Last year, during the 9-Ball World Qualifier, we witnessed something truly special, which inspired us to create the Captain of the Year award.
During the semi-finals, we noticed Rodney Brisbon walking to one of his teams wearing a black 'DG Rejects' team shirt. A little while later, we saw Rodney again—but this time, in a purple shirt with his other team's name, 'Beyond,' printed on it. That's when we realized what was happening.
Embracing the spirit of teamwork with two teams vying for victory, Rodney moved dynamically between them, passionately captaining and supporting each group. As he crossed the room, continuing to change his team shirt accordingly, he ensured that both teams felt equally valued and recognized their potential to achieve greatness together. He continued this all night, seamlessly switching between team shirts to show his support.
After both teams advanced to the final round, DG Rejects was the first to win a slot to compete at the World Pool Championships in Las Vegas. Again, Rodney changed shirts as he walked up to the rest of his team and briefly celebrated their win. He then quickly put back on his Beyond team shirt, along with a serious expression, as Beyond was still fighting for their own victory story. Sometime later, Beyond won a slot to compete at the World Pool Championships alongside DG Rejects.
Moving onto the World Pool Championships in Las Vegas, Rodney once again had both teams playing simultaneously in two different rooms during the tournament's first round. Before the matches started, he gathered with each team's co-captain for a quick pep talk. As the matches began, he ran back and forth between the rooms, changing shirts in between so that, no matter where he was, both of his teams knew he was right there with them.
Rodney's actions spoke volumes about his de