Have you been wandering down the halls of South during SRT or after school and heard loud yelling and running from the first floor or cafeteria? You’re likely hearing the sound of an intense game of Hacky Sack, a longtime South trend enjoyed by various students, including the boys tennis team.
The game of Hacky Sack has a historical past with the tennis team, as it has been played and passed down for years. Senior team member Konner Shapiro recalled that, “the team played long before I was even a freshman.”
The team plays a game using the Hacky Sack called “Kill,” where players stand in a circle. First, three different people must touch the Hacky Sack with their feet or other limbs. After three have hit the sack, one person can grab it and throw it at another player, “pegging” any part of their body as fair play. While initially the game was only a tennis team pastime, it has now started spreading throughout the South student body.
Junior Chris Piekarsky is the main reason for the increased amount of Hacky Sack players at South. Piekarsky can often be found playing during SRT or after he finishes lunch, and it’s a safe bet that he will almost always have a hacky in his pocket or backpack. “I started playing my freshman year because everyone on the tennis team played” Piekarsky said.
He decided to stick with the game and develop his Hacky skills because it fit his “hippy vibes” and is good exercise Many people can attest to the fact that Piekarsky is exceptionally good at the game. Sophomore Tyler Chamberlain feels that “the best player is definitely Chris.”
Chamberlain is another student who plays Hacky Sack and was also first given the opportunity to play game because of tennis. While he feels that he hasn’t put as much time into the game as some of his peers, he still enjoys playing after school and bonding with the team. “my favorite part (of the game) is when we all target and peg our teammates, especially Dexter Wu- Corts,” Chamberlain joked.
Ethan Ulhs, freshman at South, was just introduced to Hacky this past month. Even though he has been playing for a short time, Ulhs really enjoys the game. “Everyone on the tennis team was playing and it looked really cool,” Ulhs said.
He encourages other freshmen and South students to start playing. “It’s a great way to have fun with friends without being competitive or keeping score.”
