🔥🎱🏆 2020 New Zealand Junior Pool Team Announcement 🏆🎱🔥

This year our juniors played over 3,000 frames of 8 Ball over five seasons across four VNEA Junior Leagues. While the senior team is selected on rankings alone, for our juniors we take behaviour and participation into account as well. Based on this criteria, we first select a Development Squad which meets a few times in the second half of the year to be coached, and to undertake a variety of drills.

From this squad we then look closer at the criteria and try to make the best fit in terms of the three age groups. It was not an easy decision this year. Some players unfortunately miss out due to the age group they are in being so competitive. However, they will have their chances next year as players move up into older age groups. Some players miss out based on them missing some of the junior leagues throughout the year, and, because of the numbers in their age group. Others simply need a year or two longer in the development squad to further develop their skills. Our coaches have provided them with the necessary materials to do this.

On this point, we need to take time to acknowledge the work our coaches and managers have done this year, especially when giving up so much of their time to help the juniors. There is no other group in New Zealand that does so much for junior pool so a big thank you to Jimmy Henry, Marco Teutscher, Cole Hoggart, Bernie Endres, Wayne Carey, Michael Lumsden, Logan Walsh, Hone Tito and Manfield Kwong.

The team will travel to where the Championships began 30 years ago, in Rochester, Minnesota, for what will be the 30th anniversary of the VNEA Junior World Pool Championships. The event starts on July 16 and runs through to July 19. With over 300 competitors, this is not only probably the longest running international junior tournament, but also one of the biggest.

Congratulations to the following players who will be representing New Zealand in the USA next year:

🏆UNDER 21🏆
🎱 Kieran Dempsey
🎱 Crystalee Jane
🎱 Deon Stevenson

🏆UNDER 16🏆
🎱 Flynn Beetham
🎱 Sheridan Burmester
🎱 Alexandria Endres

🏆UNDER 12🏆
🎱 Jack Beggs
🎱 Aaliyah Clifford
🎱 Laquiesha Clifford
🎱 Harlem Hoggart
🎱 Tyler Hoggart
🎱 Jack McDonald

The team will be co-captained by our most experienced juniors, Flynn Beetham and Alexandria Endres, both who will be representing New Zealand for the fourth time at this competition. Our coaches felt that they both not only have the experience, but also the qualities required especially in terms of setting a good example for our younger team members to follow.

The team will be accompanied by coaches Cole Hoggart, Jimmy Henry and Marco Teutscher, and managed by Bernie Endres.

🍀Good luck team!🍀