Students cup stack to confidence, world record in Lawton

The Edison Elementary School gym rang Wednesday morning with excited commotion.

Kids’ voices sang over the percussive “thwak, thwak, thwak” of plastic cups stacked in sets of three creating mini-pyramids.

It was the second of three days of efforts the school made in joining others across the nation to break the World Stacking Association world record.

Physical Education teacher Lynne Ahrens said it was part of an effort to best last year’s world record of 737,863 people sport stacking at multiple locations. Edison was the only school in Lawton and Oklahoma to participate.

“I was excited about that; I was surprised when they showed me we’d broken the world record,” she said. “It was exciting to know we were part of breaking that world record.”

Ahrens, who teaches PE to students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, said it’s her second through fifth graders who are going for the record. While many of the students participated in last year’s record breaking, others were making their first foray into the record books.

A racket fills a side of the gym as several pyramids fell. Still the “thwak, thwak, thwak” sounds of success continued over the several tables. Ahrens said the excited faces of children finding their way to success was rousing and inspirational.

“They’re having fun,” she said. “Some have really improved, their confidence level has really improved.”

Cup stacking offers students exercises in hand-eye-coordination, agility, concentration, ambidextrousness, and confidence as the kids see their times improve with their efforts, according to Ahrens. It also serves as a fun entryway into STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematic) principles.

The teacher said stacking offers students opportunity to build confidence outside of traditional sports. Cup stacking is an official Junior Olympics sport, Ahrens said. She spoke of a girl in the introductory video she showed the students who credited her introduction to cup stacking as a third grader with building her skills that later led to a Colorado state championship in basketball.

But in the end, for the kids, it’s about doing something you enjoy.

Fourth grader Naiheme Chatman was proud to marks his fastest stack at 2.40 seconds.

“It’s fun,” he said.

Chatman pointed out the skills of his classmate Danian Cruz who’s best time was 1.60 seconds.

A determined Elizabeth Hopper, however, was striving to continually improved her performance. She was carrying that confidence Ahrens said comes with the activity.

“I can beat my record six times,” she said.

And then she commenced stacking her cups once more.

“Thwak, thwak, thwak.”