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JASPER - Don't be fooled by cute, blond-haired Anna Seale.

She may be 6 years old, missing five teeth and only recently capable of tying her shoes, but her hands fly more quickly than any early 20th century gunslinger who rolled through this Deep East Texas town.

Anna's weapon of choice: Cups. Plastic cups.
Anna's competition: Sport stacking.
And be warned: Don't challenge Anna to a duel.

"She's a cool customer," her coach, David Bryant, said. "Nothing fazes her."

Anna and nine other elementary-age students who have taken physical education from Bryant at Jean C. Few Primary will compete Saturday [April 8th] in Denver at the World Sport Stacking Association's 2006 World Championships.

On the team known as the Denver 10, Anna is being joined by 9-year-olds Alex Richardson, Trenten Watts, Courtney Hillebrandt and Humza Khurshid; and 8-year-olds Hope Strother, Jonathan Bryant, Courtney Stephenson, Maston Stricklan and Jacci Willis.

Sport stacking is a far-out, unconventional activity that challenges eye-hand coordination through a timed series of stacking and unstacking as many as 12 plastic cups. The specially designed cups are set up in a pyramid series of 3-3-3, 3-6-3 or the intricate "cycle" series involving multiple stacking variations. "It's a novelty," David Bryant said. "It's very unique. Most people have never seen it."

Sounds so easy, doesn't it? Stack and unstack, no big deal. Not so fast. Try it and realize speedy stacking isn't as simple as memorizing a computer keyboard's number pad. Alternating hands trips up the neophyte, David Bryant said.

But the trained, like lightning-fast Maston, who patiently explained 3-6-3 stacking to a novice, whip their hands through a timed competition in three seconds. Maston is under review for a 3-3-3 stacking world record. He assembled three pyramids of 3 cups and de-assembled the pyramids in 3.06 seconds, 0.26 seconds faster than the current time. "It blows kids' minds when they first start," David Bryant said. "Then they just light up when they get it. It's so cool."

Bryant brought the activity to his classroom about four years ago after seeing a demonstration during a Houston-area physical education conference. Learning that stacking increases reaction time, he implemented sport stacking to complement more physical activities. The kids love it, he said. Before Bryant knew it, his 6-year-old kindergarteners put up fast times.

Then the Denver 10 came about. After an open tryout of 18 kids, 10 "Blazin' Bulldogs," split into two five-member teams, are ready to challenge the world's best, who could come from Germany, Japan or the United Kingdom.

"I didn't think I was going to do it," Courtney Stephenson said. "There was so many people trying out." But Courtney made the team and Thursday will travel to Denver, a trip in part sponsored by outside organizations but mostly paid for by the competitors' parents, Bryant said. Jonathan Bryant, David's bouncy, bright-eyed son who's actually competed against the sport's founder, Bud Fox, expects some contestants will be better than he is. "I'm going to be pretty nervous," Jonathan said. But David Bryant doesn't want the kids to dwell on the championships. Think about the fun and all the new people to meet, he told them.

"I haven't been to Denver before," said Jacci, Maston's blue-eyed cousin who practices twice a day and once competed in rodeo barrel racing.

Also, the group actually will go tubing down a snowy mountain for the first time.

"For the kids, I just want to see them feel good about what they can do," David Bryant said. "That's the main thing. ... I'm excited for the kids to accomplish something."

www.speedstacks.com

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