"It involves stacking 12 brightly-colored cups into pyramid formations in lightning speed. Using skill and precision, students from around the nation have mastered the sport of sport stacking.

And now the craze has hit West Side Elementary School. Stacking started in the 1980s at a youth recreation center in California. The sport captured the attention of Bob Fox, a physical. education teacher from Colorado. He introduced it to his students and offered it as an after- school enrichment class, thinking only 25 students would sign up. More than 200 registered. From there, Fox has taken cup-stacking around the nation and also directs the Colorado state cup-stacking championships. While visiting friends in Glenwood Springs, CO, Cheryl DeRynck's children started playing with a set of stacking cups. She asked her friends to send her children a set, and then sent for her own demo set. "I thought it was pretty neat," said DeRytick;

DeRynck decided to approach her children's physical education teacher, Todd Pack, with the idea. Citing that a lot of parents tend to bring him new activities, Pack was hesitant at first. "But l did take alook at it She left the cups with me, and so I looked at it and just read the material that was sent along with it," said Pack "It just looked like it was a positive and successful activity." So Pack started teaching stacking to his physical education students last year, going through the basic steps, the fundamentals and the terminology. "Not only was I engrossed in it, but the kids just love it," said Pack. According to the Speed Stacks video, sport stacking promotes athleticism, hand-eye Coordination, quickness, focus and bilateral proficiency. With the sport, participants use both sides of the body. In turn, this activity stimulates the right side of the brain - the side that contains creativity and rhythm. Sport stacking is also effective in skill development of any sport or activity, such as playing a musical instrument or mastering a computer keyboard.

One of the "speediest" stackers at West Side is Shay Birath. She said she has her own set at home, which gives her an advantage. "I practice a lot at home, too," said Birath. "I'm pretty fast. I'm really fast, actually. "My mom told me it's something I actually use, because I do it," added Birath. Fourth grader Ali Champine doesn't have her own set of stacking cups, but she still holds her own. "I'm getting preffy good at it," said Champine. Champine said cycle stacking is her favorite, and it isn't all that difficult. "It's pretty easy," said Champine. Another speedster is Laura Ahrendt. What's the secret to her success? "I just practice," she said with a shrug. Cycle stacking is also Ryan Stacken's favorite. He said practice makes perfect. "I don't know (why I like cycle) because it's the hardest," Stacken said.

Pack said his classes have basically worked their way to in-class competitions. He hasn't done any timed competitions, but the students are getting faster and better. "It's good for the kids; you'll find some that are a little more successful than others," said Pack. "But everybody is going to find success with it, and it's just a matter of time and them getting used to the techniques that they use. "We're just reinforcing the techniques, encouraging the bilateral, eye-hand coordination part of it."

But while "downstacking," some of the kids usually slam the cups instead of sliding them, causing a cup to topple, said Pack. "They will have fumbles because they will push them down too hard and they'll catch the edge of the cup and will cause it to kind of push it out," said Pack. "We're trying to encourage sliding, so the cups will just slide in and they'll have more success."

Even Pack has joined in the craze. "I have enjoyed just practicing," said Pack. "Sometimes I'll complete against the kids, and sometimes I have lost against them."

Stacking. Sounds simple enough, but believe it or not, it takes fundamentals and technique.
And it has spread throughout the nation's schools.

"Everybody is going to find success With it, and it's just a matter of time and them getting used to the techniques that they use. We're just reinforcing the techniques, encouraging the bilateral, eye-hand coordination part of it." Todd Pack, teacher

"They are challenging and fun and anyone can find success while participating with Speed Stacks, even the teacher." Todd Pack, West Side PE teacher

Outcome: Marshall is one of the MN school districts to have Speed Stacks in their curriculum."

www.speedstacks.com

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