2 Kids Just Became The First In The Nation To Receive Cornhole Scholarships

I find this No Sweat News Story hard to believe but it's 100% true and verified.  Two high school kids just became the first people to receive a college scholarship to play cornhole for their university.  No, you're not thinking about something else.  Cornhole.  The backyard game that you've played or seen being played at BBQ's, picnics, and other gatherings for a few decades.  THAT cornhole, is now a college sport.  And apparently you can get a partial ride for being good at it.

The two kids in question are Jaxson Remmick and Gavin Hamann from just outside Denver, Colorado.  They'll be attending a division 1 school with partial tuition paid because they're good at throwing a bean bag sack.  The school that they're attending is  Winthrop University in South Carolina.  They even have school branded cornhole equipment.

So far, we're not too sure how much of a scholarship the young men have earned however we've read that it is not a full ride.  However, even if the value is enough to cover their books, that's a great way to use a skill most of us develop while holding a frosty beverage in our non-throwing hand.

Frosty beverage?  Yeah, you heard right.  According to the official rules, cornhole is played by trying to toss a bean bag sack across a 27-foot open span.  The goal is to use one hand to throw the sack so that it drops into a small-ish hole that is drilled into a 2ft x 4ft board at the end of the "field".

Here's the local news lady with the report.  The screen grab shows the two lads at the press conference.

Way back in the day me and a few of my college friends started our college's "honorary" Bong Hitting Team.  If society is handing out a college scholarship to play cornhole, I feel like we're only a few years away from something like that coming to fruition.

Tax season is truly in full swing. Tax deductions and credits are there to help people, so why not take the help? It might seem like a headache having to go through a long list of possible deductions, but it's really not so bad. I've gathered some information directly from the IRS to help you save this tax season. So, let's get into the dollars and cents.

Before we get into the savings, let's look at how credits and deductions work. According to the IRS, "You can claim credits and deductions when you file your tax return to lower your tax. Make sure you get all the credits and deductions you qualify for."

The definition of a credit, according to the IRS, is "an amount you subtract from the tax you owe. This can lower your tax payment or increase your refund." They note that some credits are refundable. That means "they can give you money back even if you don't owe any tax." If you want to claim credits, you must answer questions in your tax filing software. Or, if you're doing taxes the old-fashioned way, you'll have to fill out a form and attach it.

The definition of a deduction, according to the IRS, is "an amount you subtract from your income when you file so you don’t pay tax on it. By lowering your income, deductions lower your tax." In order to do this, you have to have documents to show expenses or losses you want to deduct. You can do this via tax software or, if you're filing a paper return, your deductions go on Form 1040 and you may need to attach extra forms.

Now, the fun part. Read on for tax deductions and credits that could save you cash this season. Here's hoping that Uncle Sam treats you well.

The standard deduction for 2023 is $13,850 for single or married filing separately; $27,700 for married couples filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse; and $20,800 for head of household. "If you're married filing separately, you can't take the standard deduction if your spouse itemizes. You must both choose the same method," the IRS says.

To find the standard deduction if you're over 65 or blind, go here. To find the standard deduction if you're a dependent on someone else's tax return, go here.

According to the IRS, you can deduct these expenses whether you take the standard deduction or itemize:

Alimony payments
Business use of your car
Business use of your home
Money you put in an IRA
Money you put in health savings accounts
Penalties on early withdrawals from savings
Student loan interest
Teacher expenses
For some military, government, self-employed and people with disabilities: work-related education expenses
For military servicemembers: moving expenses

According to the IRS, you can deduct these expenses if you itemize:

Bad debts
Canceled debt on home
Capital losses
Donations to charity
Gains from sale of your home
Gambling losses
Home mortgage interest
Income, sales, real estate and personal property taxes
Losses from disasters and theft
Medical and dental expenses over 7.5% of your adjusted gross income
Miscellaneous itemized deductions
Opportunity zone investment

Tax season can be a confusing time. There are lots of bits and piece that you have to put together. That said, the IRS has a very helpful page with frequently asked questions. Find the list of questions and answers here. As always, it's also a good idea to get a professional to help with any questions.