|
| This interview took place one week after Tiffany took fifth place at the WPBA Baltimore Classic. It was her best finish in a WPBA event since finishing fifth at the ESPN Ultimate 9-ball Challenge in 1997. Her best finish was second at the Leisure Bay Orlando Classic in 1994. | |||
|
Tiffany: Sure. It was so similar to the event in Florida that I took second in that I just kept thinking about that tournament over and over. In that tournament I beat Loree Jon, Eva and Mary Guarino. In Baltimore, I won my first match against Jennifer Page and then my second match was against Belinda Campos. Only twice before on the WPBA tour have I won my first match and my second match. Usually I win my first one and then in my second I have to play a top 16 player and I lose. I have had a lot of hill-hill matches in the second round. I think it is kind of a mental block in my game. It is so hard to get beat in the second round and then try to come all the way thru the losers side. I have a lot of top 10 finishes coming through the one loss side but it is really difficult. I think the biggest part of this tournament was that I got through that mental block and I beat Belinda in the second round hill-hill. When I played Allison in the third round, I had no fear because I had nothing to lose. I was just able to free-wheel through the match. I wasn't really thinking about anything. I just wanted to play well. I didn't really think about much because I basically had nothing to lose. Allison didn't play great. She missed some very uncharacteristic balls and I was able to capitalize on them. I mean Allison usually plays on top of her game but when she doesn't, she usually ends up winning anyway. I hate to see that. When the top players are playing bad, they shouldn't always win. So when you are playing a top player and they start missing, you really need to capitalize on it, and that is what I did. Everything just seemed to come together at this tournament. I really had a lot of fun, I know that. I just wish I had had enough energy to play Helena in the last match. We didn't start that match til midnight or 12:30 and after playing Gerda and Jeanette, I was just drained after playing all those tough matches in a row. AZB: I also understand you were in the ESPN booth with Mitch Laurance and Jeanette Lee during the final match. What was that like? Tiffany: I was there for a couple games. It was really different. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it at first because I had never really done it. I was kind of nervous going into it because I didn't know how it was going to be. But once I was in there, it was fine. Mitch and Jeanette Lee have a lot of fun. It was a good experience and I am glad that they game me the opportunity to do it. AZB: For those visitors to the site who don't know much about you, can you tell us a little about yourself? Tiffany: Sure, right now I am a full time college student. I will be a junior this coming semester at Thomas College in Waterville Maine where I study business management. I also play soccer on my college soccer team. AZB: So, you have been playing at the professional level for 6 years and also going to high school and now college. What is it like trying to juggle your education and pool? Tiffany: I started playing pro pool when I was 13. It has been a lot of fun but it has also been very busy. I had to decide if I wanted to go to college or pursue my professional career and I have always done a lot between other sports and pool. I never wanted to miss out on being a kid so I am glad I am able to do everything right now. I wish I could have gone on tour full time a long time ago but I wasn't able to at the time. I could have only played part time. I was going to wait until I finished college before I went full time but it is so hard to know you can do it and not try so I have decided I am going to give it a try playing full time on the tour. If it doesn't work, I can always back off but I have made the decision that I am going to try it this year. It is going to be tiring but I only play soccer in the fall so that will probably be the toughest time. But on the other hand, you have to do other things. I couldn't imagine just playing pool. I always have to be doing something. Even when I am not playing soccer, I am either running or swimming or something. I play a lot better pool when I am active. AZB: What first got you interested in pool? Tiffany: I've been playing pool since I was 4 years old. My dad was a pool player and we always had a table in our basement. I remember starting on a Fisher Price table. We also had an 8 foot table for a while. When I was about 9 years old, we moved up to a 9 foot. I started playing in the local tournaments when I was 9. My dad owned a pool room in Madawaska for 2 or 3 years. I spent a lot of time playing then. I didn't really play a lot during that time with people my own age. I played a lot with my dad's friends and they were all adults. I really learned the game from them. I played on the New England Women's Tour for awhile. I was probably 11 when I played in my first event on that tour. They used to have a lot of events in Portland and Massachusetts. Now it seems like it is more like the tri-state tour. It has moved down to the Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York area. That is kind of why I got out of playing on that tour. It got to be too far to travel. Even when they would have a tournament in Portland Maine, it was still 6 hours to travel. AZB: Are there other players with your ability in your area that you can practice against to keep your game fresh? Tiffany: Yeah, there are quite a few. Not as many as in places like New York or California but there are players around here. The pool room I play out of is TJ's Classic Billiards in Waterville. I don't know if you know TJ LaFlamme. He is a great great pool player. When I played Allison, I kept thinking about playing TJ. I have only beaten him once. I probably had 6 hill-hill matches before I finally beat him. I could be ahead of him 8-2 and he would come back on me. The guy is a serious player. So I kept thinking about him when I played Allison. I didn't think about him in a negative way, I just thought that even when I had her 8-4, she could still come back and win. I have played in the Jr Nationals for 4 years. I was 11 the first time I played and I had to play in the boy's division since there was no girl's division. It was interesting. I don't think I won a match but I remember I had two very close matches. Even thought I was only 11, both guys knew I could play. The following year they had a girl's division so I played in that the next three years. I was runner up the last two years to the same girl. I lost both years to Kara Wroldson. That seemed to be the only place she could beat me. I played her on the New England Tour and beat her. I even played her on the pro tour once and beat her there too. She always got me in the Jr Nationals though. It was almost like a mental thing. She was three years older than me and that is quite a difference when you are only 13 and she is 16. The last year I played in the Jr Nationals, I played her in the second round of the tournament and beat her 7-1. Everybody thought that was going to be my year to win it. In the finals she had to beat me twice and I don't know what it was but she played unreal against me. I kind of collapsed and she beat me two sets for the title. I knew that was going to be my last year because even though I was playing on the pro tour, they had still let me play for a couple years but someone complained about it and they wouldn't let me play the Jr Nationals anymore. AZB: Do you currently have any companies that sponsor you on the tour? Tiffany: Currently I don't. I used to be sponsored by Skillful Billiards and Barstools in Portland Maine. They helped me out a lot when I first went on tour. They paid my full expenses back then and periodically helped me out when I needed help. But, as far as having a sponsor now, I don't have anybody. AZB: Have you been contacted by any companies wanting to sponsor you? Tiffany: I have been contacted by a few people but it is hard for them to sponsor me. I can understand why since I am not fully committed to pool full time right now. AZB: You mentioned earlier, taking second place in the Leisure Bay Orlando Classic. How old were you then? Tiffany: 14. AZB: Do you think that placing that high at such a young age could have placed too high expectations on you and your game? Tiffany: I think it could have a little bit but it also told me that I could be there. It showed me how well I played. It is kind of shocking at the age of 11 to do something like that. AZB: Do you think that playing professional pool at such a young age, that you might have allowed some of the players that you really admire to intimidate you although you might have had the ability to beat them? Tiffany: I felt intimidated a little bit when I first went on tour because I idolized all the women I played. Especially Ewa. I idolized her the most. It really didn't take long though. I got to know all the players very well and it is hard to idolize them anymore once you get to know them. AZB: So, have you decided after Baltimore that you are going to put more effort towards pool than you might have otherwise? Tiffany: Well, I had actually decided before Baltimore. It is kind of funny. Over the past 2 years I have had a lot of close matches. When I played in Rochester last year, I had to play Karen Corr in the second round and I lost hill-hill. I played the best match of my life. In that tournament I ended up getting 9th after I lost to Belinda hill-hill in my last match. I have had a lot of tournaments where I had a lot of hill-hill matches. Lots of close matches where I think I am going to breakthrough in the tournament and I come so close. I talk to my dad a lot and he kept telling me I was going to have a breakthrough tournament any time and I just kept waiting. I know I can play with the them and I have showed it before. I'm just glad that I finally did. AZB: What do you consider to be the strongest part of your game? Tiffany: I think I concentrate very well. My break is also a big part of my game. AZB: I was told you have a very strong break. To what do you attribute your break to? Tiffany: Well, I am not exactly sure but I would have to say that it is because I took Tae Kwan-Do for 5 1/2 years. I started when I was 9 years old. I am now a black belt in Tae Kwan-Do. I think a lot of the break is speed more than power. For some reason, I don't know if it is flexability or what but ever since I started taking Tae Kwan-Do my break has been strong. I am not sure why it would help so much but I talked to CJ Wiley and I know he has a black belt in martial arts. He also have a very good break. AZB: This year the WPA World Championships will be held in Quebec City. That is pretty close to you isn't it? Tiffany: It sure is. It is about 3 hours away. AZB: With it being close, do you think you will play in it even if you have to go thru qualifying first? Tiffany: Definitely. AZB: Last question, what kind of advice would you give to younger players whose dream is to get out there on the WPBA tour? Tiffany: I would have to say to set goals for yourself. You can't make goals if you don't set them for yourself. Other than that, just practice hard.
|
|||
