The Blue Ridge APA
The APA is in it's third year in Asheville and the surrounding communities. Our league started in December 2006 and is growing quickly thanks to the number of people in the area who are interested in the sport of pool. We offer amateur 8-Ball & 9-Ball Leagues using the APA's Equalizer Handicap System where everyone has an equal chance to win. We also offer a Masters Division for highly skilled players and a once-a-month ladies-only division on Sunday afternoons.
Players sign-up to play on teams of 5 to 8 people. These teams compete in local divisions where the APA Host Locations are grouped geographically to minimize traveling distance. The year is divided into 3 sessions, with each session running approximately 14 weeks, followed by two weeks of play-offs, which determine the Division Champions for each session.
The Blue Ridge APA is owned by League Operator Vicki Catalano, along with her husband, League Manager Dave Catalano. They arrived in Western North Carolina with a combined 8 years of experience as players in the APA and 3 years experience as an APA division representative. Feel free to contact us at 828-329-8197.
Mike Smith recently joined our staff in Summer of 2009. He serves as the Operations Assistant for the local league and can be reached at 828-772-1901.
Play Locally to Compete Nationally
While the Blue Ridge APA is a local league, all the teams that win their Division Tournaments from across the region come together once a year for our regional finals, The Local Team Championship Tournament. In addition to bragging rights as the best 8-ball or 9-ball team in Western North Carolina, these teams compete for an opportunity to represent the Asheville region at the National Team Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada.
At the national level, the APA guarantees more than $1.5 Million in national tournament prize money. This consists of the APA National Team Championship, the $200,000 APA 8-Ball Classic, the $100,000 APA 9-Ball Shootout, and the MiniMania Tournaments, which paid out over $200,000 during the 2006 National Team Championships.