Nothing could stop sixth-grader Jacob Milos from competing at
Jackson Elementary’s world-recognized sport stacking competition.
Not even a broken arm.
Nothing could stop sixth-grader Jacob Milos from competing at Jackson Elementary’s world-recognized sport stacking competition. Not even a broken arm.
“The first time it was hard, but not anymore,” Milos said, just after his practice round May 18. His primary blue cast moved swiftly with his “good hand” to stack 12 plastic cups in different formations as fast as possible.
Amid the excited chatter of children in Jackson’s cafeteria was the click-clacking of cups being stacked furiously at practice tables and at the four competition stations. The GATE after-school club, one of six enrichment clubs at Jackson, teaches second-graders through sixth-graders the techniques of sport stacking.
“We had a practice in class and it was surprising. I didn’t know anything about it,” said Johannah DeHaven, 8.
Sport stacking was coined by a physical education teacher in Texas who used the timed stacking of specially designed plastic cups in pyramid formations of usually three, six or 10 to improve brain development. Several studies have proven that the quick hand-over-hand movement enhances hand-eye coordination, ambidexterity and quickness.
Joy Mitchell, a retired teacher from the Alum Rock School District, introduced sport stacking to Stephanie Anderson’s third-grade class. Mitchell provided the official sport stacking mats, timers and cups from her years working with the GATE program in San Jose.
Mitchell has seen first-hand the benefits of teaching children the sport – from students with disabilities improving motor skills to others performing a wildly better push-up in P.E. class. A Jackson student demonstrated her push-up skills by balancing on one hand and stacking cups with the other.
“It’s just amazing,” Mitchell said.
Anderson said Jackson received phone calls from all over asking if they could compete at the sanctioned competition. But she told the children before the stacking began that they were a special group: “This is for Jackson Jaguars only!”
“It’s rewarding to see they’re so interested and that’s why we do what we do,” Anderson said.
DeHaven and her friend Hannah Wagster practiced at every recess before to prepare for the big stage and are anxiously awaiting the results that will be announced Thursday in the Jackson cafeteria from 2 to 3 p.m. as part of their annual club celebration. The other five clubs: dance, thinkers, newspaper, chess and science, will all be recognized and a sundae feast will follow.
