a gold medal at the National Veteran Wheelchair Games; he was hooked!
Has playing wheelchair pool affected his life? “It gave me a sense of discipline that carries over into my daily life. Playing billiards inspires me to improve my skills and become the best; I like to challenge myself and billiards is a natural fit. As an NWPA officer, I have learned to focus on the needs of others, which has honed my problem-solving skills,” he says.
The NWPA, founded to develop, regulate and encourage wheelchair billiards, works with groups such as the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) to update rules to include wheelchair competitions. The NWPA sponsors about 12 tournaments a year in which cash and prizes are awarded. “Often, this is the first taste of competition for our players, and they derive a great deal of satisfaction from it,” states Force. “Tournament play is a confidence builder that helps many players get back into social mainstreaming.”
Inspired to take up pool for fun and fitness? Check out the following resources:
Billiard Congress of America, governing the sport of pocket billiards since 1948, www.bca-pool.com, (719) 264-8300; National Wheelchair Poolplayers Association, www.nwpainc.com, (866) 636-3371; Jeanette Lee, professional pool player, www.jeanettelee.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content