Hi there, Learning Expressions Readers!
If you’ve been following us on Twitter or Facebook, you might remember a video we posted recently of a storeowner and her son setting the Texas state record for sport stacking. Congratulations to Brian and Kristin Janger, the new record holders!
In case you don’t know what sport stacking is, it involves stacking plastic cups and quickly transitioning between various formations.This week, I decided to learn how sport stacking is done. With the help of Speed Stacks, I learned some basic stacking techniques and started my stacking regimen. I’m not known for my quick and nimble movements, so I had a lot to learn. With my door shut and my desk cleared, the office became my personal training ground.
Inside the Speed Stacks box, you’ll find an instructional DVD, an instructional booklet, twelve World Sport Stacking Association official cups, a mat to stack on, and a timer that doubles as a carrier for the cups. The mat is a lot like a mouse pad, but much thinner. The cups are made of a thick, textured plastic and have three holes in the tops to help air escape while down stacking. The timer, which looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, is made of a slightly firmer plastic with rubber bits on the bottom that stop it from sliding around.
If it’s your first time stacking, you might want to begin by learning the basic 3 stack, a stack of three
cups that takes four steps to cycle. Once you master that, you can learn the 3-3-3, then move onto the 3-6-3. If you’re feeling confident, you can turn on the timer and see how quickly you stack. With enough practice, you may even be able to compete at an event organized by the Word Sport Stacking Association.
I was surprised to learn that Speed Stacks, Inc. operates in 25 countries around the world. They have programs in over 32,000 schools and organizations! The World Sport Stacking Championships are held each spring in Denver, CO and the 2008 championships drew competitors from 8 countries and 34 states. In 2012, sport stacking was even added to the Amateur Athletics Union Junior Olympics.
Regardless of your age or physical condition, virtually anyone can learn to stack. Sport stacking requires nothing more than a Speed Stacks set and a hard surface on which to stack. There’s no need to stop playing if the weather is bad outside, and there are no expensive pads or helmets to outgrow. You can travel to competitions or stack right at home, alone or with friends. Laugh and learn with your friends as your stacks tumble—or cheer each other on as you stack with lightning speed. There’s just no limit on how you can enjoy Speed Stacks.
Thanks for reading!
