This time, it isn’t the baggy jeans or scrunchies from the ‘90s that have taken over Gen Z. It’s a tiny colorful ball. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was a common sight to see students in high school and college in a group playing with a small beanbag, known as a “hacky sack.” In this game, players pass the sack to each other without using their hands or arms, aiming for as many consecutive kicks as possible without the sack hitting the ground.
Over the last few weeks, students across schools and gyms around the U.S. (including here at NVOT) have brought the classic game back to life. At a time when most students spend their free moments scrolling on their phones, groups of students can now instead be seen attempting new tricks while working tirelessly to keep that small floppy ball off the ground. Clearly, the hacky sack comeback has quickly spread throughout this generation, both in person and across social media.
Students enjoy playing hacky sack together during their breaks throughout the school day because it gives them an exciting alternative from being on their phones. Freshman Liam Donnelly says, “We’re off our phones now. Everyone’s involved with it, and you can do cool tricks as well.”
More than just acting as a healthier distraction, the social aspect of the game has also helped students reconnect with one another rather than through social media. Sophomore Brandon Ayres says, “People are super addicted to their phones today and this is something fun to do with your friends off a screen.”
Along with the rise of this old game, there are numerous new tricks that students have picked up that have made the game an even bigger fad here at OT. Junior Liam Malara says, “I like ‘the stall’ because it’s fun to catch it on your foot and keep it there.”
Ayres adds, “My favorite trick is probably the hail mary, when you catch it with your neck, flick it up to your friend, and they kick it super high to someone else.” The game’s comeback has turned a simple beanbag into one of the most popular ways for students to spend time together during the school day.
However, you don‘t need to be a professional to play hacky sack. The simplicity of the game allows students to have a good time with little pressure. Sophomore Jake Totten says, “hacky sack brings people together and everyone has a chance to be good at it.”
There are many different ways high school students have incorporated the game into their daily lives. Sports teams have used hacky sack as a warm up and to build stronger team chemistry before games and practices. Sophomore softball player Riley Smith says, “It’s a great way to stay loose and be relaxed so none of your nerves affect the way you play.”
Sophomore lacrosse player Scott Meier adds that his team gets “a little hacky sack in before practice, and it’s just good team bonding that gets everyone going.”
Teachers have noticed their students playing together in the classroom setting. Despite the fact that it could be a distraction from learning, many teachers appreciate the way it encourages students to interact face-to-face. Math teacher Mrs. Jennifer Hoffman says, “I don’t mind when my students are playing at the end or beginning of the period. I like how it’s getting people to talk off their screens, it’s something other than just sitting there, so that’s good.”
Staff at OT seem to also have more of a sentimental connection to the recent trend. Seeing kids participating in rounds of Hacky Sack serves as a time machine, especially for staff like Assistant Principal Dr. Robert Hyman. “It’s an homage to growing up in the ’90s like me,” Hyman says. “And anything that’s from the ’90s, we should be bringing all that stuff back.”
As this school year is coming to a close, students continue to keep the hacky sack trend alive throughout the halls and courtyard of NVOT. What started as a nostalgic game from the ‘80s and ‘90s has turned into a way for the students of today to connect, compete, and take a break from their screens together.