A pool table has been part of the Arlington Heights Senior Center since it opened in 1982, in its original location in the old Park School. When the Center moved in 1997 to its current location on Central Road, the pool table moved with it and became a featured attraction in the dedicated game room.
Pool tournaments and open play have been part of the Senior Center’s array of free activities, as part of its mission of “creating a hub where people thrive by learning new things, meeting new people, creating, volunteering and exercising.”
But last year, one of the Senior Center’s patrons put a different spin on the activity, when he started a billiards league.
“The league developed from a pool tournament that took place in February of 2025,” says Rick Esposito of Arlington Heights. “Someone suggested we start a pool league, and that was it. The league started in May of 2025.”
This sign hangs in the billiard room, dedicated to the memory of Cliff Johnson.
The league meets every Friday morning, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. From what started with between eight to 10 people, now draws nearly 16 to play in the league, Esposito says, adding new players are always welcome.
“I thought the attendance would be less in the summer,” he says, “but that’s not been the case. It keeps growing.”
Esposito organized the league and keeps a spreadsheet with game results. Though he tracks the standings, he says the league is more about developing camaraderie than it is about being competitive.
“I break up the guys into groups of four per table. We play three games, rotating partners after each game,” he explains. “After three games two of the players rotate to another table. A total of nine games are played per player, which allows everyone to play with other players.
“In talking with some of the players, about what they like about the league, many expressed that they enjoy the fellowship,” he adds. “It’s an opportunity to socialize, which is sometimes hard to do as we get older.”
Esposito admits he is a recreational player, still trying to improve. After a work career that included commercial construction management and later technical sales, he now is enjoying retirement, including playing pickleball and tennis, and billiards on Fridays.
His greatest satisfaction in starting the league is seeing not only its growing numbers, but the social atmosphere that it fosters, which is contagious.
“One player mentioned that he originally played to compete,” Esposito says. “Now he enjoys when another player hits a good shot, even if they are not his partner.”
Still, the league has its competitive side. Earlier in August, a team from the Senior Center played in a tournament against players from the Moorings of Arlington Heights, located two miles east on Central Road. The Senior Center earned bragging rights this time, but judging by the growing interest, a rematch is not out of the question.
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