Freshmen Enjoy New Hobby, Juggle Sacks Around the Yard

"Tired of backing off alone?" query the posters advertising the Yard's latest game craze. And judging from the enthusiasm at yesterday's first annual Hackey-Sack Awareness Day, the answer for some freshmen is "yes."

Hackey-Sack is a casual outdoor sport derived from games played in both Thailand and Poland, according to members of the recently formed Hackey-Sack Committee.

Introduced to the freshman class by several long-time devotees, Hackey-Sack has become a favorite group diversion for a growing community of players already numbering about 40, says Manuel "Spike" Lerdau '86.

Soccer with a Sack

The game is usually played by groups of three to 10 people who "juggle" a small bead filled leather sack in a style similar to soccer players. The object is to keep the sack off the ground for long periods of time without using hands or arms.

"There's no competition," said Thomas J. Gill '86, "You're just out there to talk and crack jokes and have a good time."

Yesterday's special exhibition near Matthews Hall was designed to expose more students to the joys of Hackey-Sack, organizers said.

Explaining that the fad already reaches beyond the Yard gates, Lerdau said. "There are a lot of people from Eliot who play. That was something that surprised me; it's not a very preppy sport."

Hack Happy

He added that Hackey-Sack is popular along parts of the West Coast, where he learned to play three years ago. Together with roommate Geordie D. Wilson, Lerdau has actively spread the faith here since September.

One participant, who described his new hobby in mid-hack last week, admitted that he had met more people playing the game than he had all of Freshman Week.