Steve Lewis plays a league match at Chattanooga Billiards Club East.Join upBecoming a member of the local franchise league of the American Poolplayers Association requires annual dues of $25 and a per-night cost of $6 per player. To register a new team, fill out the form at chattanooga.apaleagues.com/FormTeamRegistration.aspx. For more information, call league operator Valerie Reagan at 886-6903.
Steve Lewis plays a league match at Chattanooga Billiards Club East.Although billiards has been her life’s blood for almost a quarter of a century, Valerie Reagan doesn’t get to rack up the balls nearly as often as she used to.
“If I go out in public and there’s a pool table, I’m going to end up having to work because people recognize me and want to talk about their handicap,” she says, laughing.
Reagan, 58, has no one but herself to blame for the demanding legions of billiards fans in Chattanooga. When she bought the local American Poolplayers Association franchise 24 years ago, the league had just 26 teams. Although she’s quick to deny sole responsibility for the growth, the league has ballooned during her tenure to more than 1,400 players on 200 teams.
Per capita, the Scenic City has more pool players than any other city in the region. According to league operators, the APA franchise in Knoxville has 900 players while Nashville’s has 1,200 players. At 2,384 members, APA-Atlanta’s membership is larger than Chattanooga’s but represents a smaller proportion of its population.