Thomas Jefferson students ‘speed stack’ way into Guinness Records

Occasionally, most of us hear about a sports accomplishment and immediately think “I wasn’t aware that was a sport.”

Not only is speed stacking a sport, according to Wikipedia, but it’s also one that has a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. And, watching the approach of Thomas Jefferson Elementary School students approach, it’s intense, move-while-thinking action that can involve sliding across a finish line — on your knees.

Since 2006, the World Sport Stacking Association has set a new Guinness mark each year for “Most People Sport Stacking at Multiple Locations in One Day.”

This year, Thomas Jefferson students were a part of the record. PE teacher Heidi Woollums helped organize the effort at Thomas Jefferson, getting the K-through-third-grade school’s students up to a blinding speed in preparation for the record-setting day.

“Each year, the WSSA submits a formal application to attempt the record on Guinness World Records Day,” Woollums said. “This year, the record was attempted on Nov. 12.”

Woollums said the sport, which involves the stacking of plastic cups, is one of the activities that enhances some of the motor skills needed for athletics.

“I could tell from the first lesson of the unit that the kids loved it,” Woollums said. “I modified lessons so that movement was incorporated instead of the kids staying stationary.”

The sport traditionally involves tabletops and competitors remaining at one station, going mostly for speed in stacking cups into three- or six-cup pyramids. Woollums had Thomas Jefferson students using multiple stations and the entire multi-purpose room in sort of a relay format.

“All (K-3) students learned the 3-3-3 stack and the first- through third-graders also learned the 3- 6-,” Woollums said.

Getting Thomas Jefferson involved in this year’s world-record day wasn’t difficult at all.

“It was a simple as a colleague telling me I could get a free stack of cups and gave me the website,” Woollums said. “I went to the website and saw they were going to attempt the Guinness World Record again, and I signed TJ up.”

The previous record was 592,292 stackers. Thomas Jefferson Elementary School was one of 2,691 schools and organizations, in 30 countries that helped set a new Guinness World Record of 618,394 stackers.

The United States, not surprisingly, led the way, contributing 547,777 stackers. Canada was a distant second at 37,808, followed by Hungary at 7,115.

Woollums said she likes how speed stacking teaches young people how to use their vision and their hands together, in a way that requires more reflex than thought.

“It’s great for improving reaction time as well as hand-eye coordination,” she said.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com