By Elliott West
Introduction
Some sports have been described in the past as being taken up due to a misspent youth and snooker has often been accused of that. Ronnie O’Sullivan in a recent newspaper article said that if he had his time again, he wouldn’t have taken up snooker, claiming “it is a bad sport and can cause you a lot of damage”. He believes that young players lead an unhealthy lifestyle, spending too much time under artificial lighting whilst practising and have little communication with the outside world, leading them not to want to talk to others. A talent that would be better channelled into another sport.
The Flip Side
Although this may generate a punchy headline, comments like these are neither helpful nor needed. Perhaps used a shock tactic to shake up changes to the system and lifestyle of snooker, the sport is already crying out for youth talent and frankly, this is no way to attract the youth blood needed for the future of the sport. Yes it is true snooker is not for the faint-hearted and when you pick up that cue, aiming to become a professional, you must be prepared for a long and rocky career road of highs and lows. Many haven’t made it, either ending their careers as an amateur or not being to attain the silverware as a professional. That is the risk you take but you take up snooker because you have natural talent and because that passion which only a sportsperson can describe, runs through your veins.
The pressure in snooker is immense and caused players like O’Sullivan to pick and choose which tournaments he enters, allowing him to concentrate on his life away from the sport. However, if you want to win titles, this bull has to be taken by the horns. The pressure of waiting in the wings before being introduced for a match, sitting in your seat for what seems like an eternity as your opponent pots ball after ball and the sheer comedown of victory or defeat. Jubilation or disappointment is part and parcel of being a snooker player.
The Individual
Everybody has different personalities and not everyone is good at communicating. You may be great at the sport but when it comes to media interviews etc, the person may not be able to perform the way they do in natural conversations and so portray a stilted perception of that player to the audience watching. It is true that snooker can often be a lonely sport, spending many hours on your own, away from your friends and family but that is I am afraid part and parcel of aiming for the top.
The Way Forward
Thankfully snooker is addressing many of the issues mentioned, increasing the number of players on the tour to allow the chance for more amateur players to join the main tour, investing in the youth and amateur game and providing a support network for those players who may struggle with the pressures of the sport due to mental health issues or addictions such as gambling, alcoholism or drug-taking. This is thanks to some players being brave enough to openly talking about their health issues and alerting the powers to be at an early stage so they can seek help.
Snooker is overall in a good and healthy place but like the school report used to say, there is always room for improvement. Like any sport, it evolves and changes, whilst sticking to the core principles and heritage of its roots. The future of snooker is bright as this great game moves forward in its global quest.
