February 2022 | Vol. 18 Iss. 14
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RIDGECREST JOINS SPORT STACKING WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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or three days, Ridgecrest Elementary students were doing the same thing as people in Russia, Greece, Hungary and all around the world—cup stacking. In coordination with the World Sport Stacking Association, these elementary students had high hopes of setting a world record for the “most people sport stacking at multiple locations” to beat the record of 638,503 stackers. “I think it would be really cool if we do it,” first-grader Leah Overa said. “I’d tell my mom and dad, my grandpa and grandma and everyone.” Her classmate, Venice Shaw, was stacking the plastic cups to create a tower. “It’s taller than me,” she said. “It is really very special to be a part of this.” Fifth-grader Moya Croft said it stands for what they did at Ridgecrest. “As a school, we could say we did something that not everyone else can do, and we contributed to the record together and that’s cool,” she said. While class after class took part in cup stacking in the school’s gym, some trying for speed and others trying for height, Ridgecrest’s PlayWorks coach Angi Williamson tallied students participating to send into the association.
“This is our first time trying to be a part of the world record,” she said, adding that for the past four years, students usually participate with cup stacking during inside recesses, sometimes even as relay races. “The students really love sport stacking. For the older students, it’s more competitive and they track how fast they can do it and I will ask them to figure out their class’ average time. The younger students have fun creating with cups, but it’s more than play. They’re learning teambuilding and skills like eye-hand coordination. They also have a challenge, which involves them needing to concentrate and problem-solve. It lends itself to visual and hands-on learning.” With sport stacking, contestants try for the fastest times as they compete building up a predetermined number of cups and then down stacking them, with world competitions being held this year in Colorado, Canada, Denmark, Spain and Germany. Some former Ridgecrest students have competed Continued page 8 Ridgecrest first-grade students take part in the world record attempt for the most people sport stacking at multiple locations. (Julie Slama/City Journals)