Faces of the APA:
Professional Advice

“ Willie Mosconi once told me ‘If you play your friends, you’ll never play to your potential’ and ‘Play the cue ball for your next shot.’ I use his second piece of advice during every game I play,” said Allen Steimling. Steimling doesn’t follow Mosconi’s first piece of advice very often; he’s been playing with the APA for over eight years. “I have met so many people. Everyone is really friendly, and it’s hard NOT to play a friend in the APA!”

Recently, the Senior Citizens Billiard Club contacted League Operator Sam Mahon about getting someone to show them tips and trick shots at the Community Center in Woodbridge Township in New Jersey. “I immediately thought of Allen,” said Mahon, “he is a class act all the way; he’s a great person and poolplayer.” Steimling demonstrated basic tips on stance, cue position, ball contact and performed a few trick shots. “They really enjoyed what I showed them. Some of the people had never played pool before, and some hadn’t played for 20 or 30 years, so it was a refresher for them. I had fun setting up shots and showing them how to break, but then I got really embarrassed because they started clapping for me and the Mayor showed up; I didn’t expect that!”

Steimling has led quite an interesting life. He was a radio operator in World War II. “I landed in Okinawa on D-Day. I went to China after we dropped the atomic bomb. I came back from the war and was in Pennsylvania when I met Willie Mosconi in a poolroom. He gave me some advice, and to this day my game is about cue ball placement—setting up my next shot.” Steimling is a SL9 when he plays 9-Ball on Sundays and Mondays, and he’s a SL7 when he plays 8-Ball on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Steimling is a retired tugboat Captain; he drove coal barges to New York and New Jersey when coal was used to generate electricity. Even though he’s retired he still works in marine engineering. With his son and daughter-in-law he fabricates and repairs tugboat shafts, and makes sure the vessels are in good operating condition.

This article orginally appeared in the Summer 2003 issue of The American Poolplayer Magazine produced by the American Poolplayers Association.