Trinity seniors Michael Evans and Kody Anderson have brought their passion for pocket billiards to campus by creating the Trinity Billiards Association (TBA). The club, approved by Campus and Community Involvement two weeks ago, seeks to promote students’ interest and knowledge of the game of billiards.

“We started TBA because we love the game of billiards, and we wanted to connect with other students who also enjoy playing the game while improving our skills and having a good time,” Anderson said.

The club initially started as a joke while Evans and Anderson were playing pool. Then, they discovered that there was no billiards club on campus. They decided to take the initiative and create their own.

“Kody and I were getting more interested and competitive at billiards, and we thought it’d be great to find more people that share our interest,” Evans said.

Anderson has been playing billiards for 12 years, while Evans didn’t start playing until a year ago. Both have developed a strong passion for the game and now play at least six games of billiards per day.

“I find that playing pool is a great stress reliever during the week. When I realized it was plausible to get a pool table at our house off campus, I bought an old pool table off Craigslist and refurbished it,” Evans said.

The club will welcome both veteran and new players and provide students the opportunity to compete against one another on a regular basis. Both Evans and Anderson, the club’s presidents, will offer training sessions for members who have no experience so that they can learn how to play. However, regular club meetings and play times will include both experienced and non-experienced members.

“It’s a game that requires a lot of skill and practice, but at the same time anyone can play the game,” Anderson said.

The presidents envision the club as a social one, where students can meet new people, hang out and play pool while still maintaining a high level of competition among themselves. Both Evans and Anderson heavily encourage anyone who has any interest in pool to come out and play or just meet new people.

Senior David Reeves, who is friends with Evans and Anderson, looks forward to joining the club and participating in the billiards tournaments.

“I have been over to Mike and Kody’s house a few times to shoot pool. I had a really great time, so when I heard that they were starting a billiards club, I thought, “˜Why not make it a weekly thing?’ I also look forward to beating Mike and Kody in pool every week,” Reeves said.

The club plans to host multiple tournaments throughout the year with prizes that are open to all of campus in hopes of receiving more publicity and new members.

Club meetings and practices will be held at Evans and Anderson’s house, the North/South Foyer and Fast Eddie’s Billiards. Senior Julia Jaross is the marketing chair and plans to get the club’s name out and increase membership. There will be flyers posted around campus with more information.

TBA’s first meeting will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10, in the North/South Foyer. There will also be another meeting in the same location at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.