EARLY YEARS: Junior billiards player from Roanoke County preparing for world championship

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - If you play pool at Wolf’s Den Billiards in Roanoke, you might have encountered this 15-year-old phenom.

Precilia Kinsley, otherwise known as “Killer P,” has a keen eye and some amazing stick skills. In her teenage circle, she says her sport is a rarity.

“When I go to high school, there’s like no one that even knows what it is,” says Kinsley.

You could say Kinsley has pool in her genes.

“I kind of grew up in a pool hall. My mom has been playing for 11, 10 years. So, I actually started two years ago,” says Kinsley.

What also inspired her to play was the Junior International Tour, which has a stop in Roanoke.

“I had to choose between going to school for like one extra day or coming here and playing pool. So, I was like, if I can miss school, I might has well do it,” say Kinsley.

Her first games were challenging, but Kinsley wasn’t about to give up on her new sport. She kept practicing and practicing-- about two hours a day. And now she holds several titles, including the current women’s 10-ball championship title for Virginia.

“In the finals, I actually played a woman that’s been playing on the women’s pool tour and she was ranked third at one point, so that was a big accomplishment for me,” says Kinsley.

Along with several tournaments this fall, she’ll be one of 20 players to represent Team USA at the World tournament in Puerto Rico in mid- November.

“I mean, it’s just like a dream come true. Since I heard about worlds, that was my goal, my main goal to make it to Team USA and play alongside my peers,” says Kinsley.

Speaking of goals, we asked Kinsley if she plans to be pool pro when she gets older.

“As I started to look into more careers, I’m thinking playing throughout community college, and getting into university and still playing there. And I’m interested in going into med school. So, as long as I have time to play this game, I will absolutely keep on playing,” says Kinsley.

Pool isn’t Kinsley’s only sport. She also plays golf.

“It’s like a pool table, but bigger,” says Kinsley.

For her peers who might not know a cue stick from a golf club, she encourages them to give pool a try.

“Any kid that wants to start pool, definitely come join the junior national tour, because you will automatically get a family that you never knew you could get. And you’ll find a game that you never knew existed and you love,” she says.

You can follow Kinsley’s journey on Facebook.

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