American Cornhole Organization issues Kitten alert!
The American Cornhole Organization (ACO) has a friendly warning for neighborhood and church cornhole tournaments – keep an eye out for “Kittens.”
In cornhole circles, a “Kitten” is a pro-caliber player who snubs his professional status to make a fast buck from smaller amateur tournaments. Most players look down on the practice because it can ruin a good time for the average player.
“If you’re that good, why crash a friendly fundraiser when you can play the big boys at ACO events?” asks Kevin Tomberlin, an ACO pro from Tryon, North Carolina. “Time to man up, in my opinion.”
The ACO stresses that the great majority of pro players are dedicated to helping the sport grow. So it’s ironic that the Kitten Question is actually a sign of the ACO’s success and the reputation of its players. For example, a few small tournaments do not allow ACO pros to enter because they are “too good.” A Kitten is born when a player who has already qualified as an ACO pro opts out of his or her pro status to play – and presumably win – one of these tournaments.
“On one hand, this is a good problem to have. The quality of our players is being recognized,” suggests Frank Geers, ACO President. “On the other hand, we don’t want to encourage sandbagging.
“We work hard to keep cornhole competitive and fun for all skill levels.”
To help everyone – including the average player – feel welcome, the ACO is taking significant steps. The group has invented a handicap system similar to that of golf or bowling. They have also reformatted ACO tournaments to include “Social” brackets alongside the more high-octane “Pro” brackets. The ACO can even work with smaller tournaments to help them follow suit, setting up divisions or separate brackets for different caliber players.
At the same time, says Geers, “we don’t want to limit the opportunity to play.” So he personally makes sure that a full slate of ACO-sanctioned events is in place to keep everyone – from beginner to the best – busy. These include high-profile events such as the ACO U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, January 23 & 24, 2009 and the upcoming Hudy Delight "World Cornhole Championship" downtown Cincinnati, OH, August 16, 2008.
And that’s exactly why players like the number two ranked player in the world Randy Atha from Cincinnati, OH don’t turn into Kittens.
“The ACO has the biggest purses, the best competition and the best membership perks,” insists Randy Atha. “Giving that up to dominate a field of amateurs isn’t just backward thinking, it’s also pretty darned sad.”
Editorial Article written by Mike Kramer 7/23/08
In cornhole circles, a “Kitten” is a pro-caliber player who snubs his professional status to make a fast buck from smaller amateur tournaments. Most players look down on the practice because it can ruin a good time for the average player.
“If you’re that good, why crash a friendly fundraiser when you can play the big boys at ACO events?” asks Kevin Tomberlin, an ACO pro from Tryon, North Carolina. “Time to man up, in my opinion.”
The ACO stresses that the great majority of pro players are dedicated to helping the sport grow. So it’s ironic that the Kitten Question is actually a sign of the ACO’s success and the reputation of its players. For example, a few small tournaments do not allow ACO pros to enter because they are “too good.” A Kitten is born when a player who has already qualified as an ACO pro opts out of his or her pro status to play – and presumably win – one of these tournaments.
“On one hand, this is a good problem to have. The quality of our players is being recognized,” suggests Frank Geers, ACO President. “On the other hand, we don’t want to encourage sandbagging.
“We work hard to keep cornhole competitive and fun for all skill levels.”
To help everyone – including the average player – feel welcome, the ACO is taking significant steps. The group has invented a handicap system similar to that of golf or bowling. They have also reformatted ACO tournaments to include “Social” brackets alongside the more high-octane “Pro” brackets. The ACO can even work with smaller tournaments to help them follow suit, setting up divisions or separate brackets for different caliber players.
At the same time, says Geers, “we don’t want to limit the opportunity to play.” So he personally makes sure that a full slate of ACO-sanctioned events is in place to keep everyone – from beginner to the best – busy. These include high-profile events such as the ACO U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, January 23 & 24, 2009 and the upcoming Hudy Delight "World Cornhole Championship" downtown Cincinnati, OH, August 16, 2008.
And that’s exactly why players like the number two ranked player in the world Randy Atha from Cincinnati, OH don’t turn into Kittens.
“The ACO has the biggest purses, the best competition and the best membership perks,” insists Randy Atha. “Giving that up to dominate a field of amateurs isn’t just backward thinking, it’s also pretty darned sad.”
Editorial Article written by Mike Kramer 7/23/08
posted by Frank Geers at
9:58 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home