The need for speed: Students show off their skills in the offbeat sport of speed stacking

It wasn’t a magic show, but students showed amazing sleight of hand at Wednesday’s speed stacking event at Louisa May Alcott Elementary in Redmond.

It wasn’t a magic show, but students showed amazing sleight of hand at Wednesday’s speed stacking event at Louisa May Alcott Elementary in Redmond.

Fifth and sixth graders from Alcott and their counterparts from Blackwell Elementary in Sammamish took turns building and disassembling pyramids of specially designed cups in increasingly challenging combinations. And they cheered each other on, seeing who could do it the fastest.

This is the third year that Alcott and Blackwell students have come together in a speed stacking “meet.” Speed stacking is a legitimate sport (see the World Sport Stacking Association’s Web site at www.worldsportstackingassociation.org/). However, the event at Alcott wasn’t an official competition.

“We do follow the same rules, though,” noted Alcott PE (physical education) teacher Matt Laughlin.

According to the WSSA Rule Book, “We build only positive pyramids! Lots of encouragement, no putdowns. Only humble winners and gracious losers!” There are also specific rules on how to carry out the sequences such as 3-3-3, 3-6-3 or Cycle stacks.

“We all practice a few weeks a year in PE, then recruit kids for this. Practices run from January through mid-March,” said Laughlin.

Former Alcott and Blackwell students recorded stats and parents provided snacks and certificates of merit for participants.

It was plain to see that the kids enjoyed speed stacking, but there’s more to this pastime than being something to do after-school.

“Ambidexterity carries over into all sports,” Laughlin pointed out. Blackwell PE teacher Graham Hutchison added, “And playing musical instruments. It fosters hand-eye coordination.”

When done as a unit in PE classes, “we combine it with running,” said Laughlin. “Do an up stack, then run back and do a down stack. So it’s not just standing in one place.”

Among PE teachers in the Lake Washington School District, there’s awareness that many children may not get as much physical activity as they should. For instance, at Alcott, “PE class is just two times a week. Kids need more,” Laughlin admitted.

But incorporating non-traditional exercise into PE classes shows kids ways that they can keep moving outside of school. Unicycling, bike riding, scooter basketball and playing with oversized balls called Omnikin are some of the offbeat activities that Laughlin has introduced to his students.

There are active running clubs at Blackwell and Alcott and the teachers encourage kids to fill out fitness calendars at home, tracking how many times a week they do something active. Medals are awarded to those who stick with it.