Greenup County Teen Snags World Championship Title
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
One Greenup County teen has taken the world of cornhole by storm. Josie Clare, a Senior at Greenup County High School, has recently earned herself quite an elite title… ACO (American Cornhole Organization) Women’s World Champion. Going up against the world’s most talented cornhole players, seventeen-year-old Josie Clare blew her competition out of the water. In her final match against opponent Amber Fretwell, Clare outscored her opponent 21-10 to become a world champion. To be a champion, it takes practice, patience and discipline… all of which Clare possesses. She has only been playing the game of cornhole for three years.
Clare was first introduced to the world of cornhole by her parents. “My parents started playing competitively about a year before I did. They pretty much spent all their free time playing in cornhole tournaments and practicing in the yard. Eventually, I felt left out, and after a lot of convincing from my parents, I began practicing with them,” shared Clare. She went on the add, “Once I started playing in tournaments, I met a lot of great people that were really supportive of me improving in the game.”
The hardest part of any sport is trying to keep a positive mentality even when losing. Clare believes that if you let your nerves control you, it will ultimately lead to your own demise. “I’ve learned firsthand that nerves are your greatest opponent when playing cornhole competitively,” shared Clare. To help calm her nerves, Clare will sometimes wear her earbuds and listen to music while she plays. “I try not to think about the shots I’m making too much and mostly rely on my instincts. Listening to music helps me do just that,” explained Clare.
While the origins of the game of cornhole are still quite a mystery to us, many believe the game is over 400 years old. It wasn’t until sometime in the 1980s that it began to gain popularity. Currently, the American Corn Holl League hosts over 25,000 tournaments per year and has an active player base of over 100,000 players. Despite its rise in popularity, many people still don’t know just how the game is played.
According to the American Cornhole Association, every match is broken down into innings of play. During an inning of play, each player must pitch all four of his/her bags. An inning is never completed until all players pitch all four of his/her bags. The approved method of scoring for the game of cornhole is called “cancellation” scoring. In cancellation scoring, the points of one player cancel out the points of his/her opponent. Using this method, only one player/team can score in each inning. The game is played until a player reaches the predetermined number of 21 points. The first player to reach or exceed that amount at the conclusion of an inning is deemed the winner.
Upon graduation, Clare plans on pursuing a degree in interior design. She has no plans of giving up cornhole anytime soon. “I plan to continue playing after I graduate, but there aren’t many opportunities involved with any schools themselves. Cornhole is a really fun experience that I wish more people knew about!” shared Clare.
