Strathmore's new rec league is days away from launching! 

Like many others, Lance Smith enjoys a good game of cornhole, which has recently sparked the creation of the Canadian Cornhole Association. With the second annual national tournament recently being held in Regina the sport is growing across the country. 

Smith will be bringing this beloved backyard sport to the masses on January 10 with a new league that has been set up in Strathmore and is looking forward to getting people out to try something new. 

"It's a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people, we'll mix up the teams so you're not playing with the same people every time," explained Smith.

Smith said this league will be open to a wide range of people due to the nature of its accessibility.

"I would say you would probably want to be at least 14 (years old) or you're probably not going to be able to throw it far enough, anybody from 14 to 100 can come out to play."

Along with that, Smith says it is also a sport that is accessible for those who may have physical limitations, as long as they can make the throw. The league is also open to people coming out as a single player, or people in a group. If you are in a group, Smith said it doesn't necessarily mean the group will stay on the same team as teams get mixed up each week.

Smith chuckled, saying it's a little different than just playing in your backyard, as regulation cornhole means you need to make a throw of 27 feet, which he said may seem really far but once you get the hang of it it gets a lot easier.  

The goal for the group is to have league that runs once a week for 10 weeks starting on January 10. There will be a league fee and drop in rate but the hope for Smith is to have people register for the league even if they can't make it every week. 

"We'll be in the pavilion building at the Ag grounds and there will be a bar there so if you want to come and play just for fun and have a couple of drinks you can do that or if you're a little bit more competitive that's great too." 

Smith has a long-term goal as well and would love to see a tournament being hosted in Strathmore, explaining that there have been events held in other communities that bring quite a few people to town.

"I enjoy planning events, I enjoy trying to make our community better, and I think a lot of people will get enjoyment out of this."

Cornhole has also grown considerably in the USA, to the point it has been aired on ESPN.  Smith sees the sport growing in Canada with Strathmore being the seventh registered league in Canada.

"Hey, you never know, one day we may just be on TSN." 

As they are just getting things organized to start up in January, currently people can follow the group on Facebook here or on their website here to keep up to date on the new league. 

With the Strathmore Huskers league starting on January 10 there are 2 ways to get in on the action, Smith explained there is a sign up fee of $100 for the season or people can drop in $15/week. 

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