Emory Parker's Cornhole Biography

Chris Middleton

I am ACL Pro Chris Middleton from the Atlantic Conference and this is my story of how and when I started playing cornhole and worked my way up to an ACL Pro. I got started playing cornhole at a local fundraiser event and just never stopped after that!!

Ken Smith Jr

I am ACL Pro Ken Smith Jr from the Atlantic Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the ACL.

I started playing cornhole when COVID started. I was at my apartment and I saw someone throwing and I asked to join him. After that he told me about these blind draws at a bar in Chesapeake, Virginia on Thursday’s. After that someone told me about The ACL and I went to my first regional in Franklin Virginia. And now here I am, an ACL Pro!

Joshua Slocum

I am TeamAddicts Brand Ambassador Joshua Slocum from the Mid-East Conference and this is my story of how I started playing cornhole. I started playing cornhole in between softball games while at tournaments. Once the winter rolled around I joined my first league with NEPA cornhole and from there the rest was history.

Tyler Cobb

I am ACL Pro Tyler Cobb from the Southeast Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the ACL. I got started in cornhole playing at family gatherings. When I realized that me and my brothers didn’t lose very often, we decided to start playing at local tournaments. I started winning lots of local tournaments and decided that I was going to put all I had into it to see how far it could take me. I started playing in regionals and it took me a while, but i started winning lots of singles and doubles regionals. I decided it was time to take it to the next level, so I started going to conferences and attended the last national of 2020 in Rock Hill and played in the pro qualifier, where I went 5-3 and ended up getting the pro spot by application. Best thing that has ever happened to me!

Josh Thielen

I am ACL Pro Josh Thielen from the West Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the ACL.
My neighbor JD and I started playing in our neighborhood in 2017 on some aluminum boards. JD always kicked everyone's butt in the neighborhood, "bouncing" and airmailing bags at will. In the fall of 2017, a local bar hosted a tap takeover event with a cornhole tournament and of course, we had to go. Not only did we win the event, we landed our first sponsor as our neighbor Marc kept the cold beverages coming throughout the event. In the championship game, we played Jeff Chimienti and his brother. Jeff asked us to join the cornhole league he was starting, and so we joined the inaugural season of Pacific Coast Cornhole (PCC). During the initial months, we were focused more on the social aspects of the game but having the opportunity to learn from some of California's best players, we grew our skills and eventually took the game more seriously

Megan Maupin

I am ACL Pro Megan Maupin from the Mid South Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the ACL.

I was 12 years old and my dad built a set of boards. I sucked when I first started but I kept practicing and kept getting better. I decided to try out an actual tournament where I met Troy Houser and he introduced me to the ACO. I played ACO for about 5 or 6 years. While playing the ACO, I started playing ACL as well. I realized how much the ACL has grown the game of cornhole and decided it was time to make the switch and I’m blessed to be able to call myself an ACL Pro.

Tyler Bockholdt

I am ACL Pro Tyler Bockholdt from the Great Lakes Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the American Cornhole League. When I was 18 years old I met Vince Pacione through friends of friends in high school. I overheard someone talking about playing bags over the weekend and stopped and asked where because I love to play in my backyard. Alspa told me about a weekly blind draw (totally foreign to me at the time) that happened every Monday night just 20 minutes from my house. This was not an ACL event, rather one sided bags and bouncy boards but it was all I knew! Later when I saw all the talent at this bar, I found out that a lot of these players played nationally and at other establishments almost every day of the week!
This is when I met Vince Pacione at the bar called Katie O’Connor’s (presently called Backroads). Winter came and I didn’t play for a couple months but got a text message from Vince that there is an indoor event that he’s starting and he wanted to see me there! I went for the first time on _______ and it wasn’t until then out about double sided bags and what the ACL was. I bought a set of bags from Rob Bev, he sold me Reynolds Pro Edge Speeds for $20 as a gift for being an aspiring newbie in the game.
Finally found myself playing weekly and then traveling a little more to other blind draws over the week. When I got my own set of boards I wouldn’t stop practicing until the street lights came on and I was ready for my first regional.
Since then it’s been about a year, moved from competitive (for only 2 regionals) to advanced ever since, playing against some of the best in the Chicagoland area.

Matt Guy

I am Matt Guy ACL Pro from the Mid-South Conference and this is my story of how and when I started playing cornhole and worked my way up to an ACL Pro. Former horseshoe pitcher that switched over to cornhole. Began playing in tournaments since the year 2000. Formerly an ACO Pro and switched over to an ACL Pro in the 2020/21 season.