EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published on May 13, 2005 in The Daily Journal, a Gannett paper based in Vineland, NJ.

Most fourth-graders are obsessed with their soccer skills or the latest PlayStation 2 game.

Not Kyle Lacy. The Millville, NJ elementary-school student has a different game in mind.

At just nine years old, Lacy is an accomplished pool player who played two-time U.S. nine-ball champion Allen Hopkins and beat him at his own game.

Really.

Lacy, a Rieck Avenue School student, accomplished this feat last week at the Atlantic City Billiard Club in Egg Harbor Township.

Yes, Kyle is good for his age, but his father, Mark, says he's also a good, all-around pool shooter. It was his game against Hopkins that opened the door for him to showcase his skills at a charity event.

"(Hopkins and Kyle) shot for five hours," said Mark Lacy, "and the owner asked Kyle if he would play in the charity event."

Kyle has been playing pool since he was 2 years old.

"At our old house, he would run around our pool table with a stool so he could shoot," Mark said. "He was very upset when we moved and we had to sell the table."

But that's no problem now-the boy received a pool table for his birthday. Hardly a moment goes by that his mind isn't dwelling on billiards, his parents said.

Depending on his schedule, Kyle usually plays pool for about three to five hours a day. But like any kid his age, he takes part in several sports and has his share of homework assignments.

"He's not allowed to play until he's done his homework," said Kyle's mother, Sonia. When he brought home good grades on his report card, Kyle's reward was a new pool cue.

Most neighbors and friends know about Kyle's remarkable skills. In January, while at a family birthday party at the Eagles' Nest VFW in Mays Landing, he found a pool table in the basement and started playing. Soon, adults flocked to the basement and placed bets. By the end of the night, Kyle had made $50, which he used to buy pool supplies.

While he's forced to play in minor leagues, his dad thinks he's beyond that. "There's no reason for him to stay down in the minors," he said.

Kyle, however, plays for the love of the game. "It's just fun," Kyle said of playing pool. "I've been playing for seven years."

When given the option to watch television, play video games or hang out with friends-normal activities for any 9-year-old-Kyle never hesitates.

"It's pool," he said.

Kyle often practices his skills with his two uncles, Randy Beane and Joe Pollock of Mays Landing. Recently, Beane played his nephew at Capone's Pool Parlor in Vineland, and Beane watched as Kyle put five balls in a row in the pockets.

It's not unusual for the boy to beat his uncle at a game of eight-ball.

"He'll go up to adults and ask them to shoot with him," Mark said. "He doesn't back down."

In fact, Kyle loves competing against adults. "It feels good to play against adults because I usually beat them," Kyle said. "I can't make a lot of mistakes around grown-ups."

When asked about his future, Kyle doesn't need a magic 8-ball for predictions. He knows exactly what he wants. "I want to be the best pool shooter in the world."

And who knows? He might get his wish.

Ben Leach is a Journalism and Professional Writing major at The College of New Jersey with a Chemistry minor. This summer he wrote for The Daily Journal in Vineland, New Jersey. He is also involved with the Student Honors Society and is a staff writer for The Signal, TCNJ's student newspaper.