This year at Clarke, Tori Litchkey and Allison Kruser, both sophomores, created the Hacky Sack club. The club will consist of playing hacky sack outside, eating snacks, and, once more people become familiar with the game, there will be tournaments. The officers hope to have weekly meetings on either Sunday night or Monday night, but the date has not been set.
Hacky sack is a game where a group arranges themselves in a circle and passes a small ball called a hacky sack between those in the circle. The goal is to keep the hacky sack in the air. You can touch the ball with any part of your body but your hands.
Litchkey and Kruser started this club because they would play hacky sack before their softball games to help them calm their nerves. Due to the fun they had playing hacky sack with their team, they brought the game to campus. While playing on campus, students would join the game, so the officers decided to make an official club.
The goal of the club is to have students outside more rather than in their rooms, as well as give students a break from studying and homework. The officers wanted to bring the sport of hacky sack back since not many people play it anymore as well as have students try new things.
“A lot of people probably haven’t played so it would be fun to teach them and get people out of their comfort zones,” said Lindsey Herrmann, the club’s treasurer.
Apart from regular hacky sack nights where they just play outside, the club hopes to work with other organizations to plan events. The club is currently working on creating a Hack and Snack night with the Clarke Activities Board. This will help the club have more promotion, have more students involved in the game, and let students have a fun night with their fellow students.
Aside from having fun with your friends, hacky sack has many beneficial skills. Those skills include foot-eye coordination, stress relief, and teamwork. This sport also helps students get outside more often, stay active, make new friends, and learn a new skill or talent.
Herrmann first started playing hacky sack her junior year of high school on her softball team. The team would play before and between their games, helping this game become a tradition for their team. Clarke’s softball team has the same tradition.
“It’s a way to stay loose before games,” said Amber Boeckenstedt, the club’s secretary.
The club currently has about ten members, but the officers hope that once they have more promotion about the club, they will gain more members. They believe other students should join the club because it can help you meet new people, relieve stress, and overall have fun outside.
“You don’t need talent to play,” said Litchkey, the club’s president.
— Burgundy Barklow