Priority development : Canada, United States
Countries/Regions already covered : Canada, United States

The American Poolplayers Association (APA) was founded by professional poolplayers Terry Bell and Larry Hubbart in 1979 as the National Pool League, which became the American Poolplayers Association in 1981. The two realized the popularity of the sport, but knew that, different from other sports, there was no existing recreational league system.

Today, the APA, also known as the Canadian Poolplayers Association in Canada, has grown to more than 250,000 members and boasts more members than all other "national" leagues combined. The League is administered locally by a network of Franchise Operators. League play is conducted weekly with both 8-Ball and 9-Ball team formats offered.

The APA hosts an 8-Ball and 9-Ball League system. The APA 8-Ball League and APA 9-Ball League are offered throughout the country and each year teams have the opportunity to advance to the APA National Team Championships.

At the national level, the APA guarantees more than $1 million in national tournament prize money. This consists of the $500,000 APA 8-Ball National Team Championships, the $200,000 APA 8-Ball Classic, the $100,000 APA 9-Ball National Team Championship, the $100,000 APA 9-Ball Shootout, and the MiniMania tournaments, which paid nearly $220,000 during the 2004 National Team Championships.

The APA also conducts the U.S. Amateur Championship, the pool world's most prestigious amateur tournament, which is the only competition open to APA members and nonmembers alike. The tournament began in 1994 and has grown more than 35 percent during the past year, as players across North America battle for one of the 128 spots in the tournament.

From 1999 to the present, Entrepreneur Magazine rated the APA No. 1 in the category of Sports-Event Planning. Entrepreneur Magazine also honored the APA with a No. 53 ranking out of 500 franchising companies in 1998.

One of the keys to the success of the American Poolplayers Association is The Equalizer®, the unique handicapping and scoring system that makes it possible for players of different playing abilities -- especially novices and beginners -- to compete on an equal basis, much like they do in golf and bowling. The Equalizer® uses a formula that measures a player's ability. The result is a handicap of how many games a player must win to capture a match in 8-Ball or the number of points a player must earn to win a match in the 9-Ball format.

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TRAINING
- Available at headquarters: 6 days

ONGOING SUPPORT
- Newsletter
- Meetings
- Toll-free phone line
- Internet
- Field operations/evaluations

MARKETING SUPPORT
- Ad slicks

Business Experience:
- General business experience
- Marketing skills

APA Franchisees receive complete and ongoing training, marketing and advertising strategies, and a custom software package that takes the guesswork out of league and handicap administration. In addition, each Franchisee is assigned an APA Support Representative who provides ongoing guidance and assistance. We do everything we can to make your job easier, and we are right there with you, every step of the way.

American Poolplayers Association
Doug Davis - Franchise Development Assistant
1000 Lake St. Louis Blvd., #325 - MO 63367 - Lake St. Louis - United States