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Students at St. Joseph’s Indian School have found a new hobby – sport stacking. In February, Jamie Limberg, a sport stacking instructor, and her daughter Katie visited St. Joseph’s to demonstrate the activity.

Using both hands in a right-left-right pattern, students work with 12 cups at a time and stack them pyramid-style in specified patterns. As the patterns become more familiar to students, the speed with which they complete the pattern increases. Sport stacking has been proven to help develop hand-eye coordination, improve reading skills and reduce anxiety in children.

Physical education instructor Dave arranged for the Limbergs to visit St. Joseph’s. “The students really paid attention and caught on quickly,” said Dave. “Jamie visited a few classrooms for additional demonstrations after the assembly and students didn’t want her to leave!”

In addition to the educational benefits, sport stacking also teaches important character building skills. “You always have to correct your mistakes,” said Limberg. “If you quit during the pattern, you are disqualified, so you need to correct your mistake and keep going. Stackers also learn there’s only one cup on top – only one thing can be most important in your life – but you need a wide base to support what’s important.”

To maximize the benefits of sport stacking, St. Joseph’s Wayawa Itancan – student council – plans to purchase two sets of cups for each classroom. Baldwin will also have cups and competition mats for his PE classes.

It will be great to have the equipment,” said Dave. “We already have students who are interested in competing in sport stacking. Jamie watched them go through the patterns and she thinks they’ll be able to do well at the Sioux Falls convention in April.”

It will be great to have the equipment,” said Dave. “We already have students who are interested in competing in sport stacking. Jamie watched them go through the patterns and she thinks they’ll be able to do well at the Sioux Falls convention in April.”

Limberg and her family have been active in sport stacking for three years. “You could talk for days about all the educational benefits from sport stacking,” said Limberg. “The most important thing for me was that my four children enjoyed it and it was something we could do as a family. I figured if all four liked it, we must really be on to something!”

www.speedstacks.com

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