Emma Fetterolf

Students have taken to playing hackey sack at lunch, or after tests in the hallways.

It’s all around the school now, during lunch, return periods and even actual class time. Students toss their backpacks aside and form circles passing around a small, sand filled ball from shoe to shoe. It’s official, hacky sack has taken over West Po. The popular 80s and 90s game is back and bigger than ever, and what once was a fun pastime is now a possible distraction during the school day.

Hacky sack is a game where players use their feet, knees and any other part of the body, except hands, to prevent a small ball from hitting the ground. The game used to be played in the 80s and 90s as a casual, outdoor game, and recently it has risen in popularity throughout schools.

“I have noticed a rise [in hacky sack], and it’s amazing,” Mr. Jeffrey Dassner, former hacky sack player and current U.S. History teacher said. “It builds camaraderie. People bond over it.”

Currently, many students come together in groups and play during the school day. With summer approaching and the warmer weather coming in, “sacking” can be seen anywhere and everywhere, especially during lunch periods, where small circles can be seen spread throughout the outdoor seating areas.

“It’s fun to get together with the boys. It brings people together. Everyone can play, everybody can be good at it,” Jack Berry, senior, said. Berry is a dedicated player, typically spending at least an hour a day playing sack both during and after school, most often playing with members of West Po’s baseball team after they introduced him to the game.

“Some people were playing at baseball, so I joined,” Matthew Walpole, junior, said. “It’s just a fun way to kill time and play with your friends.”

As the game continues to spread throughout West Po, many teachers have seen a rise in students wanting to participate in the hacky sack circles.

“I’ve had a lot of students who, during return periods, will ask to go play in the hallway, and I’ve noticed the circles popping up all over the building,” Mr. Stefan Przywara, History and Psychology teacher, said.

Przywara believes the surge in “sacking” comes from social media trends and apps like TikTok. Students at West Po have created their own hacky sack page on Instagram, not affiliated with the school itself. West Po isn’t the only school to post their sacking videos online, as many other schools in the area have their own Instagrams dedicated to the sport as well. Here, they are able to post their rallies, performing tricks and going until the sack hits the ground.

“I played with a couple juniors out in the hallway during fifth period. I was terrible but it’s okay,” Mr. Dassner said. “I don’t do any of the tricks, but if I played a little bit more and got back into it, I could.”
Many teachers at West Po are familiar with the sport, as it was a popular game when they were in either high school or middle school.

“It’s funny because hacky sack was a huge thing when I was in middle school and high school, so it kind of gives me nostalgia to see kids doing it,” Mr. Przywara added.

Students do miss return periods and class time to play sack, but not all teachers see the trend as a negative. Some teachers like Mr. Dassner and Mr. Przywara see the game as a positive, and when compared to past social media trends that swept schools, this one seems harmless.

Online trends are constantly changing and emerging, and not all trends have been good. The “Tide Pod” and “devious lick” trends took over West Po and other schools around 2020, encouraging students to participate in dangerous and harmful activities. People who participated in the Tide Pod trend often filmed themselves biting into a Tide Pod, leading to significant health risks and public health warnings.

The devious lick trend had students vandalizing and stealing items in bathrooms, typically mirrors, soap dispensers and even toilets, resulting in disciplinary action and bathrooms closing. These trends were very popular during the time, and caused serious harm to students and the school itself. When comparing those trends to hacky sack, this new trend is a change from the past.

“I think sack is a positive thing here because, as opposed to just being on their phones,students are actually interacting and doing stuff together,” Mr. Przywara said. “Out of all the trends I’ve seen come through West Potomac, this is like a harmless, fun and positive thing.”