As the passing period bell rings, an MCHS senior leaves strength and heads to their culinary class. Making their way out of the locker room, they are met with a circle of students kicking around a little beanbag and having the time of their lives.
The game that swept America by storm in the 1980s and 1990s has made a great resurgence this month, not only in MCHS but across the country.
Hacky sack, or footbag, is a popular, non-competitive, freestyle sport where players typically gather in a circle and keep a small beanbag or “sack” in the air using feet, knees, chest and whatever else it takes.
The game was invented in 1972, and recently, as seen in the hallways at MCHS and anywhere else you can find students, the nostalgic game has taken over once again.
“I actually really like playing sack,” junior Trey Granada says. “It’s something different and fun yet uncomplicated.”
Whether it be during free time in class, before a sporting event, after school or even during passing period, it’s not unlikely to see a group of students kicking around.
“Honestly, we just play anywhere we can,” junior Finn Stecker says. “It’s perfect because you can basically play everywhere.”
This high energy game is good for training coordination and improving fitness, but it also allows people to have fun playing and brings them together.
“I like bringing old trends back,” junior Hunter Weisenberger says. “It brings us away from our technology too. It’s nice to separate for a little bit.”
The game’s nostalgia is what makes it most enjoyable for some.
“This is special to me because this brings back childhood memories,” choir director Derek Galvicius says. “To see these kids doing the same things I did and playing the same games warms my heart.”
Hacky sack is also trending on social media, where students nationwide are posting their craziest rallies and best trick shots daily.
It’s hard to find hacky sacks in stores due to the fast-growing trend, and the demand has been rising steadily over the past few weeks.
Because of how addictive hacky sack is, students find themselves sometimes focusing on the game at school more than the actual schoolwork.
“Today our teacher took our sack away until we got our work done,” junior Justin Schwall says. “We did get it back, but I guess we also could’ve had better focus.”
Still, when the time is right, hacky sack is a cost-efficient, in-person social activity to play with friends.
After eighth period is over, MCHS students flood out of the south entrance, and it is no surprise that multiple groups of students congregate around the parking lot, doing nothing other than playing hacky sack.