by Adam Gault
Dozens of enthusiastic grade 2, 3, 4, and 5 students took over the Gosfield North Public School gymnasium on Thursday, November 8 to do their part in a worldwide Guinness Book of World Records attempt to break the record for “Most People Sport Stacking at Multiple Locations in One Day.”
The school’s effort was a part of the global “Guinness World Records Day,” an annual event that has co-operative record attempts from around the world from students and groups looking to collectively break records of people engaging in group activities simultaneously.
“The World Speed Stacking Association has a Stack Up every year,” grade 3/4 teacher, and Gosfield North speed stacking organizer, Bodeha Oozeer, explained. “A number of schools from around the world will register [for the annual event], and the object is to stack for 30 minutes at multiple locations around the world.”
Sport stacking involves individuals or teams attempting to stack plastic cups into various pre-determined shapes and sequences as fast and as accurately as they can.
Advocates for the sport have long stated the many purported benefits of sport stacking, including improved coordination, ambidexterity, and general teamwork skills.
“It is actually a competitive event, but what I like about it is gets kids being active, but also using both sides of their brain,” Oozeer said. “It’s good for sequencing, it’s good for speed, memory, there are a lot of benefits to it, too.”
Although the official Guinness Book of World Records results won’t be known for several weeks, if successful, this will not be the first time the students of Gosfield North have been part of a successful world record attempt, having broken the same sport stacking record in 2016.
“Two years ago, we did meet the goal, and we’re part of the Guinness Book of World Records,” Oozeer explained. “I was telling the kids, not a lot of people can say they know anyone that’s in the Guinness Book of World Records. If we do achieve this, each student will get a certificate showing that they were a part of this.”
While the thrill of potentially being a part of a new world record was an exciting prospect for many of the students, Oozeer explained the most important part of the day’s event was that students had fun in a productive, cooperative setting.
“It’s mostly about having fun stacking, especially for the younger ones,” Oozeer said. “The [older] ones that really want to continue, they’re going to continue and they’re going to learn some more and continue to build their skills.”