Junior Snooker Academy Cueing up in Stourbridge

A new regular snooker club for young people has launched at Stourbridge Institute Social Club in the West Midlands with support from the EPSB.

Taking place on Sunday afternoons through the autumn, the club hopes to encourage as many six to 18 year olds as possible to grab a cue and give snooker a try!

The Institute has always been ambitious about launching opportunities for young players and has recently linked up with WPBSA Snooker Coach Wayne Grew to make it happen.

The EPSB has connected the Market Street-based club with its local school sports partnership, through discussions with Active Black Country and its Dudley network.

From here, it is hoped that the regular sessions will build interest in the local community and lead to a strong junior section within the Institute.  This will bring the club further opportunities to develop its junior offer and to link in with EPSB initiatives, such as the PowerGlide English Under-14 Championship.

Reflecting on the first two sessions, Grew commented: “It’s an absolute honour to be asked to coach the next generation of kids at the Stourbridge Institute.  It gives me a chance to demonstrate my coaching skills, but most importantly allows the youngsters to have fun and enjoy the game we all love.

“I would like to thank the club’s secretary Carl Southwick for bringing me in to coach here – we are all looking forward to watching this academy grow.”

Southwick added: “It has been a great start to the opening of our junior academy with the children really being active and willing to learn.

“Their attitude has been spot on and we would encourage anyone with a young person in the area, boys or girls, to come along and take part in this exciting cue sport.”

The Institute, which offers a range of community activities and boasts excellent, accessible facilities, is also looking at training further personnel to take their first steps into coaching to support the junior group. 

Indeed, clubs that affiliate to the EPSB’s 147 Club can gain significant discounts on the WPBSA’s Level 1 and 1st4sport Level 2 coaching courses.

To find out more about the new junior snooker sessions at Stourbridge Institute Social Club please call Carl Southwick on 07976 423 419 or email stourbridge-institute@btconnect.com

For more details about the EPSB’s national junior snooker initiatives please click here.

If your club would like support to start junior snooker sessions, the first step is to join the 147 Club here or get in touch with the EPSB for more information via our contact page.