Thus far this season, LeAnn Tengowski has racked up 20 American Pool Players (APA) Bucks while competing with other local youths at Q Masters in Virginia Beach.

Just think of what she’ll be able to do when she’s tall enough to see over the table!

&uot;I was watching my brother and sister play and I thought it was fun,&uot; said the Robertson Elementary 6-year-old, who stands on a stool to line up her shots. &uot;I like going rackless (running the table) all night!&uot;

Over a dozen small Suffolkians take part in the league, which racks up the eight balls at 1 p.m. every Sunday. They play against each other, and get an amount of APA Bucks depending on they win or lose. Much like tickets from a video game, the bucks can eventually be exchanged for prizes.

A member of the Legend Killers team, LeAnn’s brother Jesse, 10, has amounted 25 Bucks so far.

&uot;My mom and her friends played at the Suffolk Moose Lodge,&uot; he said, &uot;and I thought it looked like fun. I wanted to learn how so I can be a pro player when I grow up.&uot;

He and rest of the local billiard busters hope to get an even closer chance to practice over the next few weeks; APA representative Mike Arrigo would like to start a league at the Two Wheel Caf\u00E9 in Holland or the Moose Lodge in April.

&uot;The demand was there,&uot; he said. &uot;The kids wanted to play, and the parents wanted them to play. This is individually handicapped to even out the playing field.&uot;

Once in a while, even Samantha Ayers, 9, the proud owner of 25 bucks, comes down on the wrong side of the level.

&uot;It’s fun to go against other kids,&uot; said the Southwestern Elementary student. &uot;When you win, you feel all glad. If you lose, you might feel a little down, but your teammates make you feel better.&uot;

Practice starts at noon every Sunday, and the league goes from 1 to 4 p.m. It costs $7 an afternoon. Q Masters is located at 5612 Princess Anne Road, and can be reached at 499-8900. For more information, contact Arrigo at 479-2774 or at play@southsideapa.com, or visit the Web sites, www.poolplayers.com or www.southsideapa.com.

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com