AP Human Geography teacher Eric Hafter does wonders in the classroom. With a masters degree in History, he paves the way for academic achievement. However, Hafter has a ‘Masters’ in other kinds of specialities – the game of tennis and pool.
At the young age of 9 years old, Hafter was introduced to the game of pool when he saw a pool table in the middle of his uncle’s living room during a family vacation.
“My uncle taught me how to shoot,” Hafter said. “From then on out, I was absolutely hooked.”
Hafter begged his father to install a pool table in his own living room. His father caved, and the pool table was placed in the middle, taking up every square inch of the room.
“I began to play every single day at home, honing my skills,” Hafter said. “I invited my friends over to play, and I just got better and better.”
Hafter played all throughout his teenage years, and even more through college. As he increased his technique, he started to enter tournaments. One such tournament granted him two Miami Heat tickets to see Michael Jordan play against the Heat.
“I went against a rival to my group of friends, and it came down to the eight ball,” Hafter said. “I picked the pocket I wanted to aim for, and shot the ball. The ball banked off the sides, I looked my opponent dead in the eyes and said ‘Those tickets are mine.’”
After that tournament win, Hafter realized how good he really was. He eventually went to Australia to play a snooker tournament, where the pockets are smaller and rounder and the table is much larger.
“I won the tournament in Australia, and it was very difficult,” Hafter said. “My opponents were angry because, and I quote, ‘We let a yankee beat an aussie!’”
Hafter eventually stopped playing pool. His love for sports transferred to tennis, which he started at the age of 12, around the same time he started to play pool. This was because Hafter’s father installed a basketball court (where he could play tennis on) along with bringing in the pool table.
“My love for tennis came from my mother,” Hafter said. “She installed a net on the court and invited me to play.”
Hafter’s love for tennis extended through all stages of his life. He still plays 6 hours a week to this day, enjoying every moment.
However, Hafter had a scare while playing tennis. He felt pain in what he thought was his back and had trouble breathing. He didn’t understand what was happening, so he visited a cardiologist, who detected blockage in his arteries.
“The more you think about it, tennis saved my life,” Hafter said. “If I hadn’t played that Sunday afternoon, I could have been at a major risk for a heart attack.”
Through the life of Eric Hafter, core memories from pool and tennis have been with him since his childhood. Each moment will leave a lasting impact on Hafter’s eventful life.