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 ::  HARVARD PUBLIC SCHOOLS EMBRACE BILLIARDS … Billiard Congress of America (BCA) Instructor Roy Pastor has been playing pool since his father purchased a pool table for his family when he was nine years old. Pastor played through his teenage years at a local boys club and, while attending the University of Pennsylvania, he won the university championship each year. Growing up, however, Pastor was always frustrated by the lack of opportunity for either formal instruction or tournament play with players his own age.

Five years ago an upscale billiards parlor opened near Pastor’s home in Harvard, Massachusetts, and he saw an opportunity to offer billiards to young people in a way that was not available to him as a youth. With the help of the owner and the local American Poolplayers Association (APA) franchise, Pastor was able to establish a youth league and began offering instruction to young players. Pastor had some experience teaching, but was looking for ways to improve, so in 2005 he attended the Billiard Academy of New England with David McNeill and Walter Zincavage.

“With the BCA Instructor Program, I found a well-defined and established method of teaching billiards,” said Pastor. “Shortly thereafter, I was able to design several popular classes for both adults and young players.”

Pastor had been searching for a way to expand the base of youth players for his league and to offer opportunities for players to compete on a much broader scale. Several local high school teachers had taken classes with Pastor and they had discussed the benefits and teaching opportunities that a school-based billiards program could provide.

In June of this year, Pastor unexpectedly learned that the Harvard Public Schools had agreed to make space available for the implementation of a billiards program. Pastor immediately began contacting individuals in the industry and the response he received was overwhelmingly positive. Brunswick Corporation donated two nine-foot tables, which are now located at the Bromfield School, home to both high-school and middle-school kids (grades 6 to 12). With other donations from the local Rotary Club, businesses, the Billiard Education Foundation (BEF) and private individuals, all other equipment and items necessary for a great program are now in place.

The goals of the Harvard Billiard Program are twofold. First, the program will introduce, encourage and nurture the lifetime sport of billiards to all students in the school system. Instruction will be conducted by BCA instructors and students will be trained in the proper fundamentals of stroke, body mechanics and aiming techniques. Second, the program is specifically designed to generate interest among students in the fields of science, physics, math and geometry. Zincavage and Pastor will be offering a billiards class in October to the teachers at the school to demonstrate various opportunities for the inclusion of billiards into the curriculum.

“It is with our young people that the billiards industry has the greatest opportunity and responsibility,” said Pastor. “Opportunity lies in creation of an early understanding of billiards as a lifetime sport filled with the complexities of a math equation and the elegance of a ballet.”

The immediate goal for the Harvard Billiard Program is to expand to at least four school districts by 2008. Pastor is hoping to develop long-term goals in conjunction with the BEF for a national system of school instruction and competition. “The most exciting aspect of the Harvard Billiard Program, so far, is the positive response it has received from the entire school community,” said Pastor. “It has become clear that the time for such programs has arrived.”

To stay updated on the program, check in periodically with the Billiard Academy Web site.