if there’s one thing that i never want to see from a membership organization (especially a well-established one), then that’s any attempt to weaken the brand and standing of its leading members. after all, leaders often possess the most skill and experience in the group. they’re also the ones who are most willing to mobilize and inspire the newbies and intermediates. imagine my surprise when an organization to which i have belonged for a decade (since summer of 2000) produced an honor that is less than flattering to me and other leading members. not happy!
here’s some background. it’s a poolplaying organization (the american poolplayers association or apa for short), so we’re not talking super serious stuff. nonetheless, it took me eight years to sharpen my skills to the point where i reached the organization’s pinnacle — a handicap of 7 (the range is 2 to 7). the better you play, the higher your handicap becomes, the more “weight” you need to give your opponent to make it a “fair” match. for example, there are matches where i need to win 6 games before my opponent wins 2. that can be very tough on a day when your game isn’t smooth or moving at its best clip.
so — what is the award that has me so annoyed? it’s a patch that lesser-skilled members can attach to clothing items or their cue case that boasts “i beat a 7” — like they survived some tourist attraction and need a goofy shirt to commemorate it! most of the time that the lesser-skilled player wins against a 7 it’s because the higher-ranked player had an off day at the table (and not because the lesser player shot beyond their normal game). some would say this type of recognition is less than sportsmanlike. insult to injury. kick your best while they’re down. please point me towards one sport — amateur or professional — where there are awards like this. nonsense!
