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Cue Sports Coaching Academy

Cuthberts Green Christchurch 23 July – 26 July 2011  

Compiled by Arthur King

Upon leaving Tauranga airport at 7 am on the morning of the 23rd we were informed by the pilot that the temperature in Christchurch was a balmy 2 degrees, fortunately by the time we had arrived it had increased to 3, As we were the last group to arrive at the academy the rest had been waiting for us and we were soon into a warm welcome from Gary Gillard followed by each coach introducing themselves with the district/area they were from and the amount of experience they have in the coaching field

This was followed by two guest speakers the first to be introduced was Barry Appleton a former International referee who spoke on Etiquette of players the game in general positioning of referees throughout the match assistance given to the players as far as equipment is concerned rules of the game and how to clean the white using a ball marker, A question time followed where all questions posed by the students were answered

The next guest speaker was Craig Wilson NZ Institute of Sport, Nutrition and Sports Psychology Craig spoke on the reaction of the body when certain foods are consumed plus the time taken to digest different meals and the effect on the body and mind then suggested the timing and quantity of meals consumed whilst in tournament mode followed by a quiz with food pictures to see how much information had been retained by students and coaches alike

            Following the guest speakers a short break followed then it was time to involve all students and coaches into table approach stance and cue action with students being videoed for later reference, this continued for several sessions over the following three days with mini tournaments being held in the evenings

            On the morning of Monday 25^th Christchurch was blanketed with snow which was a new experience for some with the Monday time frame being reduced to do away with the evening session for safety reasons

            During the Monday session Mark Canovan Twice NZ Snooker Champion Canterbury was introduced giving an overview of his experiences and the requirements for any player considering becoming a professional snooker player followed by practise regimes, this was extremely informative for all students and gave them a great overall insight

Monday afternoon saw Gary Oliver New Zealand Billiard champion address all involved to explain the general rules and scoring possibilities followed by his experiences in New Zealand and overseas

The seminar was well organized and run and thanks must be expressed to the CBSA Gary Gillard and all members of the organisation for all of their efforts not only in the seminar but for transport food and accommodation

At the conclusion of the seminar on the Tuesday afternoon an awards ceremony was held with every student receiving an award of attendance followed by trophy awards for players having excelled in differing formats throughout the seminar

The pictures shown below from left to right show the students and their awards

Healy White Winner 6 Red tournament, Rogan Beedle Winner 10 Red tournament best under 21 and overall player, Des Wilcox Winner 1 frame knockout and best under 17 player, Mikey Stewart best under 15 player, Stefan Appleton best under 19 player, Michael Paterson most helpfull player, and Leonard Toh players favourite player.

                                                            Further photo's participating in the academy    

Report on Cue Sports Academy

Cuthberts Green, Christchurch. 23^rd to 26^th July 2011  

The first Cue Sports Academy was attended by representatives of all 10 regions in New Zealand plus one player from New Plymouth.

They were: 
Coaches,
     Daniel: Sinclair, Frank Adams, Paul Temple, Nick Garforth, Arthur King, Mike Boyd, Gary Oliver and Danny Ryan

 Players:
     Leonard Toh & Scott Watson (AK), Grant Hapi & Stephen Harris (WK), Rogan Beedle & Aidan Hui (BOP), Des Wilcox (NP), Jaren McOnie & Mikey Stewart (HB), Hamish McMillan (WN), Mike Shanaher & Sam Miller (NEL), Scott Hantz & Dillon Pitchford (BLE), Kimberlee Brewer & Stefan Appleton (CA), Healey White & Jessie Peacock (NO), Ryan Rusk & Michael Paterson (SOU).

     Run over the Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of the school holidays, the players and coaches came together at 9.00am each day. Throughout the day there was a mix of “lessons” where the students sat and took notes, and practical exercises where the players were putting into practise the knowledge gained, under the supervision of the coaches.

    The Academy was pleased to welcome three guest speakers over the course of the four days, they were:

Mr Barry Appleton                 Rules and Table Etiquette

Mr Craig Wilson                     NZ Institute of Sport, Nutrition and Sports Psychology

Mr Mark Canovan                  Twice NZ Snooker Champion who spoke on practise routines, life as a player and then conducted a class on using the rest.

    I thank all of these people for giving us their time and expert knowledge.

     Each and every one of the players was given a personal video time where they attended and were videoed from the front, side and back. All players were given a DVD copy of this to take away and study. The coaches then got together and discussed what they had observed and formulated a plan to take back to the player. The player was then given instruction on what could be improved in their technique that would help their games go to the next level. After this each player was watched closely by the coaches to see if they had embraced the new ideas. 98% of the time they did and were able to see immediate results such as better cue delivery, more consistent potting, more comfortable stance etc.

     In the evening of each day we ran “tournaments” for the players. On Saturday we ran a 6 Red tournament with Healey White winning. On Sunday we ran a 10 Red tournament with Rogan Beedle winning, and on Monday evening we ran a 1 frame knockout tournament with Rogan winning this by the narrowest of margins from Des Wilcox. The trophy however went to Des as each player could receive only 1 trophy, so that we could spread them around as much as possible.

    At the prize giving all players were presented with a written copy of the course material, a personalised certificate and a commemorative “Players Medal”. The Coaches received a certificate and a “Coaches Medal”.

In addition to the tournament winners, trophies were awarded to:

Best Under 15 Player,                        Mikey Stewart (HB)

Best Under 17 Player,                        Des Wilcox (NP)

Best Under 19 Player,                        Stefan Appleton (CA)

Best Under 21 Player,                        Rogan Beedle (BOP)

Most Helpful Player,              Michael Paterson (SOU)

Players Favourite Player,       Leonard Toh (AK)

Best Overall Player,                Rogan Beedle (BOP)

     All players were presented with packs to use and take away with them. In the packs were a “Tipping Case” which included knife, glue, sandpaper and tips, a collection of 4 DVD’s of this year’s World Snooker Championships, a DVD of 147 beaks and a DVD called “Ronnie’s Hotshots”, a workbook, pens, cloths etc. Plus each player got their own DVD of their lessons. In addition to those items the coaches received a leather diary, and a book called the “Inner Game of Golf” which is a superb book on the mental side of sports. All coaches were asked to pass this on and ensure their players read it.

     The coaches met three times as a group to discuss the running of the Academy and to assess each player. All coaches were required to furnish reports on the Academy and I have enclosed them.  

    I had only positive feedback from the players and coaches. Everyone was asked to fill in a questionnaire at the Academy and there were a few suggestions which I will take on board for next time. However it would be accurate to say “everyone” had a good time and learned a lot. We are well on our way to raising the bar for cue sports within New Zealand.

     I would like to thank all those people and organisations who have supported us both financially and mentally. Your support has made it easy for me to organise what I believe was a fantastic first up Academy.

In particular I would like to thank:

Cuesports Foundation

Canterbury Community Trust

NZ Billiards and Snooker Association

NZ Confederation of Billiard Sports

Canterbury Billiards and Snooker Association

Gary Gillard

Director of Coaching

New Zealand Billiards Sports

NZ Junior Cue Sports Academy 2012

Below left to right 
Sam Bond Oamaru best oveall player Brittany Kidd Nelson best under 17 player Healy White Oamaru best under 19 player

Send mail to arthurking@xtra.co.nz with questions or comments about this web site.
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Last modified: April 19, 2012