Parks and Rec programmer Matt Shirhall gets the board sets Thursday afternoon at the Eudora Community Center, one of the two sites where cornhole games will be held this season along with Lucy Kaegi Park." />
Parks and Rec programmer Matt Shirhall gets the board sets Thursday afternoon at the Eudora Community Center, one of the two sites where cornhole games will be held this season along with Lucy Kaegi Park.
The Eudora Cornhole league run by Parks and Recreation is putting the finishing touches on getting ready for its inaugural season set to start this month and last throughout most of the fall.
With a registration deadline of Sept. 18, Parks and Rec programmer and organizer of the league Matt Shirhall is excited to see the turnout for this growing sport.
“Recreation should be for everyone, because I think that it’s important to make sure that we’re able to hit each age group,” Shirhall said. “I think cornhole is a good way to get people who might not play kickball and adult volleyball. I think that’s why it’s important just to offer those additional recreation options.”
The league is set to last five weeks. Games will be either at Lucy Kaegi Park or the community room inside the Community Center between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays once the season gets underway.
Cornhole, however, is not new to Eudora, as there have been several cornhole tournaments over the last few years.
One of those tournaments was recently hosted by Jason Musick at Barbwire Barbecue, which helped the Senior Foundation of Eudora and drew about 20 teams to compete.
Musick hopes there will be more interest in cornhole if there is a league.
“I think having the league is good,” Musick said. “I think when we saw this last tournament, you had those that really played cornhole a lot and then you have more of the amateurs, people like me who just want to throw the bean bags on the board and hopefully it hits in the hole.”
Cornhole is one of several sports that Parks and Rec plans to offer in the months ahead. Other offerings include esports.
The hope is the cornhole league can be a year-round sport. However, for now, assistant director of Parks and Rec Jimmy Kegin looks forward to what this inaugural season may bring.
“It’s gonna be exciting,” Kegin said. “He’s (Matt Shirhall) been here a few months with this, and it’s just gonna be a really cool added alternative program for people. I just think it’s something we’re gonna keep doing until it hits.”
People can sign up for the cornhole league either at eudoraparksandrec.org or by stopping by the recreation center and signing up in person.
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