For Keiffer Roth, 23, wanting to spend some fun time with his grandfather, Jim Roth, Sr., 82, has morphed into playing on a competitive cornhole team.
“A few months ago, we were at a family party and cornhole came up,” Keiffer said. “I talked my grandpa into staying a little longer and got him to play and we ended up winning a few.”
After the fun at that party, the Roths decided to join a Thursday night cornhole league sponsored by Aberrant Ales, 219 W. Grand River Ave. in downtown Howell.
“I thought it’d be cool to get Grandpa involved in it,” Keiffer said.
While most of the teams are made up of pairs of people in their 20s and 30s, Keiffer and Jim Sr. are the outliers.
“I think if we just take his age and the other two team ages we won’t get close,” Keiffer joked.
But that doesn’t faze Jim Sr., a former Senior Olympics pole vaulter.
“I grew up with eight brothers and sisters and I was in the middle,” Jim Sr. said. “I got kicked in the butt by my older ones. I had to be competitive in everything.”
And sports for him is it.
“Give me a game and I’m good,” he said. “Don’t give me books to read or math, but playing games? I’m good.”
Jim Sr.’s competitive spirit and Keiffer’s youthfulness make them one of the most tenacious teams in the league — just don’t look at their win record.
For the Roths, though, winning isn’t why they joined the league.
The two men — with a nearly 60-year age gap between them — love spending time together.
“It is such a pleasure to be 82 years old and have your grandson ask you to be his partner in a competitive game,” Jim Sr. said.
For him, the league holds benefits far beyond playing: Jim Sr. is going through the early stages of dementia, and finds that the league keeps his mental and physical game strong. And spending time with his grandson makes it all the more worthwhile.
“It’s so much more than just a game to me,” Jim Sr. said. “Especially with my grandson — you can imagine what it does to my heart and my mind. It’s really helpful for an 82-year-old.”
While the pair may not finish in first place, they are excited to find more leagues to play in year ‘round to further increase their skill and their bond.
“Right now, we haven’t won one game yet,” Keiffer said during a recent cornhole match. “Hopefully, today’s a new day.”
And it was.
The two Roths won their first league match that evening.
If you’re interested in getting your family into playing cornhole, check out this site. They have everything from cornhole bags and cornhole boards to get you guys started in your own backyard.
