It's been a while since I last posted on the Cueology blog, the "Cue'blog'ogy", so I thought it was time to share a longer post to explain what's been happening...
The idea behind Cueology began to take shape in January 2025, when I decided to pursue a coaching qualification through the World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association (WPBSA). The WPBSA is the official world governing body for snooker and billiards, and they've developed a fantastic pathway for coaches to get into the game and be a force for good.
I received my Level 1 coaching qualification and DBS clearances in March, but I needed a bit more time to work on the materials I wanted to develop, which is why I waited until July to go public.
It's still early days, and I'm still working hard to get properly set. I want to provide clients with a high-quality coaching experience, and I'm extremely determined to deliver on this. I recognise though that this is a step-by-step process, and I'm constantly reminding myself about the saying: "Perfection is the enemy of the good."
My first paying clients
So, despite having some gaps in my training materials, in early July I completed my first proper coaching session with paying customers. This work came through despite not yet having a website or social media visibility: instead it was the WPBSA's 'Find Your Coach' service that generated the lead.
Although I was a little apprehensive beforehand, the experience was amazing and landed very positively with my clients. I took a huge amount of confidence from all the work I've been doing on lesson plans and scoresheets, and this paid off, maximising the support I could provide in the time we had booked.
It was also a big learning experience for me: there were lots of positives, in terms of putting my materials to the test, but also plenty of improvement ideas on how I could tweak things to make the customer experience even better. My main concern was how to pitch my coaching, without really knowing what standard of play my clients would be at. The reality of this forced me to adapt some of the lesson plans I'd developed into several practice drills that were flexible enough to work across a broader skill range.
More exciting opportunities...
My home club at Hollins Grove have been running a Junior Snooker Academy on Saturday mornings for over 10 years, and Mik and George from the club deserve huge credit for setting it up and keeping it going so long. Annette Lord is the on-site WPBSA-accredited coach, but due to changing work commitments she's no longer able to run every session, which means the junior players haven't had the consistent support they deserve.
I'm pleased to say that Mik, George and Annette have warmly welcomed me to get involved, and things have moved very quickly... by the end of July, I was down at the club on a Saturday morning and straight down to work doing more coaching.
What's even better is that it's also sparked discussions about how we can develop the Academy further. So, after a short break, from 23 August, we'll be relaunching the Academy with an improved structure, giving children options to choose whether they want structured 1-1 coaching, have a go at some fun snooker-themed activities, or play 'proper' frames against each other. We'll also be developing our online presence, with a new website planned and improved social media channels too.
Victories, despite not being 'match fit'
I always have a break (no pun intended!!) during the summer, but with the East Lancashire Three Towns League Individual title to defend, I've had a couple of matches to fit in too. In the doubles, together with partner Mo, we successfully completed a 2-0 victory, admittedly with some good fortune at times, and aided by a nice little 34 break from me. In the singles competition, I performed much better. Giving 30 start, I slotted in a decent 57 break to close out the first frame, before winning a tougher second frame on the black.
I'll be back later in August with another post, where I'll hopefully be able to share more about our plans for the Academy, as well as an update on how Cueology is taking shape. In the meantime, if you're looking for some coaching, no matter what skill level you're at, don't hesitate to get in touch. You can find my details on the Cueology website, www.cueology.uk.
