Wylie Carroll / Al Brinson Memorial League
The Wylie Carroll / Al Brinson Memorial League is one of the oldest billiards leagues in The Villages. Known to generations of players simply as the Brinson League, it plays on Mondays at Silver Lake Rec Center and continues a tradition that dates back to the early years of The Villages.
How It All Began
The league traces its beginnings to a time when the only billiard room in The Villages was at Paradise Recreation Center. The room was known as the Jackie Gleason Room and occupied space that later became the library.
At the time, the OBG Men's Billiard Club was the established league. When OBG experimented with changing its playing format to include 7-Ball, some players preferred the previous format. One of them, Wylie Carroll, decided to start another league.
Wylie obtained a Monday time slot from the Recreation Department and enlisted Ralph Green to help organize the new league. Wylie became its first President, Ralph its first Vice President, and Jim McCann served as Treasurer.
The new league played the familiar format of two games of 8-Ball and two games of 9-Ball. The format proved popular and the league grew.
The Wylie Carroll Memorial League
Several years later, both Wylie and Ralph became ill. Wylie passed away while Ralph was still unable to return to the league.
Al Brinson stepped forward to keep things running. After discussing it with Ralph, the league was renamed the Wylie Carroll Memorial League, and Al assumed responsibility for its operation.
When the Jackie Gleason Room at Paradise closed, both the Brinson and OBG leagues moved to Silver Lake Recreation Center, where they continue to play today.
Al Brinson's League
Al kept the Monday league going and growing for many years. Although its official name honored Wylie Carroll, players increasingly referred to it simply as “Al Brinson's league.”
When Al became seriously ill in 2012, he asked Tom Fetherling to help run the league and eventually take it over. Tom agreed and recruited Bill Turechek to help establish a league website.
While Al was still alive, the league was renamed the Wylie Carroll / Al Brinson League. After Al passed away in 2012, its name became the Wylie Carroll / Al Brinson Memorial League that we know today.
Tom continued running the league until 2016, when he began preparing to move from The Villages. Bill Turechek then took over operation of the league and continued its long tradition for the next decade.
The Tradition Continues
As Bill's health declined and he was no longer able to play regularly, other league members increasingly handled the day-to-day operation of the league while Bill continued maintaining its website and records. Chuck Palmer and Jim Turner shared many of those responsibilities, including weekly substitutes, scores, announcements, drafts and other league activities.
Today, Chuck serves as League Operator, with Jim Turner and Zeb Riggs assisting with league operations.
The Brinson League is smaller than it was during its busiest years, just as The Villages itself has changed and expanded. But its basic character remains much the same. Teams consist of four players, with new teams formed through a player draft each session. League matches continue the traditional format of 8-Ball and 9-Ball, with an emphasis on friendly competition, sportsmanship and camaraderie.
And every Monday at Silver Lake, the league continues something Wylie Carroll began many years ago and that Ralph Green, Al Brinson, Tom Fetherling, Bill Turechek and generations of players helped preserve along the way.