John Kitchin's Cornhole Biography

Eric Zocklein

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

Like many, I started in the backyard with friends. I was beating them in horseshoes so they pulled out the game cornhole. I enjoyed the game so much that I bought my own set and practiced a lot until I started beating them at that also.

Cameron Pressley

I am ACL Pro Cameron Pressley from the Carolina Conference and this is my story of how and when I started playing cornhole and worked my way up to an ACL Pro. I started playing cornhole a little over 3 years ago. My entire family would go to local blind draws and I could ever partake due to work. I finally left that job and got to go and never looked back after that.

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.

Matthew Creekkiller

I am Matthew Creekkiller, ACL Pro from the Southwest Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player in the American Cornhole League. My sister brought her husbands cornhole boards over on my birthday, got hooked and haven’t stopped playing!

Michael Lucas Jr

I am ACL Pro Michael Lucas Jr from the Atlantic Conference and this is my story of how I became a professional cornhole player for the American Cornhole League. I started playing cornhole just like many in the backyard atmosphere and got pretty decent, so I took it up a level. Kept getting better and better so I wanted to compete with the best to see where I stand. And today, I am an ACL Pro.

Austin Kipple

I am TeamAddicts Sponsored Player Austin Kipple and this is my story of how I started playing cornhole. Started off playing cornhole with my family when we would go camping over the summer then my neighbors Mike and Lea Kitzmiller, former ACL Pros, got me into the competitive cornhole. I was shocked when I found out how big cornhole was just over a year ago when I started. After my first blind draw and meeting the nicest group of people ever at cornhole, I quickly became passionate for this sport and only strive to be better every day.

Jay Rubin

I am Jay Rubin aka Jaybirdie Bird ACL Pro from the Great Lakes Conference and this is my story of how and when I started playing cornhole and worked my way up to an ACL Pro. I started playing cornhole in backyards, alleys, and bars here in Chicago 10-11 years ago. For about 2 years I would play in a local country station tournament but usually got destroyed in the sweet 16. Took 6 years off due to not having a partner. I showed up at a local tournament in Villa park back in 2015, and beat a really solid team that was well known. That victory opened up all the avenues I needed when it came to finding a partner. My first 2 years I would go to 5-10 local type of tournaments a year to get a sense of what I was really up against. During that time frame, I realized I had a lot of work to do if I wanted to be considered one of the best. 2 years ago I figured out how to throw a flat bag, which immensely helped my slide game. After that I started working on pushing, step outs, covering/blocking, airmailing, and the strategic side of the game. Once I had a good feel for all the tools needed to be successful, I decided to give the ACL a shot. In my first season I finished 25th in singles, and 36th in the overall rankings. During the summer of 2018 I elevated my game even more by winning several $1000-$3000 tournaments, while taking down some of the best players in the game. Some of my biggest accomplishments so far this season is 13/13 in regional singles, won a conference doubles, and a National in advanced doubles on ESPN. I'm currently competing for the $10,000 devour player of the year title, and also for player of the year in the ACL season. Still have a lot of work to do in order to accomplish either. Looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years brings me in my career!

Mark Burgess

I am TeamAddicts Sponsored Player Mark Burgess and this is my story of how I started playing cornhole. Some time in 2018, Derek Coffin called and asked me if I wanted to play some cornhole. There was a bring your own partner tournament that was a fundraiser and little experience, we managed to come in 2nd place. Wicked Cornhole was running a beginners game that was posted on Facebook and  I thought it sounded like a great idea and a good excuse to get out of the house. I had a blast playing and what I really enjoyed were all the people I met. From that point, I was hooked and addicted to the game and the family atmosphere.