COEUR d’ALENE — Competitive pool sharks, faithful Christians, grandmas and grandpas, former school administrators, cowboys, fishermen, cancer warriors, snowbirds, newcomers, longtime patrons.
Friends.
“We literally have everyone here,” Lake City Center Executive Director Nancy Phillips said Wednesday morning while walking to the center’s pool hall.
Five days a week, the sounds of sticks smacking and cue balls clacking can be heard from the billiard room, where the core group of players enjoys such pool-based monikers as “The Stix” and “Pool and the Gang.”
This competitive but kindly crew consists of people of all stripes, as young as 53 and as old as 94.
Elaine Eberly of Garwood has been coming to the center since she moved to North Idaho about eight years ago.
“The first thing I did was hunt around, ‘Where can I shoot pool?’” she said.
At that time, one of the players was 98.
“He came here every day,” she said.
For just $5 a visit or $25 a month, pool enthusiasts can enjoy this table sport without the loud music or intoxicated antics found in a bar or pub environment, although several who play at the center also play league pool elsewhere.
At the center, they play eight ball, but the one and 15 balls have to go into specific pockets, explained John Siebern of Coeur d’Alene, one of the lead players.
“It just makes it a little more strategic,” he said. “You have to really think your way around when you play this game.”
A bit of geometry and strategizing gives the brain a stretch, while pool can also be a physically demanding game — both of which are beneficial for senior players.
“People don’t understand how many steps you get in when you’re playing pool,” Eberly said.
They do tournaments Wednesdays and Fridays, starting at 9:30 a.m. They have rotating partners throughout five games, selected by picking numbers that determine which tables and who their partners will be.
“It’s kind of random, so you always end up with something a little bit different,” Siebern said. “You get to talk to everybody, move around to all the different tables. It keeps it interesting.”
Benefits shared by Lake City’s pool players are camaraderie and fellowship. One bunch plays in the morning, another group plays in the afternoons, but all players receive the boost that accompanies participating in a social activity.
“I came for a different purpose than most people do,” said Bill Ramich of Post Falls, who had the distinction of being the morning’s longest-lived player at 84. He’s played pool at the center for 21 years, almost always five days a week.
“I’m a Christian,” he said. “I had a pastor once say, ‘When you have time, find something you like to do and do it with non-believers so you earn the right to speak into their lives.’ That was my goal.”
Eberly said the social aspect of the center’s pool hall is a good thing “because you get to love each other.”
“You get to ask, ‘How are you feeling?’ When someone’s in the hospital, they visit or they call,” she said. “I just recently hurt my leg real bad and probably eight of these people texted me, ‘How you doing? How you feeling?’ You get to really care about the people.”
Isolation and loneliness are challenges many adults 65 and older face. They may find themselves alone after the loss of a spouse, Phillips said.
“There’s nothing worse than being alone — depression starts, and once depression starts you lose weight, health starts to deteriorate,” she said. “You need socialization in order to stay in good health. That’s the thing about the billiard room. Not everybody wants to tap (dance) and not everybody wants to do art; you got to have something for those that don’t want to do the other things. And most are on a budget.”
The four tables in the pool hall have seen better days. They need new felt and other repairs.
“There’s PVC pipes instead of actual rails underneath,” Phillips said. “They’re being jury-rigged and it’s causing damage to the balls because it’s screwed in and not properly done.”
The center will host a spaghetti fundraiser at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 4 with the goal of raising at least $3,200 to refurbish the tables. For $25, guests will receive dinner and beverage, and the satisfaction of knowing they’re helping local seniors stay connected, active and sharp.
“The billiard room is more than just a place to play pool,” Phillips said. “For many, this room is a vital part of their social life and overall well-being.”