To passersby, the tight circles of students scattered across campus lawns may seem unusual at first glance. In reality, Taylor students are bringing new life to the old-school pastime of hacky sack.
According to Wham-O, the company that created the hacky sack, the sport was initially popular in the 1980s and ‘90s. Now, it has seen a resurgence in popularity around campus.
The concept is simple. Students form circles and pass a small bag of sand to each other without letting it touch the ground. The only catch is that hands are explicitly not allowed.
Cooper Murphy, a junior film and media arts student, inspired many of his friends and fellow Samuel Morris Hall residents to participate in hacky sack.
“I have some buddies back home who play…once I got the hang of it, it was a lot of fun,” Murphy said. “Then I brought one here, and when the weather started to get nice, people got really into it.”
Murphy appreciates the sport’s simplicity, which he credits for much of its popularity. Its ease of play makes it accessible to nearly everyone.
Will Norris, a sophomore politics, philosophy and economics major, was among the first to pick up the sport this spring.
“My brother had given me a hacky sack and I’ve never used it,” Norris said. “It grew to a group of like 20 guys that first day. It’s just been a blast.”
Norris values the sport’s ability to bring a wide variety of people together to enjoy the beautiful weather. He enjoys being able to step away from working with screens indoors to appreciate both friends and the outdoors.
Both Murphy and Norris have developed new friendships through this simple pastime.
“I’ve become friends with a bunch of guys that I didn’t really know before they joined the circle,” Murphy said.
Murphy noted that it has been easy to invite people into the hacky sack circles as they leave dorms or simply walk past. People often stop by to play a few rallies and occasionally stay much longer.
He emphasized that the game is highly collaborative, making it an easy and fun way to get to know others.
Micah Smith, a senior business management systems major, has also been enjoying the sport’s revival.
“It’s easy and it’s fun,” Smith said. “I heard a bunch of people were seeing it all over Instagram so they wanted to do it too.”
Taylor’s campus is not the only one that has been affected by the hacky sack revival. Murphy has seen several other colleges with student-run Instagram accounts that have drawn many eyes to the trend.
This inspired him to start an unofficial Taylor hacky sack account, @tu_sack.
“It’s funny to post hacky sack videos, and they get a couple thousand views, which is fun,” Murphy said.
Hacky sack has become popular enough on campus to not only have its own Instagram account, but also to have a chat dedicated to it on the messaging app GroupMe. Murphy encourages those who are interested to join the GroupMe, TU Sack.
Ultimately, Taylor students are looking for creative methods to enjoy fellowship in God’s creation, and playing hacky sack has simply become a new way to do so.
Norris actively encourages students of all skill levels to join. He hopes to see even more people give the sport a chance.
“It’s not a restrictive group,” Norris said. “I think it’s really easy to get better at it quickly. I’ve seen guys who probably wouldn’t call themselves athletic come out and have a good time.”
