We’re glad you’ve tuned into our quarterly newsletter to see what’s stacking up with Speed Stacks. As The Leader in Sport Stacking around the world, Speed Stacks is excited to share with you the latest in stacker news and information.

IN THIS ISSUE

Gearing up for fall with new sport stacking workshop
Sport stacking meets FitTV
Premier physical education textbook includes sport stacking
The Nate Files
A profile of Nate Florea, this year’s World Cycle Champion
STACK FLASHES
Sport stacking newsbits... from 'Who’s Hot?' to 'Guinness World Records'
to the introduction of our new Stacker Backpack

With schools back in session, the Speed Stacks staff is busily preparing to hit the road for a full schedule of fall conferences. On tap, a new workshop titled “On the Move with Speed Stacks: Sport Stacking and Fitness Fun.” The goal of every Speed Stacks presentation is to give first-time participants the tools and hands-on instruction they need to launch a successful sport stacking program, as well as provide seasoned sport stacking instructors with new ideas to build on their existing programs. The traveling Speed Stacks presenters are all former physical education or classroom teachers and love the chance to work directly with physical educators, classroom teachers, college students, athletic trainers, youth pastors, home school parents and the many other professionals who see the value of sport stacking. The Speed Stacks conference presenters are joined by top-ranked student stackers who are part of the Speed Stacks International Demonstration Team. These elite stackers, ranging in age from five to 18, can wow any crowd with their high-speed stacking, their ability to teach sport stacking techniques, and their first-hand accounts of the benefits of sport stacking. All workshop attendees receive a free set of Speed Stacks, an instructional DVD and a five-day lesson plan. Also available is the recent On the Move with Speed Stacks Activity Guide, which features more than 70 fitness and skill-related activities that incorporate sport stacking with Speed Stacks.
Click here to view our most up-to-date Conference Schedule for 2005-2006.

When celebrity fitness expert Gina Lombardi saw sport stacking for the first time, she was enthralled. The sport stacking encounter took place at the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) 2005 National Conference in Las Vegas. According to Speed Stacks presenter Matt Reed, the reaction on Lombardi’s face was of “amazement,” combined with immediate recognition of the benefits of sport stacking as they relate to improving athleticism, quickness and hand-eye coordination. Lombardi was so impressed that she captured Speed Stacks Demo Team members Chris and David Engle in action at the NSCA convention. She plans to air a sport stacking segment on her television show called FitNation on Discovery Channel’s FitTV. It’s scheduled to air December 4th.

Lombardi wasn’t the only one intrigued by sport stacking at the National Strength and Conditioning convention. A trainer for the New York Rangers hockey team saw a strong correlation between sport stacking and improving reaction time for goalies. A therapist was interested in sport stacking for rehabilitation of wrist injuries. “This was a new convention for us, and we had an incredible reception,” said Reed. “Speed Stacks attracted major interest from a variety of professionals who were quick to see the positive impact sport stacking has to offer.” The NSCA National Conference drew some 1,200 strength and conditioning coaches, personal trainers, educators, athletic trainers, exercise physiologists and physical therapists.

Sport Stacking with Speed Stacks ®
"Students have been stacking drinking cups in some form or fashion since the invention of paper and plastic cups. In recent years, however, cup stacking has evolved into much more than a pastime on the kitchen floor. Now called sport stacking, it’s a full-fledged, challenging, and fun motor-skill activity, while also emerging as a stand-alone sport itself."
From: Dynamic Physical Education for Secondary School Students, Fifth Edition

The merits of sport stacking have been included in what many consider to be the leading textbook for physical educators teaching middle and high school students. Authored by renowned physical education authority Robert Pangrazi, who collaborated with his Arizona State colleague Paul Darst, the fifth edition of Dynamic Physical Education for Secondary School Students was recently published and is a comprehensive guide to developing effective physical education programs. Sport stacking earned three pages of coverage in the chapter titled “Promoting Cooperation and Inclusion: Nontraditional Units of Instruction.” According to the book, the units in this chapter offer students and teachers a “change of pace” and allow students “to develop new skills and work closely with classmates.” The text also states that sport stacking and the other featured “nontraditional” units meet four of the six National Standards for Physical Education and six of the eight Essential Components of a Quality Program.

“We’re thrilled to have sport stacking recognized in this book,” said Bob Fox, Founder and President of Speed Stacks, Inc., himself a former PE teacher. “Being included in this respected textbook is an important validation of sport stacking and the positive impact it has on students.”

For the complete introduction to sport stacking taken from Dynamic Physical Education for Secondary School Students, click here

Sport stacking is HOT!
The 2005 World Sport Stacking Championships were in the sizzling company of the Denver Nuggets and the University of Denver national title winning hockey team in the April 18th issue of Sports Illustrated in the Who’s Hot/ Who’s Not section (p.37). Of course, sport stacking was in the “hot” category!

Sport stacking is FAST!
In search of all things really fast to compare to its high-speed internet, Comcast advertising executives came across sport stacking and wanted to include the high-speed sport as part of its promotional materials.

World-class stacker Kit Fox, 13, was selected to be part of the ad campaign and is scheduled to appear in a nationally televised Comcast commercial to air later this fall.

The Stacker Backpack is really COOL!
Check out our new Stacker Backpack specially designed to hold all your sport stacking gear!

Order the StackPack Pro and you get the new Stacker Backpack filled with a StackMat, Super Stacks, a set of Speed Stacks (your choice of color), and the Stacker Training DVD--plus a Speed Stacks water bottle to boot! All are organized in their very own compartments.

Take a look at our Speed Stacks store for this and other great sport stacking products.

Emily Fox in Guinness Book of World Records
The Guinness World Records 2006 has hit the shelves, and on page 46 of the newly published book, you’ll find an entry on sport stacking. Emily Fox’s World Record of 7.43 seconds for the Cycle Stack is included under “Human Achievements: Games & Pastimes.”

Where is Emily Fox?
We’re glad you asked. Emily is currently a freshman at the University of Minnesota. As a scholarship athlete, Emily will play for the Golden Gophers Womens Basketball Team.

When she was a high school senior, she helped lead her Colorado high school team to its third consecutive state basketball championship. Emily did not compete in the 2005 World Sport Stacking Championships due to a conflict with basketball, however she did try to break her world record in the Cycle during the Opening Ceremonies.

With TV cameras zoomed in and a Guinness representative on hand, her best attempt was 7.55 seconds—just shy of the 7.43 world record. Because of NCAA eligibility rules, Emily’s visibility with Speed Stacks and sport stacking will be limited during her four-year college career.

Speed Stacks Demo Team adds 10 new members
The pool of accomplished sport stackers on the Speed Stacks International Demonstration Team has grown to 57 ranging in age from 5 to 18.

Members of the elite stacking traveling team perform stacking routines, assist in presenting workshops and give individual sport stacking lessons. Typically two stackers travel to each conference accompanied by a parent and a Speed Stacks lead presenter. Before they hit the road, however, the student stackers make a commitment to hit the books. Demo Team members have a strong track record for keeping up with their schoolwork while sharing sport stacking at various state and national conferences.

World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) produces training video

The number of local, district and state sport stacking tournaments continues to increase under the guidance of the World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA).

The non-profit WSSA is the official governing body for sport stacking and has added a valuable tool to its library of resources.

I learned how to sport stack in first grade at The Classical Academy in Colorado Springs. At first I wasn’t very good at it. But in third grade, my parents bought me a set of Speed Stacks, and I started practicing at home.

That year at the Rocky Mountain Regional Championships at the United States Air Force Academy, I took first place in the Cycle Stack for third graders with a time of 11.77 seconds. When I told my teacher that I’d won my grade division, she was totally surprised! I was kind of quiet in class, and she didn’t know how fast I’d gotten.

The following school year, my teacher went to work for Speed Stacks and invited me to be on the Speed Stacks International Demonstration Team that traveled around the country showing people how to stack. It’s hard for me to remember all the places I’ve gone. I know I’ve been to: San Francisco; Boise, Idaho; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Battle Creek and being on the Speed Stacks Demo Team and stacking for intense hours at different conferences, definitely helped make me a lot faster. You get a ton of practice, because you’re stacking for hours straight!

This past year at the 2005 World Sport Stacking Championships in Denver, Colorado, I practiced a lot so I could try and win an overall trophy in either the 3-3-3, 3-6-3 or Cycle. I didn’t care if I won first; I just wanted an overall trophy for finishing in the top 10. My best place before was 15th overall in the Cycle in 2004.

When I was warming up in the morning at the Denver Coliseum, my times were pretty fast for being so early in the morning. Then when I felt good enough to go get my times to qualify for the Finals, the judge said it was the fastest time in the Cycle he’d seen all day at 8.86 seconds. I ended up being ranked first in the 12-year-old division in the Cycle and 3-3-3 heading into the Finals.

 In the 3-3-3 finals, I did really bad. I scratched on my first two runs, and then fumbled a lot on my final attempt to get a 7.16. I’d gotten times in the low 2-seconds in warm-ups. That placed me 10th out of 10 in my age group.

The Finals for the Cycle were a few minutes away, so I found an open StackMat and started practicing. Again, I had to wait for nine other stackers to go in my age division. Right before I went up to the judges’ table in the Finals, I was warming up at the practice table and got 8 seconds flat—my new personal record!

I wasn’t that nervous when I was finally called, because I knew I could do well. My first two runs went okay. I knew the time to beat in my age division was 8.26 seconds. Once I started my final run, I knew it was going to be pretty good. It didn’t feel like I was that fast, but when I tapped the StackMat timer and looked at the clock I was really excited—it read 7.96!

At that point, I didn’t know that I had just won the World Championship in the Cycle. But my friends and I started jumping around. Everybody was very excited for me, especially when we found out that I had the fastest time out of 1,000 stackers from six countries at the World Championships.

Getting my overall Cycle trophy that night was really cool. My teacher from The Classical Academy who had taught me how to sport stack gave it to me in front of a lot of people cheering. Plus, my team, the Falcons, won first place in the Cycle relay and third in the 3-6-3 relays for our age group. I also placed fifth overall in doubles stacking with my teammate Joe Sales.

Since winning the World Championship trophy, I’ve been interviewed on national TV and in some magazines. But those are stories for future Nate Files.

Thanks for tuning into the fall edition of e-STACK! Look for our next installment in December. And remember, "Stack Often, Stack Fast!"

A training video for sport stacking judges has just been released and offers a definitive course in sport stacking rules, regulations and tournament protocol.

“The Judges Training Presentation” is available on DVD and VHS. Visit the WSSA web site for more information.

Speed Stacks Around the Globe

GERMANY:
Speaking of Guinness World Records, Speed Stacks Germany is setting its sights on establishing a new sport stacking world record for the Timed 3-6-3 Team Relay on a television show sponsored by Guinness this fall. Go

ENGLAND:
The StackMat Competition Timer, was used recently as the official timing device for the World Memory Championships in Oxford, England. (The StackMat has also been designated as the official timer for competitions for the World Cube Association - as in Rubik’s.)

JAPAN:
The Speed Stacks Japan web site just recently launched. Visit and brush up on your Japanese. Meanwhile, representatives of Speed Stacks Japan wowed the audience recently at a baseball game in Japan attended by some 30,000 people who viewed them live and on the big screen.

HOLLAND:
If you tune into one of the latest Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials in Holland you’ll catch United Kingdom’s fastest stacker Kate Parker doing some very speedy stacking. The premise of the commercial is that Kate does a great job at stacking, KFC does a great job with chicken. Let KFC do what it does best, we’ll stick to stacking!

AUSTRALIA:
On June 26th, Australia hosted its first-ever sport stacking tournament at the Scallywaggs Gym in North South Wales.  Some 45 sport stackers competed in the WSSA recognized tournament, and it was a big success! Another Australian tournament is in the planning stages for the end of the year.

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