Looking for a new activity to play this winter? Cornhole might just be that game to get you up and moving.
A new cornhole league led by Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians’ member David Anderson began last month. The nine week-long league, known as “Mandaamini-Mashkimodan Apagidoon” in Anishinaabe, aims to get people up and moving this winter and utilizing the tribe’s Strongheart Civic Center in Peshawbestown.
“Wednesday night I look forward to this. I’m trying to get people outside whenever they want to come out and have fun — and to come down to our Strongheart Center — not too many people utilize it,” Anderson said. “Especially with the older crew, it’s good for that, but I have people now on teams from ages 14 to mid 60s.”
Anderson said he grew up preferring to play softball when he lived in Lansing, but there were also horseshoe pits, similar to the game of cornhole, where you use small bags filled with dried corn to toss at targets on inclined wooden platforms. Over the last few years, Anderson played cornhole more regularly, finding other family members and friends to also enjoy the game with.
“I know a lot of people don’t do anything because it’s winter, so I thought, ‘let’s just get this going,’” he said. “We started playing cornhole around here probably about four years ago… I’d play at my sister’s maybe a couple times a year, but everyone eventually started showing up — we’re shooting from 40 feet on horseshoes and shooting from 27 feet in cornhole.”
Since the group started on Nov. 8, Anderson had local indigenous artist Isaac Gann of Ogichidaa-Tee’s design shirts for the 20 participants. It’s also the luck of the draw when pairing up on teams, Anderson said, adding that it makes the game fair throughout the time of the league.
Meeting every Wednesday at 6 p.m., the league includes 10 teams with two people on each, with people always welcomed. Players usually get in four games a night, taking breaks in between games and going against different teams to mix up matches. Sessions only last around an hour or so, a perk of playing the game in a gym setting rather than in the elements like during the summer when it’s played primarily outdoors. The first person to get to 21 points wins the game.
Anderson said he hopes to keep growing the league every year, and with the initial interest this first time, expects to start another league shortly after this one ends towards the beginning of March. And although the group is in its beginning stages, Anderson said it’s also one of his goals to collaborate and play against other tribes in cornhole tournaments at each reservation.
“This nine week cornhole league was more of a trial to see how it would go (the response) because right now it’s based on eight weeks, but our ninth week is going to be like an end of the year tournament,” he said. “This is going to keep going as long as I’m here — I tried to get 14 teams in the beginning, but I got 10, so I’m good with that. Hoping the next one will be even better.”
There is a per player fee of $40 for the league, with a cash payout and the prize amount based on the number of teams. To sign up or for more information, contact Anderson at 231-866-1235.
