The Origin Story
One day, a number of years ago, i discovered an individual set of Speed Stacks in my staffroom. They had been delivered for promotional purposes, but, at the time, no one really knew what they were for or the potential they held. They were a set of twelve cups and an instructional DVD that I began to play around with. Speed Stacks are specialized cups that are stacked in particular sequences. Participants learn the various formations and patterns and then strive to complete them as quickly as possible.
Quite fascinated by the cups, and how quickly I could master the steps, I took the set into my Grade 6/7 classroom and demonstrated Speed Stacking. Students, particularly the boys, were eager to get their hands on the cups and to see who could stack the fastest. I was able to introduce the sport with that single set, and generate a lot of interest. Shortly thereafter, I discovered that class sets were available through our District Learning Resource Centre. I quickly signed out the Sport Stacking set, used the instructional video to help students learn the various routines, and a whole new culture of daily physical activity was born.
Maximizing Daily Physical Activity
I was fortunate to have a principal that recognized the merits of Speed Stacking and was quick to approve the purchase of our own school set of Sport Stacks. The Sport Stacking Kit, containing 30 sets of cups, as well as some additional specialized cups, timer, and stacking mat, cost approximately $500. You can even arrange to borrow a set to determine student interest and try out a Sport Stacking program before investing in a kit.
Being in a large school with limited access to scheduled gym periods, Speed Stacking was an option to help integrate daily physical activity into my routine in a way that was engaging to students and offered enough challenge to maintain their attention. You’d be surprised how much physical exertion can be expended with a simple set of 12 cups and a highly motivated mindset to achieve a personal best. Once students were familiar with the stacking patterns, it was easy to insert a 15 minute stacking opportunity into virtually every day. If I didn’t have stacking on the agenda, I’d often have students requesting the opportunity. Some of my most difficult students, and many of the students with behaviour issues were the ones most adamant that we stack. Stacking activities are very versatile, and can range from individual challenges, pair activities, and team relays. The Instructors link on the website speedstacks.com will allow you to find resources with a variety of program options, activities and instructional videos. You can even access a complimentary set for your classroom if you aren’t able to commit to a larger purchase.
Competition vs. Personal Best
Being in an elementary school environment, the word “competition” tends to have a negative connotation and I’ve certainly engaged in lengthy conversations about the value of competition (or lack thereof). There are certainly situations where competition is unhealthy and destructive, but I would contend that the kind of competition that gets emphasized during Speed Stacking is more in the vein of achieving one’s Personal Best than it is about beating others. Certainly, there is the thrill of being the individual who can stack the fastest, but you’d be surprised how often the “champion” has been one of the quieter, modest students who surprised everyone, and ended up earning the admiration of some of the more typical “cocky champions.” It can be a very humbling experience for students, because it’s the focussed, determined student who practices regularly that is often triumphant. Speed Stacking does require a level of commitment and focus to really successfully master it and end up with impressive times.
Guinness Book of World Records – Stack Up Day / Fostering Student Leadership
In the past several years we have participated in the Guinness Book of World Records – WSSA Stack Up Day. It is a day, coordinated by the World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) whereby participants around the world attempt to break the existing World Record for the “Most People Sport Stacking at Multiple Locations in One Day.” It is an exciting and fun opportunity to practice and share Speed Stacking skills. Typically, I have had my students become “experts” in a variety of skills, we close off the gym for a day, and they supervise 7 or 8 stations that other participating classes rotate through. Participants simply have to commit to stacking for a 30 minute period.
My students regularly buddy up with other classes within the school before the event and do some pre-teaching of the stacking skills. Even classes who’ve never touched cups are able to participate in the event. We deconstruct the process and talk about methods that make for good teaching or coaching. It’s incredibly endearing to watch these Grade 6/7 students take pride in their skills and then to patiently teach younger students to stack. I’ve watch some of the most challenging boys I’ve ever taught nurture their young buddies, even on occasion sitting behind them, and guiding their hands into the proper positions. If you are reading this and are in a position to participate in the Stack Up day, I would encourage you to register. If you are looking to host a similar format of a stations approach, feel free to get in touch and I can forward you with some additional suggestions about setting up and preparing for the day.
Stacks as a Management Strategy
On occasion, I’ve used the cups as a management strategy for students with challenging behaviours. Ultimately, for students to have the ideal opportunity to participate in stacking and to have the most flexibility for stacking formations, they need to have 12 cups. With fewer cups, there are still stacking options and they are still able to practice, but they are unable to complete what is referred to as “The Cycle,” a key sequence in Sport Stacking.
During class, students keep a stack of 12 cups on their desks. When problems occur, they are asked to return a cup. The key aspect of the management strategy though is that when students are meeting expectations and demonstrating cooperation, they can earn the cups back. I even allow them to earn extra cups to create a buffer for their impulsive behaviour. It becomes a very visual strategy to monitor behaviour with logical consequences if they “lose” all of their cups. Under ideal circumstances, they earn back all the cups and can fully participate in an activity they tend to be motivated to engage in. Fortunately, to date, I’ve never had a student have to surrender all of their cups, and be entirely unable to participate.
The rewards of bringing Speed Stacking into my classroom over the years have been numerous. Hopefully, this post has been of some use to you, and has sparked an interest in exploring Speed Stacks with your students.
Have a productive year and happy stacking!
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