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Nine ball. It’s a game that can earn you upwards of $15,000 in the right circle. It’s a game that, much like traditional pool, requires you to strike a cue ball and knock other balls into a pocket. At least that’s the easy way to sum it up. However, to a group of youth in Kimball it is about more than that.

Nine ball to members of the Young Pool Players League is about friendship, learning and yes, competition. Consisting of kids from ages 10 and up ( kids younger than 10 must show they can play before being allowed to join), the players get together for competition play on Saturday and Sunday.  Their tournament grounds are located behind the home of the YPL head, Bob McCormick.

McCormick converted his garage into a club house, of sorts. It is furnished with tables, chairs, bumper pool table, air hockey table, a pool table, and even an XBOX. There is also a snack bar that the kids can make purchases at. It is operated by Bob’s wife, Roxann and Donna Kudebeh.

McCormick is one of the founding members of the YPL. His passion for the game of pool began when he was young. Growing up in an Air Force family, McCormick spent time at the youth centers playing pool.

“Pool did a lot for my self confidence,” he said, “It is a skill that stuck with me and I wanted to see something like I had growing up for these kids.”

The kids are formed into teams. A total of eight teams make up the league with four players on a team. Each team has an adult coach who knows their way around a pool table.

“All of our coaches are ranked 4 or higher in the APA,” McCormick said.

Being in the league does come with a cost. McCormick said an annual family registration has a fee of $10, and there is a weekly match fee of $2.

For those who would rather be an occasional, stand-in type player, there is an optin there as well.

“We also have a guest membership for youths who can’t be here every week,” said McCormick.

That cost is $3 every time they play with no annual fee.

The snack bar also has prices attached to it. The money earned from the fees and snack bar goes right back to the kids.

“We are strictly non-profit with everything, including the snack bar, returning to the youth,” McCormick said.

On Saturday kids were palling around the league headquarters watching each other play. Sitting at a scoring booth, Brayden Tyan, 7, is keeping score.

“I like playing and having fun,” Tyan said as he writes down a score on his sheet. Tyan said he comes to the league on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Next to him Creg Barker said he too likes having fun.

“It is something us kids can do,” said Barker. Barker is a member of the Killer Wolves coached by Terry Jefferson.

Seth Krafczik, who has a skill level of 7, the highest in YPL, echoes the sentiment fo the others.

“We love it,” he said.

Seth plays on some of the adult teams and has been known to win a few of those games.

The league is ran strictly by volunteers, McCormick said. Those volunteers are: Mike Tumillo, Terry Jefferson, Henry Barker, Arla Wolven, Mike Kudebeh, Donna Kudebeh, Roger Krafczik, Shalane Hottell, Geneva Scheenen, Robert O’Brien, Roxann McCormick and Bob McKormick.

They are sponsored by seven businesses in town.

Currently there are a few more open postions in the league. Anyone interested in joining should call McCormick at 308-235-2885.