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AUBURN -- Stacking may never make it to the Olympics or even ESPN, but in Travis Goodlett's physical education class at Gildo Rey Elementary it's big time.

At least his students think so, judging by their enthusiastic, two-handed efforts to stack and unstack plastic cups as fast and accurately as they can.

Goodlett, 29, who was recently named south King County's P.E. Teacher of the Year by his fellow school fitness teachers, discovered stacking at a conference three years ago. Now the majority of the district's 12 elementary schools participate.

Nationwide there are more than 7,400 schools with students up-stacking and down-stacking cups into pyramids of three, six and ten cups.

There are national tournaments and a company sells the special cups with holes in the bottom and even special timing mats.

With all the interest from the students, Goodlett and fellow P.E. teacher, John Ansotique at Evergreen Elementary, are planning the first district-wide sport stacking tournament this spring. It will be held at Auburn High School.

"It may be the first tournament in the state,'' Goodlett said last week as he organized nearly 30 students around tables, each with 12 plastic cups neatly nestled inside each other.

"Think about your No. 1 hand,'' he told the third-graders as they raised one arm. "Think about your No. 2 hand.'' They raised the other.

They were ready to stack.

To stack what's called a 3-6-3 stack, three stacks of cups nestled inside each other are put in front of the stacker.

Then, using both hands, the stacker makes three pyramids with the middle one of six cups, and then breaks them back down.

The world record is 2.7 seconds, Goodlett said. A good score is 6-8 seconds.

The concept is simple, but proponents like Goodlett believe it offers a big payoff for students.

What he likes most is that everyone can participate. Maximum participation is the key to physical education these days, he said.

"Students in wheelchairs can do it,'' he said. ``Kids don't need to be competitive or athletes or even coordinated. Anyone can do it.''

It also teaches eye-hand coordinator, quickness and ambidexterity.

"Some people call it upside-down juggling,'' he said.

Using both hands, he said, exercises both the left and right sides of the brain and helps makes a connection between the two.

The sport stacking company, which was started by a P.E. teacher, that makes and sells the cups touts a university study that indicates that stacking improves hand-eye coordination and reaction time by up to 30 percent.

Goodlett doesn't know if that is the case, but he thinks it works for his students.

Gildo Rey Principal Robin Logan said Goodlett, who has been teaching at Gildo Rey for four years, is amazing. That's why she nominated him for the award.

Stacking is one of the ways he is committed to all-around fitness.

Logan said Goodlett reaches out to his students and their families. He has created an after-school walking club and is planning a family night to bring fitness to the whole family.

He is now lobbying for a climbing wall for the school, she said.

Goodlett said sport stacking is a learned skill. Students start slow but it doesn't take much time for them to get into the rhythm.

And there are payoffs in other activities. Using left and right hands with the same ease and skill is very handy when it comes to dribbling a basketball, using a computer or playing a piano.

www.speedstacks.com

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