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PLAYER PROFILE - DECEMBER 2006
Player Profile: Carol Bretz How long have you been playing darts? I started playing darts in Illinois on a steel-tip league 34 years ago. We had to play in homes because this small town of Pecatonica had a law that you could not bring steel darts into a bar. How did you get started? A friend of mine was on a league and once I tried it I was hooked, especially the first time I beat a guy. What was it about the game that had you hooked? I really like the competition, when I was in school, a million years ago, they didn't have any competitive sports for women. Who has been your biggest influence(s) in the game thus far? Way back when I was playing steel darts, we lived close to Chicago , so of course we went to The Windy City Open every year. I met many great players. I guess I'd have to say Sandy Green was the first woman I watched who really impressed me. I went to the Lowenbrau open in Chicago once and I sat with Kathy Malony to watch the finals. There was a woman, Lydia Crozier, who was playing up on stage that was unbelievable. Kathy said, Watch this. When a great player like her says watch this, you know it's going to be good. I will never forget that match, there was a TV camera looking up at the players from under the dart board, right in their face, and she proceeded to nail T80's like they were nothing. What's been your greatest achievement in darts so far? I've been lucky enough to have played on three different USA teams Archinid in Chicago , Scorpion in Florida and the NDA in Vegas. I've been lucky enough to have won the Ladies Masters team events with some good friends and a couple seconds and thirds over the years in Vegas at the NDA tournament. I was lucky enough to work for Arachinid; the dart company is out of Rockford , IL . I worked for them for about 15 years, going to the regionals all over the country every year. Everyone thinks it's a blast to do that, but it's really a lot of work. You fly into a city, drive straight to a motel, and stay in a big dart room for three days. I met my husband, Chicago Bob, and my best friend, Kristi Boehm (actually I'm better at darts than her). And I've met some great friends here in Phoenix . We are lucky here to have Mike and Julie Bates Dart Master; Mike sponsors a lot of people and does a lot for darts. I also got to play with my daughter, Jessica Haines, in many tournaments and leagues. There is also my friend Barb Olson. In your opinion, what about the sport brings out the best and worst in people? There are many people who start to get good at darts and get a really big head. You can get beat by anyone at any time or you can beat anyone at any time, so you need to keep your perspective on the importance of the game in your life. Don't get so wrapped up in it you forget that it's just a game. It's just a game. I don't like to see people who cheat, and they are out there. I like to see someone win and come over and shake your hand and walk away with class. Usually, when I get beat, I beat myself. Ninety-nine percent of this game is in your head, and my head seems to wander a lot more than it use to. Darts is more fun for me these days than competitive. My stats aren't what they use to be, but I keep playing. What are your dart-related goals? When I was good, I used to come home from work and practice two to three hours a day. Round the World doubles, then triples, and then bulls. Some day I'd like to get that drive back and put some time in at practicing, and travel around to different tournaments and play steel again. How about non dart-related? Bob and I would like to travel more. We have a motorhome and we like to just take off. But then again, we only get eight miles to a gallon, so it costs us about five kabillion dollars to go anywhere. Where are some of your favorite places to play? I love going to Vegas but it's a long, expensive week. We play out of Stingers, Sixshooters. My living room is my favorite place; I don't have to tip anyone. Do you prefer league or tournaments? I prefer tournaments. You always step up a little and sometimes even surprise yourself. Do you consider the game an important part of your social life? Yes, most of my friends are from darts, but we also have friends who don't understand what the hell we are doing in bars playing darts; they don't get it. What would you do, specifically, if you could change anything about the sport? I would make me better, just kidding. I wish we could get more women interested in darts. The in-house league at Stinger's we just finished, is a good idea. It's a fun league, not really that competitive. We start earlier so we can get done earlier. We play a shorter season and we play fewer games. It's a draft league, so that every season we play with different people. At the end of the season we had a big dart party. Every lady brought a guy and we had a tournament. I don't think the women want to play late, we all have jobs, kids, men buggin' us, laundry. Do karaoke and darts mix? Well it does on our Tuesday night league. They start up singing about 9pm and we get done playing darts at about 9:30. Lots of the girls stay for a while and sing I usually don't, my voice sounds a little scary. Who is your inspiration within the dart world? Some of the people I've played with and who have carried my behind to win something Lucky Newberry, Teenamarie Cunningham, Mike Bates, Andy Green, Lyle Herrick, Carolyn Nessman, Sharon Sontag, Marci Davis. Who is your inspiration beyond the dart world? I'd have to say my mom inspires me. She's stubborn, she's opinionated and she'll tell you what she thinks, even when you don't want to know. She is in her late 70s and still working. She will probably be working until she's 110 years old. And for some reason, she seems to have more energy than I do. What do you do when not playing darts? I work at Lifecare of Scottsdale as a Diet Tech. part time, and part time for Nutrition Alliance, a dietician consulting group going to many different nursing homes. For 30 years I've been a Food Service Director in nursing homes, but now working part time is great. Give us five words that best describe you. Motivated, fun, usually hungry! What's one thing about Carol that most people don't really know? I won Arizona Food Service Director of the Year in 2003 from the Arizona Health Care Association. Now, that was a rush. That was better than winning any tournament.
PLAYER PROFILE - NOVEMBER 2006 Dave Fatum How long have you been playing darts? Well, a bit over 19 years now. I grew up in a family that played steel-tip darts and I started competing when I turned 19. I have taken a few breaks along the way, but the span is almost 20 years long. What was it about the game that had you hooked? I guess the thing that hooked me the most was I got my butt just kicked when I started. I hate to suck at anything, so I started to practice, and once I found out you could make money, I never stopped practicing. Who has been your biggest influence in the game thus far? He was an amazing Canadian player named Rick Bisario. The first time I played him, I was already ranked 8th in Canada , but his style and indifference to me warming up for our match intimidated me so much that he destroyed me. I went home, copied his style/demeanor, and I found something that has brought me great success; but not without a knock or two for it. What's been your greatest achievement in darts so far? There are a few; I played for both Canada and the U.S. in international play, but my greatest win was the tournament I won in England last spring. In your opinion, what about the sport brings out the best and worst in people? That is a tough question; for the best, I guess it is that it brings people from different areas of life together who otherwise would not interact and compete equally. The worst, I say, is money. The average person gets a bit of success and they forget why it was that they played a $75 first prize is not worth getting into arguments and losing the fun of playing. What are your dart-related goals? That one is easy I would like to qualify for the PDC world championships (steel), and when I last checked, the first prize was over $280,000 U.S. To play on world TV in front of thousands live there is no bigger rush you can have in the game. How about non-dart related? Well, I am a paramedic firefighter and would like to continue to advance in the fire department, also to begin teaching EMS at college. Where are some of your favorite places to play? Well, locally I like the atmosphere of Cheers Bell or Sixshooters, but the best shoot is still My Old Mans. For all-out fun? The Bullshooter in Chicago . Do you prefer league or tournaments? That is easy, tournaments. I actually enjoy playing steel shoots the most, and travel quite a bit around the country to play. League is a place to get your rounds in to qualify for the real shoots. Do you consider the game an important part of your social life? No. It may be surprising to most, but when I show up to a local soft-tip shoot on a Friday or Saturday, it was because I had nothing else to do. What would you do, specifically, if you could change anything about the sport? One, I would get rid of two out of three. It is too quick to really see which team is the better of the two. The second is, I would like to see all soft-tip be handicapped fairly and consistently, as it would make everyone better; and then your success would not depend on who you draw. Who's your inspiration within the dart world? Tough one, I would say I admire Paul Lim, actually. It amazes me he has played at the highest level for so long without taking any real time away from the game. He is by far the most winning player in America over the last 20 years in both steel and soft. Who is your inspiration beyond the dart world? No one person at this time, but I admire people who work hard to achieve their success and continue to work hard to keep it. What do you do when not playing darts? I play a lot of different sports, but a lot of soccer and volleyball, so I stay fairly busy with that on my days off. Give us five words that best describe you. LOL my words or others LOL. Dedicated, driven, idealistic, perfectionist and easy-going. What's one thing about you that most people don't really know? That I am actually a strong promoter of the game and very willing to help others become more successful at it. Anything you'd like to say to our readers? Yes, that the intense competitor you see at the board is not the same as the person away from the game. I am actually really easy-going and fun :)
PLAYER PROFILE - SEPTEMBER 2006 By JR Castillo Kix A l cala is one of darts' fast-rising stars and also a Masters A MVP. Kix is a nickname that evolved from Kikito; however, his real name is Francisco. We'll stick with Kix . . . His favorite sport is football and his favorite teams include the Broncos, the Diamondbacks and Da Bulls. According to Kix, some other favorites include: color black/burgundy, food chicken of any kind, hobby darts (of course), movies and eating. When Kix is not playing darts, he prefers spending time with his two sons, watching movies on his DVD. His biggest turn-off is a sore loser. Biggest turn-on? All the girls at Sixshooters! Originally, Kix was an avid pool player. (Ironically, he lost the only pool game we've ever played.) It was his brother, Teddy Martinez (also a well-known A player), who first inspired Kix to pick up a set of darts, and it wasn't until the year 2000 that he first started playing dart leagues and tournaments. Las Vegas in 2005 was the turning point for Kix. He credits everybody in the dart world for the player that he is today, as he has picked up theories and techniques from a whole lot of different people. He does, however, give out a special thanks to Bill Beard, Ron and Michelle Merrill, and of course, his brother Teddy, for the encouraging roles they've played in those so very important early days. The current season is his first as a Captain. With the exception of the typical off-the-wall teasing, he claims there is no real added pressure. Kix believes it is important to remain stable and focused at all times. I try not to let things get to me too much, he says. I just want to be there for my team. As a teammate of his, I can tell you that he stays true to those words. Kix prefers throwing what he calls a forearm style as opposed to breaking the wrist. He also prefers facing the board with the straight toe versus the ever-popular toe break, side stance. He throws a Frank Mast dart with the Vortex flight. I've tried the speed, the teardrop, even the lofting flight, and the Vortex just flies better for me, he explains. Kix uses a long carbon-fiber, candy-striped shaft. I like the Frank Mast barrel because they're even-loaded and longer. Plus, I like a busier grip. His advice to encourage future dart players who might be reading this: Don't get too upset cause it will mess up the rest of your darts. Always know what you want to throw at; have a plan. Don't drink too much truly good players should be able to throw good darts anytime. And, win or lose, play better players as often as you can. I've had the privilege of playing on Kix's Master team this season, and I can say with absolute and genuine conviction that he's a team player in every sense of the word. Stay golden, Ponyboy! Well, that's it folks; that's all I've got for you this month. I'd like to thank Francisco Kikito Kix Alcala for taking time out of his busy schedule. Stay tuned to future issues I promise to try and bring you something a little different. Remember if it feels right, throw it; if it looks right, who cares.
PLAYER
PROFILE - NOVEMBER 2005 By Kelli Wise When I first started
playing darts over three years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Dano
and he quickly became one of my favorite bartenders in Phoenix. Dano
has since moved around to different bars in the Valley and continues
to ensure that all the players have a drink in hand before they go to
the line to make that crucial shot.
PLAYER
PROFILE - OCTOBER 2005 By
Kelli Wise Why do you play? I play because I really like darts. It is not for the money because my tab would take care of any winnings. Regardless of who my partner is, I come out to have a good time and shoot good darts. Are you one of those guys that complain if they get a woman for a partner? No, I actually get nervous. Most times, this is the only night of the week that they are out and I want to make sure they have a good time. So I will try to play better to make sure we are not two and out. How do you feel now that you have been drafted to the A’s? For a long time I thought it was funny that I could beat a lot of them for money but I would never get picked in the draft. Now that I was picked, I feel a lot of pressure to live up to all of my bitching. I went to a couple of people and asked them, “What's the first thing that comes to mind about Kenny.” One person said that you have potential and that you are a true competitor. However; you come across cocky. What do you think of that? I don’t think I am cocky, just competitive. For instance, I play a lot of money games; not because I want to take someone’s money but because I want to get better. I ask the best shooters in the bar to play for money because I know that will force me to shoot my best darts to have a chance at winning. If I told you
someone said you were ‘a complainer’, would that surprise
you? I really don’t know how to respond to that because
– is it really complaining, or is it bitching about right vs.
wrong? I don’t make a fuss about just anything but because someone
is doing something that doesn’t make sense or is flat-out wrong. This will probably come as a surprise, but even though you are a great shot, there are some people that don’t like you and haven’t picked you during drafts. Does that bother you? It has crossed my mind, but it’s okay if I am not drafted to a team because someone doesn’t like me. In the end, it wouldn’t be good for the team dynamics. I will let you figure out who this last question is from. In a tournament, this young lady was your partner and you told her that if she took out the game with 126, you would get naked. According to her, she took the game out, but you didn’t hold up your end of the bargain. What’s up with that? I know who you are talking about; so, after she reads this article, if she shows up to Dave’s Place for the Sunday 6pm tournaments, I will go ‘streaking through the quad’! Boxers or briefs? Boxer briefs. Hope you enjoyed my conversation with Kenny. If there is someone that you would like to know more about, let me know next time you see me out.
PLAYER
PROFILE - AUGUST 2005
PLAYER
PROFILE - JULY 2005 Many, many years
ago, when I was 23, I met I guy named Wilson who was goofy as can be.
Ok no more song. I was 23 when I met the man, the legend, the Wilson. |
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