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In 1989 I opened Teachers Billiards. A small 2400 sq ft room with 9 tables, a soda fountain and a dream. It was bare bones. It took all I had....$2000.... plus the $10,000 I borrowed from a high school friend.
It is amazing the landlord entered the lease agreement with me.
It was May 2 when I opened. On May 3, a couple of kids walked in and wanted to play pool. I later came to know one of them quite well. His name was Kevin Smith. Kevin had just graduated from high school. A real likeable guy. Friendly, but not overbearing. He was not the kind of customer that needed babysitting....or conversation. He was "my kind of guy".
Business was terrible. I had no money to advertise, so I had to wait for the word of mouth to spread. I started a special that turned out to be a better deal for me than the customer....but the customers loved it. No matter when you walked in, if you gave me $5, you could play as long as you wanted to....all the way to close if that was your pleasure. Well, the pool hobbyists (the minority) really got their money's worth. They would come early and stay late. The "general public" (the majority) would come, give me $5, and after about an hour, would be tired of it and would leave. Two guys could've rented a table for $6/hour back then. But the appeal must have been too great....as two guys would give me $5 each, on the idea that they could be entertained all night long. But, they would soon become bored and leave. Yet....day after day....the special worked. Go figure.
Kevin didn't have a lot of friends. He came to like pool. He was new at it. And, it became his hobby. He would come every night....and usually bring a friend....and give me his $5. We developed a friendship.
Kevin never became a great player....but he did learn the game....the mental side....the strategy....and became an effective league player with the help of the handicap system.
Soon after Kevin found Teachers, another kid discovered it. His name was Andy Quinn. Andy was 11 years old. He was talented. He loved pool. He would borrow (steal?
) $5 from his mothers purse and some how find his way to Teachers. Andy befriended Kevin also. And, Kevin became Andy's ride to Teachers.
Business grew...little by little. And Andy's game improved by leaps and bounds. I met Andy's mother....she became comfortable with me and Teachers. Her and Andy's dad had divorced so over time, I grew into a father figure for Andy. And she was appreciative of it.
When I say father figure.....well.....it could've been worse. Andy and I became two of the regular gamblers in the St. Louis area. We would go anywhere and gamble at 9-Ball with anyone in the city. A partner game....he and I versus another twosome. At first....the experienced and better players would have to give us a handicap to play. And they would. And we would play. And while we got our brains beat out at times....we got the cash our share of the time. At 12 years of age, it was common for Andy to be carrying $7-800. His teachers were amazed. Little by little both Andy and I's pool game improved....until at the age of 14, Andy won the BCA National Championship. Since then he's gone on to become the best player in the St. Louis area. He has won many regional tournaments. The Pool circuit is not as well organize as golf so there is no money in it. But, any time one of the t-ments comes to our area he's a favorite to win it. He bought one of the Teachers Billiards from me (there were 3 at one time) and now runs that.
So....how does Kevin fit into this story? Well, Kevin not only gave Andy a ride to Teachers....but Kevin would run Teachers for me when Andy and I went out to gamble. We would leave at 9 or 10p and not return until 3a....and Kevin would run the show for me. A sincere, honest, friend that I could trust with the business. I should let you know that at this time, we were pool only....no bar....no grille. That all came a few years down the road.
Later on, after we added the bar and grille, Kevin and a friend of his were hired to clearn all 3 Teachers Billiards & Sports Cafes. They would do that in the early hours....after close at 3.....and be done by 11a when each opened.
When I met Kevin, he was probably 6 ft tall and weight 400+ lbs. Over time he just kept getting bigger and bigger. Even though he was so big.....pool was one thing he could do. He was always at Teachers. And, each league session, invariably some team would need a player to fill out their roster and Kevin would be that player.
This went on for about 11 years....until Kevin got even bigger. Soon he couldn't get around and stopped coming. He would call every so often to say hi.
Last night I was informed that Kevin had died. And while I've accepted this news....and I'm ok....I feel a need to tell everyone about Kevin. Few knew him. He was always in the background. His last few years were miserable. In and out of the hospital for weeks at a time. But every time I talked with him he was upbeat.
I've never met someone with a bigger heart than Kevin. In fact, it probably took a body that big to house his heart. Behind every success story, whether it be Teachers Billiards, or Andy Quinn's national championship, there are people like Kevin. He gave and gave and gave. And was just happy to help.
Kevin was a good man. A good friend. I just wanted to tell someone about this guy. Because few knew him. And good people like him need to be celebrated.
I'm not looking for a response from you guys. I just wanted you to know about Kevin.
It is amazing the landlord entered the lease agreement with me.
It was May 2 when I opened. On May 3, a couple of kids walked in and wanted to play pool. I later came to know one of them quite well. His name was Kevin Smith. Kevin had just graduated from high school. A real likeable guy. Friendly, but not overbearing. He was not the kind of customer that needed babysitting....or conversation. He was "my kind of guy".
Business was terrible. I had no money to advertise, so I had to wait for the word of mouth to spread. I started a special that turned out to be a better deal for me than the customer....but the customers loved it. No matter when you walked in, if you gave me $5, you could play as long as you wanted to....all the way to close if that was your pleasure. Well, the pool hobbyists (the minority) really got their money's worth. They would come early and stay late. The "general public" (the majority) would come, give me $5, and after about an hour, would be tired of it and would leave. Two guys could've rented a table for $6/hour back then. But the appeal must have been too great....as two guys would give me $5 each, on the idea that they could be entertained all night long. But, they would soon become bored and leave. Yet....day after day....the special worked. Go figure.
Kevin didn't have a lot of friends. He came to like pool. He was new at it. And, it became his hobby. He would come every night....and usually bring a friend....and give me his $5. We developed a friendship.
Kevin never became a great player....but he did learn the game....the mental side....the strategy....and became an effective league player with the help of the handicap system.
Soon after Kevin found Teachers, another kid discovered it. His name was Andy Quinn. Andy was 11 years old. He was talented. He loved pool. He would borrow (steal?
) $5 from his mothers purse and some how find his way to Teachers. Andy befriended Kevin also. And, Kevin became Andy's ride to Teachers. Business grew...little by little. And Andy's game improved by leaps and bounds. I met Andy's mother....she became comfortable with me and Teachers. Her and Andy's dad had divorced so over time, I grew into a father figure for Andy. And she was appreciative of it.
When I say father figure.....well.....it could've been worse.
Andy and I became two of the regular gamblers in the St. Louis area. We would go anywhere and gamble at 9-Ball with anyone in the city. A partner game....he and I versus another twosome. At first....the experienced and better players would have to give us a handicap to play. And they would. And we would play. And while we got our brains beat out at times....we got the cash our share of the time. At 12 years of age, it was common for Andy to be carrying $7-800. His teachers were amazed. Little by little both Andy and I's pool game improved....until at the age of 14, Andy won the BCA National Championship. Since then he's gone on to become the best player in the St. Louis area. He has won many regional tournaments. The Pool circuit is not as well organize as golf so there is no money in it. But, any time one of the t-ments comes to our area he's a favorite to win it. He bought one of the Teachers Billiards from me (there were 3 at one time) and now runs that.So....how does Kevin fit into this story? Well, Kevin not only gave Andy a ride to Teachers....but Kevin would run Teachers for me when Andy and I went out to gamble. We would leave at 9 or 10p and not return until 3a....and Kevin would run the show for me. A sincere, honest, friend that I could trust with the business. I should let you know that at this time, we were pool only....no bar....no grille. That all came a few years down the road.
Later on, after we added the bar and grille, Kevin and a friend of his were hired to clearn all 3 Teachers Billiards & Sports Cafes. They would do that in the early hours....after close at 3.....and be done by 11a when each opened.
When I met Kevin, he was probably 6 ft tall and weight 400+ lbs. Over time he just kept getting bigger and bigger. Even though he was so big.....pool was one thing he could do. He was always at Teachers. And, each league session, invariably some team would need a player to fill out their roster and Kevin would be that player.
This went on for about 11 years....until Kevin got even bigger. Soon he couldn't get around and stopped coming. He would call every so often to say hi.
Last night I was informed that Kevin had died. And while I've accepted this news....and I'm ok....I feel a need to tell everyone about Kevin. Few knew him. He was always in the background. His last few years were miserable. In and out of the hospital for weeks at a time. But every time I talked with him he was upbeat.
I've never met someone with a bigger heart than Kevin. In fact, it probably took a body that big to house his heart. Behind every success story, whether it be Teachers Billiards, or Andy Quinn's national championship, there are people like Kevin. He gave and gave and gave. And was just happy to help.
Kevin was a good man. A good friend. I just wanted to tell someone about this guy. Because few knew him. And good people like him need to be celebrated.
I'm not looking for a response from you guys. I just wanted you to know about Kevin.
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