Art is a player from whom we all can learn. His setup, stance, stroke and concentration are very good. A "will to win" attitude and a strict practice regimen help him accomplish these techniques. Having always been a very good player, Art has brought his game to a higher level over the past two years. He has done this with hard work and playing the "tuff to beat players."

At the age of 8 years old, Art was diagnosed with Fibrous Dysplasia. Although this disease eventually caused him to lose his left leg at age 12, his fierce urge to compete was not dampened. He continued to play sports and participate in many vigorous activities. In 1979 an honor was bestowed him: he was the junior champion at the Rubber City Amputee Tournament which was held at the Mayfair Country Club.

Art is the very proud owner of a 1970 Chevy Chevelle which he keeps in immaculate condition. This car won 2nd place in the 1987 Stark County Rodders Association car show. In 1992 he won the award for best car in show at the East Canton Car Show. He has also won several other trophies for this very fine Chevelle. A very fine prized possession indeed!

Also an avid collector, Art collects anything from rare beer cans to Cleveland Indians memorabilia. He has a 1940’s Phillips gas pump in his pool room along with a "working traffic light!" His wife Pam recently gave him an autographed baseball from the 1948 Cleveland Indians team as a Christmas gift.

Art became interested in the game of pool at age 9, but did not play competitively until age 18. He said he has learned a lot about the game from his good friends Mike Pergola and Sam Wheatley. He also learned a great deal in his early years from Bob Bowers. Bob, as many of you know, is an inductee of the Greater Canton Amateur Billiard Hall of Fame. Art first started in leagues playing for the Village Inn in Louisville. The Village was owned by Fran and Cheryl Stoiber and was a mecca for fine pool players. Art claims he still learns from watching good players such as "Chris Szuter and Tim Price." He plays with a Predator pool cue and said his favorite game is straight pool. His favorite shot is a cross corner bank while he has a high run of 48 balls. His favorite moment in pool was "when I won the final game at the Oasis 3 Person Tournament, to win the championship." Don Mammone and Mike Pergola were also on that team. Art devotes a lot of time practicing on his own table but states "I would like to start playing more on the 9 foot tables." He said that his favorite professional players are "Efren Reyes and Allison Fisher," while on the local level "I think Steve Helline has a real future in pool."

This is a list of some of his accomplishments in pool. Team wise: Canton-Louisville League Champions in and again in 1990; Valley National Eight Ball Association (VNEA) League Open Division Champions in 1994; 1996 to 1999 Massillon Tavern League division winners and 2nd place overall in 1999; Individual: Sequi Centennial 9-Ball Tournament, singles champion 1984; Canton-Louisville League MVP, 1990; Canton-Louisville League 8 Ball on the Break champion 1993 and 1996; Reedurban Tavern Scotch Double League Champions and MVP,1994. In addition to this impressive list of accomplishments, Art has also won many local tournaments through the years.

He stated his favorite team "was the 1994 VNEA team" which consisted of himself, Al Becher, Ken Marion, Earl Kulp and Dennis Combs. "They were a great group of guys."

In the future Art would like to see amateur billiards "grow larger and eventually become an Olympic sport." His goal is to "keep improving and to take my game to the highest possible level." I think that Art will do just that.