Tara Jeffrey/The Independent

Tucked away in the back corner of Sarnia’s Rack N Roll pool hall, three young players can be
overheard laughing, shooting, and having a ball on a summer Tuesday lunch hour.

Jaxon Bolychuk, 15, Emma Coulter, 14, and Calvin Srinivasan, 9, have gathered to reminisce
about their recent showing at the World Jr. Billiards Championship in Minnesota. It’s the first
time a young team from Sarnia-Lambton (which also included 11-year-old Scarlett Taylor) has
attended the event — the World’s Largest Junior Pool Tournament —thanks to 76-year-old Paul
Maedel, who has spent nearly four decades running local pool leagues — and recently rolled
out the area’s first junior league.

“I just threw it out there to see if there was any interest, and that first year I got an amazing
number of kids signed up; like, 30 or 40,” said Maedel, noting the league was halted due to
COVID-19. Since then, he’s been working to build it back up, now with about 25 young players,
ranging in age from 7 to 18.

“They’re amazing,” he said. “A lot of them have never played before; they don’t know how to
hold a pool cue… and by the time the season is up, they’re making two or three balls in a row.
They’re picking things up, and they learn so quick.”

Over time, Maedel began sending youth players to tournaments and provincial championships,
and this past year, decided it was time for a local team to take on the world stage, alongside
some 400 players from across Canada, the U.S. and New Zealand.

“It was phenomenal,” said Coulter, who finished an impressive first-place in the Minor Female
Sports division opposite New Zealand’s Summer Patnugot, earning herself a coveted ‘Charlie’
trohpy. The Great Lakes Secondary School (GLSS) student had previously attended the world’s
event with a team from London, but says this year, she was much more prepared and focused.

“I was more calm in a game than I ever have been,” said Coulter, adding, “you’re not playing the
other person — you’re playing the table.”

“I made some incredible shots,” she added. “Like, the best shots I’ve ever made. I just realized
that you can do whatever you put your mind to.”

The sport, she says, can be a great way to socialize, compete, and improve your mental health.
“For me, it just got everything negative out of my life,” said Coulter. “It’s like, when I’m playing,
the world goes quiet.”

Her teammate, Scarlett Taylor, placed third in the Youth Female Regular category. The
Lansdowne Public School student has been playing for two years and placed second at this
year’s provincials, and third at the The Canadian Junior Pool Championships last month.
Together, the foursome landed fifth in the team event at worlds.

“I was super excited, and a little nervous at the start,” said Calvin, a student at St. Anne’s in
Sarnia, who also won the Ontario Junior Minor 8-Ball title back in February. He’s been shooting
pool since before he could even see over the table, said dad, Hari Srinivasan, who helped
fundraise and drove the team to Minnesota for the four-day World’s event. They also had
support from local sponsors like Brett Hennaert at Diamond Mortgage Group, Marcin’s, and Just
Us Studios.

And while pool might not be the first sport that comes to mind for young athletes, the youngsters
say they’d love to see more players their age come and out and give it a try.

“I enjoy the skill and the mindset and the mental challenge part of it,” said Bolychuk, also a
student at GLSS. “And just the community of it all — lots of good people.”

Sarnia’s youth league starts up again in the fall — Sunday afternoons at Rack N Roll — and is
open to youth ages 7-18, of all skill levels and abilities, said Maedel, who ensures they’re
sanctioned by the Valley National 8-Ball League Association  (VNEA) in order to compete in
tournaments.

“It’s a great thing,” he said of the junior league. “It keeps them out of trouble, gets them out of
their shell and off their phones.

“They’re taking to other kids, interacting, learning about sportsmanship.

“My heart just swells up…” he pauses, with emotion. “…watching these kids.”

“It makes me really proud.”