Posted on 05/06/2005 5:40:09 PM PDT by MisterRepublican
BRADENTON -- Stash the basketballs, the kick balls and jump ropes. And don't even think about breaking a sweat in the new era of physical education class in some elementary schools.
Twelve plastic cups are all that's needed for the latest craze in some elementary school gym classes.
In sport stacking, kids arrange eight-ounce cups into pyramids and collapse them into nested stacks at lightning speeds. The fastest time wins.
Sound easy? Maybe a little, shall we say, stupid?
"We're the first to admit it sounds pretty goofy and pretty silly," said Bob Fox, a former Colorado gym teacher who helped put the sport into 9,000 schools worldwide including several in Southwest Florida. "It's one of those things you truly have to see ... a track meet for the hands at warp speed."
Fox said he realizes stacking isn't as vigorous as some traditional phys ed classes. That's why, he said, he encourages schools to incorporate running or other physical activity into the cup curriculum before and after the stacking.
A handful of local schools incorporate the cups into gym class. This weekend nearly 200 kids will go head-to-head in the second annual Manatee County Sport Stacking Tournament.
Winners can earn medals, trophies, ribbons and even a state title.
Proponents say stacking and unstacking cups sharpens motor skills, improves hand-eye coordination and turns even the shyest kid into an athlete -- of sorts. It also sparks interest in gym at a time of increased concentration on academics.
But some folks questioned the wisdom behind implementing an activity that burns as many calories as drying the dishes.
An estimated 16 percent of American kids and teens are overweight, according to a recent National Health and Nutrition Examination survey.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscoast.com ...
How stupid. What happened to football, basketball, baseball, street hockey, or even soccer?
Do kids even play little league any more or is it too dangerous?
Probably too dangerous....
I took stiches from a high stick during PE once for a stupid mistake(head down). No tears, only a "Damn. I'm alright." No lawsuits either. $hit happens. Street Hockey was later banned for "Too many Bob Proberts".
I don't think cup-stacking is going to do much to change that statisic.
My town hired a morbidly obese phys ed teacher a few years ago who introduced cup stacking into her gym classes.
Watch the video of Emily Fox, the current cup-stacking champion: http://www.superhandz.com/images/cupstackingfini.wmv
This is NOT sped up. It runs in real time.
"Too many Bob Proberts" as in getting in too many fights? Or "Too many Bob Proberts" as too many kids who are so dumb that they try to head-butt a helmeted opponent, while not wearing a helmet of their own?
I had a phys ed teacher in high school who was morbidly obese... he wasn't exactly an inspiration.
Another video.
http://www.handlordzstore.com/cupstackfinal.mp4
When I playede little league a ground ball caught a bad hop and hit me in the face and caused me to bite through my bottom lip. While I was sitting in the emergency room one of my team mates showed up for stiches in his eyebrow.
my brother had the same exact thing happen to him...
except in true hockey player style, he went after the kid and kicked his butt hehe
Excellent event! Maybe it will cut down my wait in the drive-thru.
Lets see the teachers do it with full cups of piping hot coffee !
Wasn't even fighting. Just some stickwork with those #@^#ing plastic sticks that don't have any curve.
That's interesting - and has no business in the Physical Education curriculum of a generally overweight nation.
Heh.... I got away with a little more, since I usually played with a pair of carpenter's goggles on to protect my glasses.... Also I almost always played goalie, since that was about the only athletic endeavour I was any good at.
Most P.E. programs have many other activities for the school year besides cup stacking, which, as a former P.E. teacher, sounds great for an elementary school. All students could participate, interest would be raised, competition encouraged, eye-hand coordination increased, and the kids would be having fun. Team activities are important too and usually are seasonal. You can't play basketball all year long!!!
I see nothing wrong with this activity.
Don't get me started. My son wrestled and played lacrosse in H.S.
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