On The Road, Again One of Arizona's favorite players is taking his act on the road. by Roger Long    Billiards Table Talk At long last, he's going on the road. For some people it would be a nightmare. For Ken Aylesworth, it's a dream come true. He's planned this action for at least twenty years now. Ken (or "Sarge" as he has been known for the last ten or twelve years) is considered to be one of the top five trick shot artists in the world. He has been given this distinction by the most authoritative judges possible - his peers. Aylesworth may not be the most famous artist in his field, but that is exactly why he has always wanted to perform nationwide. From the very start, Sarge has made it one of his goals to be recognized as one of the best. He is a perfectionist at his art, and he would like for the world to know it. Being on the move is not new to Sarge. He spent many years in the United States Air Force, being bounced around from one base to another, and from one assignment to another. Naturally, it's because of the military that Sarge inherited his nickname. It was officially given to him by Danny Diliberto, who was the house pro at The Golden Eight Ball in Phoenix at the time, and would always greet Aylesworth with,"Hey 'Sarge', how's it going?" or, "What's up 'Sarge'?" It was also while Aylesworth was in the military that he was introduced to pool. He was only 19 years old at the time, and was stationed at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, California. One day, he ventured into a pool room in Lompoc that was (unbeknownst to him) owned by one of the best players in the country - Dave DePasquale. Mr. DePasquale took an immediate liking to Aylesworth, and offered to teach him the game. And teach him he did! Over the next few months, Sarge was put through drills that made the military seem like child's play. One of the methods that DePasquale used to demonstrate the physics of pool, to aylesworth, was to teach him how to do trick shots. It was this start with DePasquale that caused Sarge to set some lofty goals for himself as a pool player. He decided three things: he wanted to win a state champoinship; he wanted to win a national champoinship; and he wanted to be recognized as a top trick shot artist. Sarge realized his first goal in 1981 when he won the state eight-ball championship, and represented Arizona at the Reno 8-Ball Open national tournament. He didn't get his national title in Reno, however, but he did come close to that goal in 1991 when he placed fifth in the men's individual division of the McDermott Team Cup National Championships. Aylesworth has had other memorable competition pool matches too. Like the time he played World 9-Ball Champion, Johnny Archer, in Bellflower (CA), and only lost 9-6. And then there was the time that he beat the great Jay "Swanee" Swanson in the Andy Mercer Memorial 9-Ball Open at the Rum Runner in Las Vegas. Through all of the years of competition pool, Ken Aylesworth has continued to pursue his third goal; that of being recognized, by the world, as a great trick shot artist. He has done a lot towards achieving that goal too. He has worked with some of the game's greatest players and performers, and has learned different aspects of the trade from each of them. Years ago, trick shot artist, Jack White, did much to school Sarge in Showmanship. The great Three-cushion billiards player, Eddie Robin, taught him about diamond systems. World Champion trick shot artist, Mike Massey, has worked side-by-side with Sarge, and offered advice and encourageement that money can't buy. And, most recently, the legendary straight pool player, Cliff Thayer (now a Sun City, Arizona Resident), has befriended Sarge and encouraged him to keep pursuing his dream. So now, Sarge has his bags packed and he's on his way to look for bookings. He's put together a very impressive portfolio: he's got his letter of recommendation from the great Bill "Weenie Beanie" Station; he's got his professional portraits and action photographs; he's got his magazine and newspaper clippings; he's got his promotional tape; he's got his instructional program; he's got his repertoire of 520 trick shots; and he's got the experience from already doing approximately 1,750 exhibitions. But, Sarge has more than all that - he has a new goal. He wants to pass on, to other players, some of the knowledge that has been shared with him. He feels that his performances should not be for entertainment only. He thinks he should be able to help many casual players see a new side to pool, and make them want to set goals for themselves. He believes he could inspire at least 20,000 players in the first year alone. That is his new goal. Sarge isn't turning loose of his old goals, however. Even though he has the endorsement from his fellow trick shot artists, as being a top performer, he still wants to prove it to the rest of the world. And then, there is still the matter of that national title.... This article appears courtesy of Billiards Table Talk Newspaper. All copyrights are owned by Billiards Table Talk. No duplication is allowed without their permission.