An Afternoon with Pete Vanko

It was my privilege to visit Pete Vanko. When I entered his home, I was impressed with the immediate warmth I felt.  He is a comfortable person. Comfortable with his surroundings, comfortable in his chair, and he made me feel comfortable.  He welcomed me and seemed glad that I was interested in his expertise.  We spent a few minutes chatting about the weather, and establishing a camaraderie.  He struck me as a gentle guy, someone who “goes with the flow.” Little did I know, in that moment, how very correct I was in my first impression.

Pete Vanko was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 3, 1945. As a young man he excelled in all the major sports; baseball, basketball, football and track.  At the very young age of 13, he was already an outstanding pitcher and shortstop, with and incredible batting average of 777!  His reputation was will-known, as it was certainly in his cards to be a professional ball player. He was even scouted by the great Herb Score!

This great sports ability was soon to be diminished, though, as in the first year of his teenage life, he somehow contracted Transverse Myelitis (an inflammation of the spinal column). This was NOT a slowly progressing condition. Within (3) days of the onset, Pete was paralyzed form the waist down. Permanently. There was no hope of recovery. To any other person, this would be total devastation. Especially to a young man facing a professional career in the fast-moving world of baseball.

Pete asked his doctor if he would ever again be able to play sports-his love.  His doctor immediately replied, “You can play any sport you choose, but you will play from a wheelchair.”  Pete was undaunted and over the years he has excelled at many sports such basketball, tennis, track, archery and finally, billiards.

He began playing pool around 1961. But it wasn’t until the 1990’s that be began to take the sport more seriously.  As his participation in other sports fell off, he spent more and more time at the pool table.  He soon realized a level of skill that allowed him to play competitively with most able-bodied players on various bar tables in the Cleveland area.  He began to see that it was now time to take the next step and enter wheelchair tournament competitions.  To his dismay, there was no such thing.

Pete was not to be denied his opportunity of competing against other chair-bound sportsmen/women.  So in 1994, he established the National Wheelchair Billiards Association (NWBA), and naturally found himself as the organization’s first President.  With help from Nancy Hart, President of Viking Cues, the newly formed NWBA was able to obtain grants from the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Buckeye Chapter, and the Billiard Congress of America (BCA). Nancy also supplied Pete with information on how to obtain sponsorship from the private sector.

The first NWBA Tournament was held in 1994 at Winter’s Billiards, located in the Holiday Inn at West 150^th Street and Interstate 71 in Cleveland.  At this time, he had 90 members of whom 54 were participants in this first competition.

Since its inception, the NWBA has grown and currently sponsors 10 national tournaments annually.  Pete found himself spending more and more time on the daily responsibilities of running this active and growing organization, and less and less time actually playing the sport he loves so much,

Two years ago, he turned over the presidency to Bob Calderon of Livonia, Michigan.  Since then, the name has been changed to National Wheelchair Pool Player’s Association. This was actually done to eliminate confusion with the National Wheelchair Bowler’s Association, which is also known as the NWBA.

Currently, Pete enjoys playing and running a Monday night 9-Ball league at Winter’s Billiards, as well as playing in a Wednesday night Valley National Eight Ball Association 8-Ball League (VNEA). He is also in the process of opening an upscale billiards hall by the name of B.J.’s Diamond Mine.  Expected date of opening is January 2000, at 16700 West Lorain Avenue in Cleveland.  It will be graced with 7, 8 and 9-foot tables, and there will by food, drinks and live music.

Pete feels that billiards is an ideal sport for wheelchair bound athletes who like the thrill of competition.  For those who already play, nothing further need be said about the merits of this fine indoor sport.  For those who do not currently participate, it can offer a wonderful opportunity to develop eye-hand coordination in a setting where socialization and camaraderie prevail, not to mention the self-satisfaction, which naturally follows as your skill and level of play progress.  No special equipment is required for wheelchair-bound players.  There are, however, cue stick extensions and mechanical bridge extensions which can make playing easier and more enjoyable.

If you are interested in further information about the NWPA and its on-going events contact Mark McKelley (330) 484-4848 for on-going events as well as f you want to learn to play from a chair, or know someone who does.  For more information in the Cleveland area on learning how to play, contact Pete Vanko (440) 243-0382.  These opportunities could open up a whole new world of fun and competition for the differently-abled! 

We all could learn a thing or two about life just watching these players…