Brooks Crossing Kids Stack Up to Competition

Terms like ambidexterity and bilateral proficiency don't seem like they would come into play during a competition involving elementary school kids.

But through their skill in "downstacking" and "upstacking," two local students have proven their ability in a popular trend designed to develop both fitness and academics. In the activity known as Sport Stacking, cups are stacked in pre-determined sequences as quickly as possible.

At Brooks Crossing Elementary School, Sport Stacking has exploded in popularity among students.

"Sport Stacking gives you a set of 12 cups and you have to do a different series of stacks, like a pyramid for example," said Brooks Crossing Physical Education teacher Michael Januszka. "You have to be able to use both hands together and it forces you to use both sides of your brain."

Sport stacking has been part of the phys ed curriculum at Brooks Crossing since 2002, but the activity has gained more popularity among students recently. Two students in particular have achieved a high level of success at recent competitions.

Omar AbdelAziz took third place at a tournament in Maryland, while Vishwa Sathappan finished first in multiple categories at a tournament in Pennsylvania.

"That was my first competition, so I want to move on to other tournaments," Vishwa said. 

Omar, who holds the school records for the 3-3-3, 3-6-3, and cycle stacks, said he practices stacking at home for up to 30 minutes a day.

"It's really fun to compete, but I got really nervous when I got into the finals," he said. "But I'm really excited to try another tournament."

Several classrooms at Brooks also have cups set up where students who need a brain break can practice, Januszka said. He added that the activity isn't just for goofing off, but it actually develops learning and improves classroom performance.

"Studies show that the activity increases brain performance and gets your brain to perform faster," Januszka noted. "Students who participate in sport stacking are proven to show improvement in the classroom."