Tough Decisions!
I’m at a crossroads and I’ve got some tough decisions to make. As time blows past me and I get closer and closer to my 1 year anniversary on this pool journey, I am assessing my progress and trying to figure out what the next year looks like. I’ve definitely come a long way in the last 10 months or so, but I know that the road ahead is very tough. I need to get laser focused on what my real intention is. Do I want to be a really good local player and enjoy playing in local tournaments and/or the APA leagues? Do I want to push myself harder and harder and improve to the point that I could be competitive on the regional level and play tough against players like Billy Palmer, Deo Alpajora, and Amar Kang? Do I dream big, get super serious, and still try to break through to the professional level?
Given that the time I have available to dedicate to pool is limited, how do I get the biggest bang for my buck? What training or practice options will yield the biggest ROI? Do I continue competing on the CPPT tour? Do I play in the USPPA? Do I play in WorldPPA tournaments? Do I focus on APA leagues and competitions? Do I troll around all the local bar tournaments? Like I said, I’ve got some planning to do to figure out what my real goal is, and what changes and/or sacrifices are necessary to help me achieve the goal. I need to have all of this figured out before the end of next week. More later.
Angle of Reflection 
sounds like there’s a lot to figure out.
just a thought. if you can manage it you should try the us open. it’s a little spendy but for any aspiring pro it’s a good experience.
For now, competing in the US Open is way over my head, but I guess that is something to aspire to! Thanks for the suggestion!
Tough decision, Good luck on your journey. Stay away from the APA and enter tournaments that require you to play tough players. This will help you focus on every game knowing you don’t want to let the better player to the table.
An APA Singles Nationals title (or even significant placing) would be a great accomplishment… U.S. Amateur Champion even more so (and I believe that would put you in the US Open, right?) Both are in my goals right now, and I think they’re worthy goals. Sometimes the APA gets a bad rap for whatever reason, but you’ll find plenty of worthy competition there (at least a couple of the best players in my area remain active in the APA). Yes, it’s good to diversify a bit and get some experiences with different tours, formats, and tournaments… but consistent league play in one or more leagues (whatever is supported well in your area) would be a mainstay.
Thanks Gary and BilliardNut for your input. I’ve got a lot of factors to consider in making a decision. The good news is, regardless of where I land, I know that I can always reassess and course correct if necessary. Thanks.