New Snooker Academy Thrives in Lancashire

This week we celebrate Coaching Week 2019 by UK Coaching and today we take a look at an emerging group in the north of England led by a group of coaches including WPBSA World Snooker Level 1 coach Annette Lord.

Hollins Grove Junior Snooker Academy was launched in November 2018 in Darwen, near Blackburn, Lancashire, to give children aged 8-16 in the local area somewhere to play snooker regularly and improve their skills.

Run by George, Mik and Annette, the group has a small hardcore of improving teenage players, plus some enthusiastic younger children who have been introduced to the game because of the academy’s existence.

Already it is part of a surge in interest for junior snooker again in the East Lancashire area. Junior competitions (u14s and u18s) will take place as part of the East Lancashire Snooker Championship this summer for the first time in more than a decade, with some of the matches at Hollins Grove. A number of children from the junior academy have entered.

As one of the academy coaches is female, another offshoot has been a women’s group, with a mix of beginners and more established players.

This group is in its infancy but the hope is that it will provide support and encourage local women to give the game a try, as well as providing playing opportunities and a friendship network for women of all levels of ability.

Find your nearest WPBSA World Snooker coach and learn how you can join the team HERE.