Player Profile #2: Amanda Lampert

Amanda Lampert, aka "The Natural", was born in 1975 at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. As the daughter to a military mom, she has lived in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Turkey, California, Spain, and Georgia (and then back in Texas.) Her mother remarried when she was very young to the man that she is honored to call Dad, who also served in the Air Force. Shifting cultural views and perpetual relocation obviously influenced the way that she communicates and relates to others. She is extremely outgoing and has a great sense of humor. Also, Amanda is one of six children, which has played a huge role in the way that she perceives the world.

According to Amanda, her parents have had the biggest influence on the person that she is today for very different reasons. When she was younger, her mother always pushed her to be more than she saw herself as, which can seem confusing as a young person trying to find her way. It takes a certain level of maturity to appreciate criticism from someone so close to your heart, but Amanda has taken it in stride and grown into an amazing woman, and now recognizes the ways that her mother has contributed to that. Her stepfather, who is her Dad, was an even larger influence. He has inspired Amanda through example. Not only does he give of himself to all those who surround him, he also taught her how to rise above your situation and be a good person no matter how difficult it may be. It seems that both father and daughter have come through some hard times to shine in the world that they live in. Amanda hopes to use her life lessons both on and off the pool table to teach aspiring competitors how to find success.

Amanda has been playing pool since the mid-nineties and won her first singles title in 2000 at the BCA National 8-ball Championships. She learned to play 8-ball in the week leading up to the event from a good friend, June Hager Walter. She has also won team titles at BCA Nationals in 2001, 2005, and just recently at the 2010 event. Aside from BCA participation, Amanda has also been a player on the Fast Eddies 9-ball Tour from 2003-2006 and the Hunter Classics Tour (now known as OB Cues Tour) from 2000-Present.

Amanda's performance on the Fast Eddie's Tour in 2004 resulted in what Amanda considers her first press accolade. InsidePool magazine nominated Amanda as the Inaugural Player of the Month. That year she won 5 out of 9 events, with her worst finish being a tie for 5th. Amanda would go on to claim the Houston Open title later that year, a title which she won twice in 2005 and then defended again in 2007. Amanda is also proud of winning singles titles at the Texas Open in 2006, 2008, and 2009. She has also performed at an exceedingly high level on the Hunter Classics/OB Cues Tour, winning multiple events in as many years.

In 2006, Amanda's performance on the Hunter Classics Tour resulted in her second invitation to the WPBA Regional Tour Championship in early 2007. Amanda went on to win that event and make her presence known on the pro tour, playing in 5 WPBA Classic Tour events and the BCA Generationpool.com event. Amanda's best finish on the pro tour was at the BCA event in a tie for 13-16th place; however, she did not end up with an overall ranking high enough to earn her tour card for 2008. A fond memory of her performance includes 3 fouling Vivian Villarreal to win the match.

According to Amanda, her inconsistent performance at the professional level stemmed from lack of confidence and experience. Like so many young players, she felt overwhelmed by the difference between the WPBA arena and that which she was used to, both on and off the table. She admits that playing in that world was intimidating and she had difficulty not focusing on who and where she was playing.

Over the last few years, Amanda's perspective on the sport and life in general has evolved. She has worked on improving her self-image and confidence, and has continued to develop a more positive approach to living her life, nurturing herself and her relationships with family and friends. Her main goal in life is to "Be Happy, with the life she is creating for herself, and to make others around her happy as well." If you are ever in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and you happen to run into a smiling and energetic pool sensation, be careful, her enthusiasm for the sport and for life might just rub off on you... right after she is done running out on you

Your next opportunity to see Amanda compete is on the OB Cues Tour, July 24-25th in Tulsa, Oklahoma at Magoo's Billiards. Check out Live Action either at the pool room or on the Live Streaming available on the OB Cues Tour website (http://www.obcuestour.com/)

For this profile, I posed a question to several of the pool players that know Amanda best: "In one word only, how would you describe Amanda?" and these were some of the responses- Exuberant, Passionate, Trustworthy, Whiplash, Sweetheart, Unselfish, Heart, Fun, Tenacious, Dedicated, and Energetic.

I would like to wish Amanda all of the best in her endeavors and thank her for taking the time to share her story with me and the rest of the world.