gender benders I feature story
As Told To Lauren Miller
Photographed by Jonathan Boatwright
Belinda Calhoun
racking up in a man’s world
Belinda Calhoun, or “Texas Belle” (as she is known in the
world of professional pool players), picked up her first pool
stick at the age of 18 - a result of sheer boredom. Explaining
that she would often watch her boyfriend play, Belinda says,
“That got old pretty quickly, so I thought I would give it a try.”
Six years later, she played in her first US Open qualifier - in the
men’s only division and wound up spending 37 years on tour
playing professional pool. Quite impressively, Belinda has
played pool all over the world, served on the World Pool-Billiard Association board six years, the Women’s Professional
Billiard Association board 20 years, the Billiard Congress of
America board one year, and was inducted into the WPBA Hall
of Fame in 2006. Belinda Calhoun is one lady not willing to sit
on the sidelines and watch.
It took Belinda lots of practice and determination to become the champion she is today. Prior to discovering pool,
she was involved in volleyball, basketball, track, football
and swimming. Having always been engaged in some type
of sports, it surprised her when she did not automaticall