SUN CITY – There are ladies in the pool hall!!
Back in the day, this shout would often spark protests and pandemonium in pool halls (ahem, billiard parlors). Proper ladies wouldnât want to be seen in one. Even if they did, the guys probably wouldnât let them in.
But in Sun City, the ladies are welcome. Some of them play as well as men, and itâs all about fun – not gambling, hustling, or $1,000-dollar games. If any men have a problem with it, they are referred to Marty Brenner, who is a tiny but energetic leader of all this social and recreational change.
In her home in Neighborhood 33, Marty is a social, gregarious, enthusiastic woman. At the Cue Clubâs âpool hallâ (playing facility) in the Millgrove Woodshop, she is a âSharkette.â And she usually has more than a dozen âSharkettesâ with her. They form the informal ladies division of the Cue Club, which has been up and running for a few months.
She is truly a Renaissance woman. She is a retired teacher of autistic children, an accomplished professional violinist, she likes to run and jog and walk her two pet poodles, and she likes to shoot baskets. She must be beside herself when sheâs sitting down; she prefers to play a sport, even if itâs all by herself. Oh yes, she also bikes a lot around Sun City and does yoga 3-4 times a week.
âWhen I came here, I found out there was a Cue Club, and I thought maybe I had a chance to get involved in it,â she said. âSo I went over to the woodshop one day when I knew they were playing. I walked into a roomful of more than 60 men, and I almost walked right back out. But they welcomed me and explained how I could get involved. They even said I could practice with some of the men who could teach me about the game.Â
âMy late husband played a lot,â she said. âBut he never encouraged me to play. I guess that was the culture of the game back then.â
Marty, being a naturally social person, saw how much the club members enjoyed socializing as well as playing, and she talked to some of her female friends. âPretty soon, we had a group of women playing regularly, and the guys set aside time for us every Tuesday. Somebody used the word âSharkettes,â like the old idea about pool sharks.
âWe are mix of beginner and experienced players,â Marty said. âThe men are all surprised that so many women have stepped forward and showed interest in the game. We play mostly eight-ball, but sometimes we play some billiards. Weâre blending in with the Cue Club, and itâs going great. More and more women are finding out that pool games and socializing go together very well. Clark Jones and Chuck Volpi, club officers, especially have been very helpful.â
The âSharkettesâ include Kathy LaValla, Rita Price, Kathy Takasaki, Jean Chervenak, Nancy Vosconte, Geri Biedron, Phyllis Combs, Muriel Riedesel, Dorothy Cronin, Esther Auster, Judy Cieciva, Jan Orton, and Eve Kolasa.
Martyâs background is diversified and impressive. She played for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the Milwaukee Ballet ensemble, and taught autistic kids in public schools for many years. Today, she bikes and jogs daily, and frequently goes over to Diecke Park in Huntley to shoot baskets on warm days. She also keeps in close touch with her daughter and grandchildren in the Huntley area and other family members in Knoxville, Tennessee.
She and the other âSharkettesâ are truly people you should know, and they are truly unique.
2 Comments
I am one of the Sharketts. The colored picture of the Sharketts in the paper was black & white & the quality was not good. Why didn’t you put the colored picture of us in the paper? Also, Marty is shooting a ball to a ball instead of shooting the cue ball to a ball. Why was the picture taken like that?
Please email me back ASAP.
Thank you.
Kathy LaValla
am one of the Sharketts. The colored picture of the Sharketts in the paper was black & white & the quality was not good. Why didnât you put the colored picture of us in the paper? Also, Marty is shooting a ball to a ball instead of shooting the cue ball to a ball. Why was the picture taken like that?
Please email me back ASAP.
Thank you.
Kathy LaValla