A student at Woodmen Hills Elementary practices speed stacking.
/ FOX 21/Rachel Welte
Teacher says they are preparing for the world championships
By Rachel Welte
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 4:50 p.m.
Read more: Local, State, Education, Community, Speed Stacking, Cups, Woodmen Hills Elementary, Denver, Morning Show, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Family
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Tuesday at Woodmen Hills Elementary a group of students gathered to practice speed stacking.
With cups in hand they raced the clock to see how fast they could build up and break down a pyramid.
"Speed stacking is a worldwide sport. It involves 12 plastic cups that you have to stack in a certain succession, right left, right left," coach Karen Crockett said.
Crockett has been coaching speed stacking at the school for five years. She said the sport requires a lot of hand-eye coordination and memory skills.
"It involves crossing the mid-line on your brain, using both sides of your brain equally, and being able to use both hands with equal dexterity, and that helps down the road with reading," Crockett said.
The Woodmen Hills team meets every week to practice the different cup stacking cycles.
Crockett said they are working toward the world championships this spring in Denver, a competition a few of the stackers have placed at in the past.
"Last year there were around 800 participants, from three years old to adults, their children with Down Syndrome and kids in wheelchairs, people from all walks of life," Crockett said.
The students participating said they enjoy being part of the team and added they have learned a lot from the sport.
"If you practice it gets easier, and when you are starting you might not be as fast, but if you keep working you will keep going faster," third grader Travis Allen said.
Crockett said she plans on starting a class at Woodmen Hills Elementary specifically for speed stacking.
