American Baseball Dart Association
(A. B. D. A.)
"Johnny K" (One of Our Own) Makes the Cover!
Just Another American Darts Success Story
Link To Johnny "K" Darts At JohnnyKdarts.com
Bull's Eye News Cover Story (Nov/Dec 2003) reprinted with permission of Bull's Eye News
Please visit their web site at this link: Bull's Eye News
"Johnny K"
By Jay Tomlinson
Who’s the hottest guy on the dart circuit in the US today…and
gals, we’re not just talking looks, availability and personality here?
At 29, single and at
the top of his game, this guy has to be Johnny Kuczynski. Kuczynski is the
2002 ADO point champion, is at the top of the ADO point list and is making
another run at the title for 2003. Since the PDC Las Vegas Desert Classic
II in July, Kuczynski has won the 501 singles at the $20,000 USA Dart
Classic II, won the 501 and cricket singles at the Believe In Tomorrow/Maryland
State Championships, won the 501 singles at the Allstate Darts Open, won
the cricket singles and came in second to Roger Carter in the 501 singles
at the Miller Lite Louisiana Dart Classic (Carter came in second in the cricket
event there), won the cricket singles at the Sparkling City Open and came
in second in the 501 singles there, and those are all steel events. On the
electronic darts scene, Kuczynski took the MVP honors at Arachnid’s
BullShooter World Championship this year and he plays in only one electronic
tournament a year.
So, who’s the hottest US guy on the dart circuit
right now? It is Johnny
Kuczynski! Kuczynski isn’t just a terror in the singles events either.
Partnering with players like Darin Young, Ray Carver, Mike Abboud, Shane
Meeks and his steady mixed doubles partner, Marilyn Popp, he is a threat
in any other event as well. The idea of having fixed partners is attractive
to Kuczynski. He’s pretty much set with Marilyn Popp whenever they
attend the same tournaments, but he hasn’t really set with a fixed
partner for the men’s events. “I like to have things set. I like
to know for sure when I go to a tournament that my partner is going to be
there and they’re on the same page as me,” explains Kuczynski. “I
don’t care to have to worry about them showing up. I like being comfortable
and having a fixed partner is a good thing if you can get it going.”
Kuczynski got started early at the age of 9 or 10.
His Dad always had an
American Dartboard in the house and he used to throw with him. “I used
to throw with my Dad and he would try to teach me to play. As I got a little
older, I started to understand what was going on. He was one of the better
players in the area and he taught me how to stroke the dart. I followed everything
that he did. I kind of went from there with it,” said Kuczynski.
“ I just played in the house with my Dad until I was about 16 or 17, I
guess.
Then, I started playing at the firehouse. Well, I would not actually play;
I
would just go there and watch while he would shoot the league. Often, I
would be on the side practicing and playing against some of the guys that
were not playing at the time. I did not play any tournaments or leagues until
I turned 21.”
American Darts is a different game than the English Darts most of America
plays. That’s the only game Kuczynski’s Dad and the firehouse
league played back when he was growing up. “The game is totally different.
The lines (double and triple rings) are closer, and you use wooden darts
with steel tips and turkey feathers and play baseball (using the wedges)
one to nine. A good average game is 45 or better. At the leagues at home,
I average around 48 or 49,” said Kuczynski.
Kuczynski lives in Zion Grove, in south central Pennsylvania where the
American Darts game flourishes. Guys like Ray Fisher, Joe Baltidonis, Frank
Ennis, Jerry Umberger and Rick Ney all got their start in darts on the
American Dartboard playing baseball. Kuczynski feels that learning the
American Dart game first gave him, and those who started on the American
Dartboard, an advantage. “I think there is somewhat of an advantage
because we just learned the stroke. When we switched to the English game,
the stroke was already there. We got everything from the American Dart
game. The targets are small,” explained Kuczynski.
He continued, “Playing the American Dart game
in leagues helps us stay sharp. Since we do not have any steel tip boards
locally around
my house
we all play the American Dart game, like 2 nights a week. It still keeps
me sharp, as far as playing is concerned. We all, Darin Young, Mike Abboud
and I, have English dartboards at home, but no one else plays the English
game.”
“
My Dad comes down and shoots with me every now and then. But, he doesn’t
play the English game. The board is there, but it is not something that really
interests him. He tried a couple of times and it’s just different for
him. He is old school. He likes the American Board, so a lot of times I practice
just on the American Board with him. Like I said, it is still the stroke
that counts. You are still throwing, still playing, still concentrating.
My Dad tries like hell to beat me, and he does, quite a few times. It seems
like now he is getting better than before because he is putting the practice
in. So, that’s great for him.”
Kuczynski practices all the time, now more than ever. Practice is an
important part of building endurance and confidence, according to Kuczynski. “Practice
does get boring, so that is why it is important for you to have a system.
For a while, I did not have a system. I would just throw. Then, I started
realizing I get lazy darts. You know, I start playing bad because I am just
practicing by myself. It’s tough to stay sharp and focused practicing
by myself. So at home, what I do is I’ll shoot the cricket innings
until I hit three triples. Not all at once, but I have to hit three before
moving to the next number. I’ll just go around the board. Once I have
hit three triples, I move on and do the same thing for doubles. For 501 practice,
I play complete 501 games and I have to take it out in 15 darts or I lose.
Fifteen darts and less, or I lose. I am like playing against a ghost. If
I have a shot with the fifteenth dart, then I have a shot to win. If I don’t,
I lose. I usually play between 10 and 15 games, just singles. No sets, no
matches, just singles.”
“It’s always good to practice with and against someone in a real game as well. Darin (Young) and I live about a half hour from each other, and Mike (Abboud) has a bar business now close by, so it’s not really too much trouble getting together every now and then to practice against someone.”
Kuczynski has two brothers and two sisters. One brother and one sister still
live close to home, but the other two, the sister, Paula, lives in Missouri
and Chucky lives in Las Vegas. Kuczynski has never been married which still
gives him the freedom to travel without responsibilities to a wife and kids.
He works for the Office Max Distribution Center driving a forklift. He recently
earned a bit of a promotion and is responsible for the 16 other drivers on
the floor. He has the prefect schedule to allow him to attend tournaments.
He works Monday through Thursday; 10 hour shifts, and has Friday through
Sunday off every week.
When he is not playing darts or traveling to dart tournaments, Johnny enjoys
basketball, not only as a spectator, but also as a player. He is pretty active
as
far as sports are concerned and rides a motorcycle all summer long. He is
a
deer hunter using both bow and rifle and likes to fish for trout and bass.
He
loves steak, but venison tops his favorite list. “I am a big steak
eater. I love seafood, steak, and surf-n-turf. Then, after that, I like chicken,
pizza. I am a big pizza man! I love venison. I’d rather eat venison
all year than regular steak. It is so good.” Get the picture?
For entertainment, Kuczynski likes action movies. “I
like all of the Rocky
movies. I like movies that get into it. Exciting stuff. Some scary movies
are all right, but action and comedy are my favorites. I love Adam Sandler
movies. I think he is the best. I don’t know why, he just puts me in
stitches.
I guess his Happy Gilmore movie just made me laugh continuously. I have seen the Godfather movies and. they are pretty wicked. Lord of the Rings was a pretty good movie. My favorite actor right now is Vin Diesel and my favorite actress is Demi Moore. I loved her in GI Jane. Her attitude in the movie is, ‘If you really want to put your mind to something, you can do it.’ That attitude has always been my thing.”
“I don’t read very often. As a matter of fact I don’t
even own a book. Yes
I do!!! I read Michael Jordan’s book. I am a big Michael Jordan fan.
I
probably became a fan two years before they won their championship, which
would be in ’89 or ’90. 1990 I guess, because they won in ’91, ’92,
and ’93. He is the best! He is probably the best there will ever be.
He did it all. He
did everything you could ask for on a basketball court, and then some. He’s
got heart. He’s got so much heart; people don’t realize that’s
why he still
plays today. It’s not about money. He did it to help build his team.
In
today’s game, Kobe Bryant is the closest thing to a Michael Jordan.
He may be the next Michael Jordan. But really, as far as Michael Jordan is
concerned, there will never be another Michael Jordan. That’s the way
I look at it, and I watch basketball all of the time. I play and I am a big
fan of basketball. I’m into both Pro and College Basketball. I am a
Duke fan. I love Duke. I was a little disappointed how they played this year,
but they had good run in the tournament. They started to play much better
towards the end.”
Kuczynski has thought about what it would be like to be a professional darts
player. There are a lot of unanswered questions. “I don’t know
(about
turning pro), but I look forward two years ahead of me as far as darts are
concerned. The only way I feel I could go pro now is with a sponsor. It is
too hard to make it any other way. There is not enough money in the States
to go pro without a sponsor. I am always shooting to be the best I can be.
I am not done. I am far from being done. I think I have a long way to go.
I think I am just starting somewhat of a career that could go on for a long
time, as long as I want it to. And I do want it to.”
Kuczynski admits that going pro is more than just winning dart tournaments. Going pro is understanding the politics of the game too. Pros need to understand the meaning and purpose of the ADO Point System, the BEN Pro Ranking System, the PDC World Rankings, the WDF ranking system, the ADA Neutralizer System, and the electronic darts rating systems. Knowing those parts of the game puts players in a position to understand how to improve their chances of becoming a professional dart player. Kuczynski feels he has a lot to learn about the politics of the game, but he is willing to.
Kuczynski has focused primarily on the ADO Point System at present. “That is all I have been looking at since I started. I want to be the best. I also want to play overseas and be involved in International events playing for your country. What I understand it is that the only way to do that is to be one of the best players here. So I have been striving for that, being the number one on the ADO Point System, for years, and I am proving that I can do it. I will do it, and when I get overseas, I plan on doing well. I do not plan on going over there and just being one of the ‘he was here and is gone now’ players. Do you know what I mean? When I get there, I want people to say, ‘Look at this kid.’ I mean, I am not a kid any more, I am 29, but you know I feel young. A lot of the players over there are, well there are a lot of young ones too, but there are established players that are a little older and they have been around a long time. They do it (play darts) all of the time. We don’t get to compete all the time. We only get to compete on the weekends in short formats.”
Right now, however, making ends meet is the primary goal. His number one
ranking and success with the ADO Point System earned him a position on the
ADO US World Cup Team that recently played in France. “It was a great
trip,” exclaims Kuczynski. “My first time overseas. We played
a longer format, met new people, and just had a great time. Winning the
Gold in the Team event was a huge plus too. It’s not about money.
It’s about playing for the USA. It gave me a great feeling and a
drive I hadn’t felt before. It was a great learning experience.”
Kuczynski recently played a longer format in the
Las Vegas Desert Classic II in July. He failed to qualify for the staged
finals, but felt
if he hadn’t
made a mental error against Steve Beaton in the final qualifier, he would
have made it through. He’s thought about going to the Golden Harvest. “I
have never been there. I always say, yeah, I am going to go, but I never
end up going. I have to take too much time off from work. I guess a large
part of it boils down to making ends meet again. The bigger tournaments like
that have a higher the cost of travel and entry. I pay for everything myself.
I mean, I don’t make a lot of money on my job. Sometimes, it is a little
tough,
especially if you have a bad weekend. It could get costly. Not that I have
bad weekends. For the most part, I usually break even or make money, but
it just gets a little expensive paying for all of it by yourself, that’s
all. I think that is one of the reasons I kind of shy away from some of the
ones that are so far away.”
Kuczynski knows that in order to make darts his career he will have to
continue to play well, earn trips overseas playing for his country and to
be
recognized by companies that may elect to sponsor players some day. He
understands that being seen on television, playing darts, and winning is
the key to becoming
a professional darts player, doing exhibitions and getting sponsorships.
It’s a Catch 22 situation. He has to go to the larger tournaments that
offer the PDC world ranking points to earn invitations to some of the televised
events, yet the cost of going to those events makes it very difficult to
justify going. Most US players are in the same position as Kuczynski, and
it is extremely frustrating for them all. They know they can play with the
pros. They have proved it; they just can’t financially make the commitment.
This year, Kuczynski plans on attending 20 to 25 tournaments and earning as much as possible to someday make that commitment. He plays in only one of the big electronic tournament each year, because most require a commitment to play in electronic leagues during the year to qualify for the big ones. His feeling on electronic darts is, “It’s out there, but it’s not there for me. We play one (electronic) tournament a year, so we look forward to it because it has good money. We have electronic leagues in the area, but we do not play them because the amateurs do not want us their for the most part. Some of them do. I can’t say all of them don’t, but a lot of players do not want us to play because they don’t want Darin (Young), or Mike (Abboud), or me to come out there and beat up on them all the time. What they do not understand is that playing better players will only make them better players. A lot of people just don’t understand that.”
When asked which game, electronic or steel, is the tougher game to win at
tournaments, Kuczynski had mixed feelings. “I would say it is tougher
to win at a steel tournament just because the competition is so much stiffer.
But then again, all these same people are still out in Chicago at the BullShooter
for the most part, and the electronic game is just an easier game. It really
is an easier game. It’s easier for everybody else, too. So, I don’t
know. I guess winning at an electronic tournament is harder than at a steel
tournament because it is an easier game for everyone. That really is a good
question.”
The future of darts rests on a lot of things including televised events
and
more prize money, but Kuczynski believes that part of the future will depend
heavily of the development of the youth game. “If you ever watch me
at a dart tournament, I am always involved in the youth events because that
is where the future of darts will come from. If you want darts to keep going,
getting kids involved at early ages is the key. They could be twice as good
as me when they get to my age. I did not start in steel tip that young. I
started American Darts. But getting them involved is a big key to the sport’s
growth. Right now we have two or three youth tournaments a year at some of
the bigger events. Philly just picked one up. Virginia Beach, Richmond, and
Easy Money all have youth events, but there needs to be more tournaments
where the kids can play. Maybe it is a nuisance for parents some times, but
if they want their kids to be involved in darts, they need to support the
youth movement.”
“I know it’s a lot more complicated
than just starting a youth event at a
tournament,” explained Kuczynski. “It should be non-smoking while
the kids are there. That is the way I feel. The Virginia Beach Classic was
the first time I have ever seen a smoking and non-smoking room at a tournament.
I didn't hear a lot of complaints either. I know the Desert Classic had non-smoking
in the tournament hall and have heard that the ADA events are non-smoking.
I think that’s moving in the right direction, especially for getting
youth involved. I will be totally honest though, I don’t know how else
to promote youth darts other than adding youth events at tournaments.”
Kuczynski also was unsure of how to implement a fair handicap system in steel darts that players would not be able to manipulate or ‘sandbag’ with their handicap. However, he realized that players of lesser caliber would not attend and enter the existing steel tournaments, as they would have no chance to win. “I do not know it (handicapping) would work. It would take so much time and coordination. I am sure that is the biggest problem. Having the staff and people would cost lots of money, and if you only have volunteers, they would have to commit a lot of time to run a handicap system nationwide.”
Kuczynski is interested in the future of darts and
it’s growth.
He plans to
be a part of that future, in a big way. Next time you are at a tournament
where you hear the name ‘John Kuczynski’ being called to a board,
stop by and watch this amazing shooter. Have him sign the cover of your Bull's-Eye
News, because this guy has the ‘right stuff’ to make it big as
a professional darts player!
(End of Article)
Thank You Bull's Eye News !
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