CueSports Barbados has launched an ambitious initiative aimed at introducing more young people to pool through its CueConnect initiative and Pool in School programme.
The organisation recently donated a pool table to the Grantley Adams Memorial School, making the St Joseph institution the first to receive equipment under the programme.
According to CueSports Barbados president Daniel Hinds, the initiative forms part of the organisation’s vision to bring pool into schools while supporting the sport’s development and growth at a national level.
“In 2022, one of our members Davi Davis started up a team called Young Bloods. Young Bloods is still going on and it gives the kids the opportunity to play in our tournaments, especially team tournaments.
“From there we always wanted to go to schools and we got the opportunity to talk to Major Andrew Skeete, the principal here at Grantley Adams Memorial, because our vice president Sonia Mayers, previously attended the school,” Hinds explained.
Major Skeete thanked the group for its donation, which he pledged will be put to good use at the school.
“We want to express our sincere gratitude. We are a school of firsts and we thank you. I can assure you the boys and girls will be at school early to put it to good use and we will be looking after it,” he said.
Hinds shed some more details on the pilot project, which he said will not immediately end following the donation of the pool equipment.
“Now we’re going to have a structured programme for the kids at Grantley Adams. We’ll coach them at least twice a month, but before we do that this summer around August or so, we are going to have a workshop for two teachers. We will be showing them the fundamentals, teaching them pool etiquette and stuff like that, so that eventually we won’t have to be there each and every week, because they will be able to run the programme,” he revealed.
Plans are already in the pipeline for CueSports Barbados to expand the programme to several other educational institutions.
“Some other schools we’re thinking about are Deighton Griffith, Ellerslie, Graydon Sealy and St Leonard’s but we have to put all the steps in place first,” Hinds said.
He stated that the presentation was more than a donation—it’s an investment in young people, new opportunities, and the future of cue sports in Barbados.
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