"It would mean the world": Mount Laurel man tries out for professional cornhole team
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia is home to five major sports teams: the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Flyers and Union.
Now there's a new team: the Bell-Ringers, who play professional cornhole. Tryouts were held Sunday in South Philadelphia.
Stephen Caldwell, 24, has been playing cornhole all his life.
But it became a passion during the pandemic.
"Cornhole, it's pretty socially distanced, so everyone was essentially buying cornhole boards and bags, and we were all just playing and I just — the bug got in me and it took off from there," Caldwell said.
Caldwell was one of 50 people who tried out for the Philadelphia Bell-Ringers, one of six professional cornhole teams in the United States.
The cornhole team is a part-time position – you can't give up your day job.
Zeb Campagna, commissioner of Major League Cornhole, says the team is looking for seven to 10 players.
"Everyone thinks that you can just play in the backyard. But when you get to the professional level, you know, there's many different shots you have to make, so we put them through the ringer off all them," Campagna said.
Cornhole may look simple, but players say it takes practice, skill and commitment to truly master the game.
"The biggest thing is having a flat bag," Caldwell said. "So, when you come through, you want to land your palm up, which makes that bag flat and it allows you to anticipate where that bag is going to slide."
The goal is to put the bag in the hole and get to 21 points before your opponent.
Judges rated players based on shot precision and consistency.
In about a week, they'll find out if they made the team.
"It would mean the world to me," Caldwell said. "To be able to call yourself a professional cornhole player, it's what I've practiced and played for two and a half years to do."
Cornhole season starts next month and lasts through August.