Special athletes 'rack up' some trophies

Special to the News-Sun

SEBRING - For an athlete to excel in any sport, they have to have the right attitude.

Motivation is the key behind every successful athlete and that holds true even for athletes with special needs.

Robert Collier, of Avon Park, exemplified that when he started his morning on Saturday with the attitude of winning.

"I am going to win me a trophy today," Collier said as he boarded his van to ride to the Special STARS Billiards competition at Cue Time Billiards in Sebring on Saturday, Aug. 28. "I will make my coach proud."

It was that state of mind that helped him to do just that.

Collier was in a pretty tough division, competing with all the top level masters players.

There are four levels of competitors in Special STARS Billiards - beginners, middle, skilled and masters.

At the masters level, the athletes play by all the rules as regular billiard competitors.

When trophies, donated by Frames & Images, were presented to the overall winners in masters level, Collier's name was called for the third place trophy.

"I told you I was going to get me a trophy," Collier proudly claimed with a grin from ear to ear. Even though it was not the first place trophy, it did not matter because he just wanted a trophy.

His teammates Shawn Squires, of Sebring, got second place and Frankie Smelser, of Avon Park, got first place in the masters level.

Squires and Smelser were neck-and-neck in the competition and had to play a tie-breaking game.

Smelser finally sunk the eight ball and took the lead with seven games while Squires won six.

There were 52 athletes in all competing in billiards.

In the skilled level, players don't have to call the pockets since they are still learning the rules of the game.

Minnie Sue Reid took first while Rose Tilley won second and Steve Sealy won third - all three are from Avon Park.

The middle and beginners levels are based around a ball count instead of a win/lose situation.

The beginners use a stick with a cue ball attached at the end while the middle level actually uses a regular pool stick but they do play ball in hand which means they can place the cue ball anywhere they want on the table.

Both of these levels help the athlete to focus on teaching them to aim the ball in the pocket.

In the middle level, Sandra Harper, of Avon Park, took the first place trophy while Bobby Talley, of Avon Park, won second and Amy Matthews, of Sebring, won third.

Beginners who won trophies were Maricel Moreno, first; Terry Richardson, second; and Dustin Akey, third. All three are from Sebring.

Ribbons were presented to various divisions within each level.

Lunch was served and awards were handed out afterwards.

As for Collier, he could not wait to get home to put his trophy next to another trophy that he won a couple years ago.

He skipped his way into his apartment and held his trophy high in the air.