While TikTok trends tend to bring more negativity than positivty, the latest has students and teachers alike questioning whether some positivity can be spread after all. Unlike trends such as “devious licks” or sticking lead into school laptops, the hashtag, “#spreadsacknothate” has students putting down their phones and circling up to keep a hacky sack in the air, without using their hands. The hacky sack trend has resulted in bringing students together, and
pulling them away from their screens.

“We first started playing hacky sack as a small group, and even made a TikTok account to share our skills. That small
group soon grew, even reaching the upperclassmen, and it’s something we can all come together and play. I am very proud of how big the hacky sack community has grown,” freshman Alperen Demir said.

Since growing popularity on social media, multiple freshmen took the opportunity to for many an unofficial hacky sack team for ELHS. As videos of competing high schools quickly spread online, “ECC” and “CIAC” hacky sack social media accounts blitzed the new trend, promoting competition between local high schools and middle schools.

“Before I started playing, I would spend most of my free time on my phone or sitting around, but hacky sack gave me something active and fun to do with my friends. It also made me more social, since people can easily join in, and I’ve met new friends just from playing in a circle at school or outside,” freshman John Roberts said.

For each matchup, teams submit videos of hacky sack rallies to the “official” accounts, run by students from another high school in CT. Scoring is based on tricks, stalling, and group member inclusion. Additionally, the game has accumulated several rules: no Hey Dude shoes, no “umbrella” (holding hacky sack inside shirt/other clothing), and no “chicken wing,” (using bent arm/ leg to stall). After students upload rallies, the accounts evaluate based on tricks, aesthetics, and group member inclusion. Then, the accounts use a bracket system to decide who wins and moves on to the next level. ELHS is currently ranked No. 2 for “ECC Sack.”

Students say the game spread rapidly because almost anyone can join a circle, regardless of athletic ability or skill. All it takes is a few people and the willingness to keep the sack in the air.

“Now making our debut to ECC sack feels bigger than just a game. It’s showing how far we’ve come together with what we’ve built,” freshman Benny Perkins said.

The game has become a daily occurrence in hallways, commons, and classrooms. More circles have accumulated as the trend has grown. What began as a small trend has now become a normal part of many student’s school life. Teachers have also noticed a phone limitation with this trend. Instead of being on phones, students have picked up a game that forces them to interact face-to-face.

“Over the last two months, I have seen it evolve from a simple classroom game into something that is everywhere, which is so cool. I much prefer seeing students physically interacting, communicating and challenging each other over a fun game than seeing everyone in the commons staring at their phones,” ELHS science teacher Carla Frisbie said.

Hacky sack circles have even become nostalgic for some teachers who used to play in high school. For ELHS history
teacher Colin McIvor, hacky sack is more than a recurring trend.

Mr. McIvor has brought hacky sack(s) with him since his high school years, all the way through his work at ELMS and ELHS. Multiple hacky sacks can be found inside McIvor’s desk drawers, and even his glove compartment.

“Mr. McIvor is the true ‘OG’ when it comes to hacky sack. Mr. McIvor and I taught together at ELMS, and he was
legendary for challenging students every single day at dismissal,” Ms. Frisbie said.

“It never left, it’s just been waiting for a new generation to kick it,” Mr. McIvor said.