Community Highlights: Meet Anthony Beeler of Beeler’s Virtual Billiard Academy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Beeler.

Hi Anthony, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in rural Kentucky, and like a lot of kids around here, I fell in love with pool at a young age. It started as a simple hobby, but before long, I realized I had a passion not just for playing—but for understanding the game at a deeper level. I wanted to know why good players made the choices they made, and how you could teach those choices in a way people could actually repeat under pressure.

That curiosity eventually became my life’s work.

I spent years studying fundamentals, mechanics and strategy, and I developed a teaching style rooted in clarity and simplicity. Over time, I found myself coaching not only beginners, but competitive amateurs and even professional players. I realized there was a huge need for instruction that broke the game down in a way anyone could understand.

In 2011, long before online coaching was common, I founded Beeler’s Virtual Billiard Academy, the first fully online pool-instruction school. It changed everything. Suddenly, geography didn’t matter. Students started reaching out from all over the country—from Los Angeles all the way to the New York area, both of which have incredibly active pool scenes. Many of my earliest long-distance students were from Los Angeles, and several of them eventually flew to Kentucky to take advantage of in-person lessons. That connection has continued over the years, and today I still work with a strong base of Los Angeles players.

As my online academy grew, I continued building my career in education and now serve as the Director of Pupil Personnel for Lincoln County Schools in Kentucky. My background in teaching and education leadership has shaped the way I approach pool instruction: make it clear, make it repeatable, and make it meaningful.

This year, I published my most comprehensive work yet:
Do You Want to Play Like a Pro?, a full-color 284-page book that brings all my core systems together. The response has been incredible. The book has already been featured in national outlets like Yahoo Finance, Morningstar, Benzinga, and The Lane Report—press coverage I never imagined growing up.

Looking back, the journey has really been about two things: helping people learn, and building tools that make the learning process easier. Whether it’s someone down the street or a player learning from me in Los Angeles, I’ve always believed that the right guidance can change someone’s life. And I’m grateful that I get to do that every day.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not at all—and honestly, the challenges have shaped who I am as an instructor. When I first started teaching, everything was in person, and it took years of experimentation to develop systems that worked for players at every level. Teaching someone to change their mechanics or mindset is always a delicate process, and I had to learn how to communicate fundamentals in ways people could actually repeat under pressure.

When I launched Beeler’s Virtual Billiard Academy in 2011, online pool instruction was essentially unheard of. Most people believed you had to be standing side-by-side with a student to make any real progress. I had to fight through a lot of skepticism and prove that virtual coaching could produce the same, and often better, results. But the online format ended up opening doors I never would’ve imagined.

Because of it, I’ve had the chance to work with students from all over the country. I’ve also done several in-person clinics in the San Francisco area. Many students started online or with group clinics and later flew out to Kentucky for in-person training at my master academy. Others found me after following my instructional content on YouTube. In fact, Los Angeles has become one of my largest hubs for students, which is something I never expected when I first began teaching.

Balancing my career in K–12 education with my work in the billiards world hasn’t always been easy either. As the Director of Pupil Personnel in my district, I deal with complex student-support issues every day. But that background in education—understanding how people learn, how to motivate them, and how to break down complex skills—ended up being the foundation of my teaching style in pool.

There were setbacks, long nights, financial risks, and moments where it felt like I was trying to build something the world wasn’t ready for. But every challenge pushed me to innovate, and looking back, the road hasn’t been smooth—but it’s been incredibly rewarding. And seeing students achieve breakthroughs using systems I built from scratch makes it all worth it.

As you know, we’re big fans of Beeler’s Virtual Billiard Academy. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At its core, Beeler’s Virtual Billiard Academy exists to help people play better pool by giving them the tools, structure, and clarity they’ve never had before. I specialize in teaching fundamentals, position play, aiming systems, and the mental side of the game in a way that’s simple and repeatable. Over the years, I’ve coached thousands of players—from hobbyists to elite amateurs to professional competitors—and I’ve become known for making the game easier to understand.

One thing that truly sets my academy apart is that I embraced online instruction long before the rest of the billiards world realized its potential. When I launched the academy in 2011, virtual coaching was almost unheard of. But I believed video analysis and structured digital training could actually help players improve faster than traditional in-person lessons—and that belief ended up shaping my entire career.

Because of that online foundation, my reach grew far beyond my wildest expectations. I’ve coached countless students from coast to coast, many of whom found me through my online systems. Some eventually flew out for in-person training, while others stayed exclusively virtual and still experienced massive breakthroughs in their game. Today, Los Angeles remains perhaps one of my largest online student bases, which proves that high-quality instruction doesn’t depend on immediate proximity—only on communication, trust, and a well-designed system.

My brand is also rooted in innovation. I’ve developed several widely used training tools such as the Pro Alignment Mirror, the Stroke Trainer Mat, the Vision Center Trainer, and the Shot Angle Calculator—resources designed to help players master the game more efficiently. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with and coaching professional-level talent, including players who have competed at the highest levels. I’ve also earned multiple teaching awards, including being named SPM Magazine’s Billiards Instructor of the Decade, which was a tremendous honor and a milestone for my academy.

My newest project, a 284-page full-color instructional book titled Do You Want to Play Like a Pro?, pulls together all of my major systems in one place. The book has already been featured in outlets like Yahoo Finance, Morningstar, Benzinga, and The Lane Report, which has helped introduce my teaching philosophy to an even wider audience.

What I’m most proud of is this: everything I create—every tool, lesson, article, or piece of content—is built with one purpose in mind: to help players improve in a way that actually works. My brand isn’t built on hype or shortcuts. It’s built on clarity, honesty, and a deep respect for how people learn. Whether someone wants a complete coaching program, a one-time lesson, a specialized training tool, or a book that explains the game step-by-step, my goal is to provide the most complete and accessible instruction in the sport.

And I’m incredibly grateful that numerous players from Los Angeles put their trust in what I do. That connection means the world to me.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’ve never thought of myself as a big risk-taker in the traditional sense, but looking back, most of the major turning points in my career came from choices that required stepping into the unknown. I’ve learned that risk isn’t just about gambling—it’s about believing in a vision before anyone else sees it, and trusting the work you’ve put in.

One of the biggest risks I ever took was launching Beeler’s Virtual Billiard Academy back in 2011. At the time, online pool instruction was almost unheard of. Most people in the billiards world thought the idea wouldn’t work, or that virtual coaching couldn’t compare to in-person lessons. But I felt strongly that video analysis, structured feedback, and clear communication could actually help players improve faster—and I believed that distance shouldn’t limit someone’s ability to learn the game.

Starting the academy meant putting my reputation on the line. If it failed, it would have failed publicly. But I took the leap anyway, and it completely changed my trajectory. The online format allowed me to reach people all over the world, including a large number of students in California. That early risk is the reason my brand now spans across all 50 states and over 100 foreign countries.

Publishing my book, Do You Want to Play Like a Pro?, was another risk. Writing a 284-page full-color instructional book required a huge investment of time, energy, and resources. I wasn’t sure how it would be received, but I believed in the material enough to push forward. That risk paid off too—the book has already been featured in several major outlets and has helped countless players improve their game.

For me, risk is always about the reward. I don’t chase risk for its own sake, but I also don’t shy away from it when it’s part of doing something meaningful. Whether it’s launching an online academy before the industry was ready, creating new training tools, or writing a book that lays out my entire system, I try to make decisions that are aligned with growth and service—not fear.

I’ve learned that the biggest rewards often hide behind the risks we hesitate to take. And sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply believe in your own path before anyone else does.

Pricing:

• Original Online Class – $500
• BAM Aiming Online Class $750
• New Book – Do You Want to Play Like a Pro? – $64.95
• 3 Days of In-Person Lesson – $1500
• Visit https://www.poolteacher.com for a complete price list.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.poolteacher.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pool_teacher/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.beeler
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poolteacher/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@poolteacher
• Other: https://www.mcdermottcue.com/player_anthony_beeler.php

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Pete Marovich/The Billiard Almanac
Photo Credits: Allie Evans