Cornhole. Bags. Tailgate toss. Three different names for one classic game. The objective? Throw the beanbag through the hole. The hole in a board 11 feet away. It’s not rocket science, but the game has blasted off at Marguerite’s House Assisted Living in Lawrence, MA.
“We added cornhole to our activity program a year or so ago to complement our other exercise and physical activity programs – and it was a great add!” said Director of Assisted Living Programs Genevieve Grella, who spearheaded the league and acts as a coach. “Our teams sport T-shirts as uniforms, and we bend the traditional rules a bit to accommodate players. We even have a few enthusiastic spectators attend matches.”
Two resident teams, the Blue Jays and Red Robins, compete against each other every week, and the competition is fierce. Each team has 8 to 12 players, and awards are given to the Most Valuable Players, the Most Improved Players and new participants. Although the battles are epic, everyone keeps it in perspective in the end.
“We’re always happy to see the great camaraderie among the teams, players and spectators,” Resident Service coordinator Tina Ducharme said. “We make any modification a player may need. We have players who use motorized scooters or walkers and others with low vision. If a resident wants to take part, we make it happen.”
Grella has taken part in a match herself, after much prodding from residents. A summary of her performance: “We lost, but we had a lot of fun doing it,” she said.
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