PUPILS at a Northwich school have been introduced to a USA sport sensation.

Students from Mid Cheshire College ran sport stacking lessons for Foundation and Key Stage One pupils at Winnington Park Community Primary School.

The idea of sport stacking is to stack and un-stack cups into various formations as quickly as possible.

It was created as a resource for PE teachers but its popularity has grown worldwide and it is now used in thousands of schools as part of their PE curriculum.

Malcolm Tudor, further education sports coordinator, at Mid Cheshire College, said: “Stacking improves hand-eye coordination and reaction time by up to 30 per cent.

“It helps students develop bilateral proficiency – equal performance on both sides of the body.

“By increasing bilateral proficiency, a student develops a greater percentage of the right side of the brain, which houses awareness, focus, creativity and rhythm.”

Malcolm said the benefits are far-reaching.

“Stacking helps train the brain for activities where the use of both hands is important, such as playing a musical instrument or using the computer,” he said.

“Sequencing and patterning are also elements of sport stacking, which can help with reading and maths skills.”

Abi Beddow, PE coordinator and primary links teacher, at Winnington Primary School, worked with Malcolm and a group of sports students from Mid Cheshire College to provide sessions to pupils aged between three and seven.

Mid Cheshire College’s sports department spent time out in the community as part of National Colleges Week, which had a theme this year of raising awareness of sporting activities.