I Had a Ball at Mr. T’s: APA Competition Brings Fellowship and Fun to Downtown Senatobia
Diane and Michael Todd, owners of Mr. T’s Arcade and Billiards in downtown Senatobia, pose during APA league play on Monday, June 15, 2026. For approximately 15 years, the Todds have built more than a billiards hall—they have created a community gathering place where friendships are formed, championships are won, and players return week after week for fellowship and competition. Photo by Gloria Zuurveen/PACE NEWS.
By Dr. Gloria Zuurveen, Editor-in-Chief
Sometimes the best stories are the ones you never planned to cover.
The day before I was scheduled to return home to Los Angeles after spending several days in Senatobia, Mississippi, I received an invitation from Mr. Michael Todd, owner of Mr. T’s Arcade on Main Street, and his wife Diane. They invited me to come down Monday evening and experience the American Poolplayers Association (APA) team competition that regularly takes place at their establishment.
Well, I took them up on it.
-What I discovered was more than a pool hall. It was a community gathering place. It was fellowship. It was friendship. It was competition mixed with camaraderie. Before the evening was over, I found myself having a ball while everyone else was busy shooting them.
Mr. T’s Arcade and Billiards in downtown Senatobia hosts American Poolplayers Association (APA) league competition on Monday, June 15, 2026. The popular Main Street venue draws players from throughout the area for weekly 8-Ball and 9-Ball competition. Photo by Gloria Zuurveen/PACE NEWS.
As a journalist, I naturally put on my reporter’s hat and began observing what was taking place around me. The players were serious about their game, but there was no tension in the room. There was laughter, conversation, encouragement, and a spirit of togetherness that made even a first-time visitor feel welcome.
One thing that immediately caught my attention was that even those who were not actively shooting pool remained fully engaged. Team members kept score, watched strategy unfold, encouraged their teammates, and helped keep the matches moving smoothly. This was not a room full of spectators. Everyone had a role.
As I moved around introducing myself, I met a gentleman named Lee and several others who were focused on their responsibilities. Yet despite being busy, they were gracious and welcoming. Nobody brushed me off. Nobody acted as though I was interrupting. Instead, they balanced their commitment to the game with the kind of Southern hospitality that still makes small-town America special.
Then I met Ms. Neal.
Cindy Neal lines up her shot during American Poolplayers Association (APA) 8-Ball and 9-Ball league competition at Mr. T’s Arcade and Billiards on Monday, June 15, 2026, in Senatobia, Mississippi. Photo by Gloria Zuurveen/PACE NEWS.
Cindy Neal lines up a shot during American Poolplayers Association (APA) 8-Ball and 9-Ball league competition at Mr. T’s Arcade and Billiards in downtown Senatobia on Monday, June 15, 2026. Neal, a longtime APA participant, helped establish local league play after moving to Senatobia in 2002 and has been instrumental in building friendships, fellowship, and community through the sport. Photo by Gloria Zuurveen/PACE NEWS.
Gunnie King waits for his turn at the table during the American Poolplayers Association (APA) team competition held Monday, June 15, 2026, at Mr. T’s Arcade and Billiards in downtown Senatobia. Photo by Gloria Zuurveen/PACE NEWS.
When I asked about the league, she gave me what we in the South call “the whole story.”
She explained that when she first moved to Senatobia, she did not know many people and was still finding her place in the community. Then one day, a friend asked if she would like to come hang out and play a little pool. It seemed like a simple invitation. She accepted.
That was in 2002.
What began as a casual outing with friends turned into something much bigger. Through the game, she built friendships, became part of the local APA community, and discovered a hobby that would remain a part of her life for more than two decades. Today, those same relationships continue to bring people together around the pool tables, proving that sometimes a simple invitation can lead to a lifetime of fellowship and community.
That was back in 2002.
I was amazed.
“Rack ‘Em Up, Cousin Mack!” Mack resets the balls for the next round of APA 8-Ball and 9-Ball competition at Mr. T’s Arcade and Billiards in Senatobia, Mississippi, on Monday, June 15, 2026. The friendly atmosphere and teamwork were on full display throughout the evening’s league play. Photo by Gloria Zuurveen/PACE NEWS.
Think about that. What started as a hobby became a community institution. More than two decades later, people are still showing up, still competing, and still enjoying friendships built around a pool table.
But Ms. Neal was quick to point out that the APA family is about much more than winning games.
She proudly shared that local APA players have supported fundraising efforts benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Since launching those efforts, league members have raised more than $160,000 to support children and families facing some of life’s most difficult medical battles.
Now that caught my attention.
Because while pool balls may be rolling across the tables at Mr. T’s, hearts are also at work beyond the game itself. Raising a quarter of a million dollars for sick children says something about the character of the people involved. It says this league is about more than competition. It is about community, compassion, and making a difference where it matters most.
The league they participate in is affiliated with the American Poolplayers Association, commonly known as the APA, the largest amateur pool league organization in the world. What began decades ago as an opportunity for everyday people to enjoy organized competition has grown into a nationwide network of players who compete locally and advance to national championships.
According to Ms. Neal, many local players have traveled all the way to Las Vegas to compete in national tournaments. Some teams have returned home with substantial prize money, with certain competitors bringing home purses ranging from $10,000 to $15,000.
But after spending an evening there, I came away believing the biggest prize isn’t always the money.
The biggest prize is the friendships.
The networking.
The fellowship.
The opportunity to belong.
That spirit was evident throughout the evening at Mr. T’s.
Mrs. Todd shared that she and her husband, Michael Todd, have owned and operated Mr. T’s Billiards for approximately fifteen years. During that time, the business has become much more than a place to play pool. It has evolved into a gathering place and second home for many players throughout Senatobia and the surrounding communities. Through league play, tournaments, and fellowship, Mr. T’s has built a loyal following of customers who return week after week not only for the game but also for the friendships and sense of community found inside its doors.
The walls at Mr. T’s tell their own story.
A wall of champions tells the story of competition and community at Mr. T’s Arcade and Billiards in downtown Senatobia. Photographs of past winners line the wall alongside a portrait of owner and champion player Michael Todd, whose accomplishments in the sport have helped make the establishment a gathering place for APA league players and pool enthusiasts throughout the region. Photo by Gloria Zuurveen/PACE NEWS.
Championship trophies, plaques, photographs, and memories are displayed throughout the establishment. One area showcases Mr. Todd’s accomplishments and championships in the sport, while another serves as a visual scrapbook of the countless people who have passed through the doors and enjoyed the game over the years.
Walking through Mr. T’s Billiards, I was reminded that there are still places in America where people gather face-to-face instead of screen-to-screen.
Places where friendships are built one conversation at a time.
Places where strangers become teammates.
Places where community still matters.
As I prepared to leave Senatobia and head back to Los Angeles the following day, I realized that Mr. T’s Billiards had given me more than a story.
It had given me a glimpse into the heart of a community.
In a time when so much of life seems divided, rushed, and disconnected, I found a room full of people from different walks of life coming together around a few pool tables, a little friendly competition, and a lot of fellowship.
And for one memorable Monday night on Main Street in Senatobia, while everybody else was shooting pool, I simply had a ball.
That’s The Southern Truth.
