This week we talked with Dan Goodman, Project Manager for UCSF Real Estate’s Campus Design & Construction unit, about the Cornhole Tournament he organized to give colleagues an opportunity to socialize and get outside.
Teambuilding Through Cornhole
What is Cornhole?
It is like Horseshoes but with bean bags. I had never heard of Cornhole until about 15 years ago when a friend wanted me to make some boards (I’m a woodworker) for his upcoming birthday party. I thought it sounded odd and couldn’t imagine people would actually play this game. He’s from Chicago and apparently, it’s a big thing in the Midwest. Everyone had a blast and I was hooked.
How did the idea to bring Cornhole to UCSF Real Estate come to fruition?
At a staff meeting, we were talking through ideas to help our staff to socialize more, especially with colleagues who don't normally interact. I set up a successful Cornhole Tournament in my last job to build collaboration and community, and this seemed like the same goal. We have the great Esprit Park next to our building at 654 Minnesota, where many of our Real Estate staff work, so we gave it a try!
I made special UCSF Cornhole boards and set up the tournament through an easy online tool. We just wanted it to be fun. We keep it low-key and play with whoever signs up. We have “far” teams for those who already know how to play and “near” teams for beginners (see the Far League and Near League scores so far). Last year we just invited our staff in Real Estate, but this year we expanded it to the whole building at 654 Minnesota Street. Now we have participants from Finance, Campus Life Services, Police Department, and even the Senior Vice Chancellor’s Office.
