In April 2026, a sporting pastime called Hacky Sack rose from obscurity and captivated many to play — but where did this trend come from?
The first Hacky Sack was created in 1972, and since then, the game has had its ups and downs. Hacky Sack was wildly popular among youth of the 1980s and 1990s, yet after its widespread popularity, it slowly faded into a niche hobby. That was until recently, when Hacky Sack, also known as “sack,” “hacky” and “sacking,” rose to prominence once again. The accessibility and community feel of Hacky Sack has helped grow the game.
“It’s something anyone can pick up, so it’s accessible, and all you need is a space [and] the Hacky Sack, so there’s not a court or a field you need to do it,” Charlie Russell (11) said.
It is still a mystery as to where the Hacky Sack trend came from, but many attribute it to social media. In recent years, social media has substantially influenced the behaviors and trends of users.
“I think it’s honestly so popular because of Instagram and TikTok,” Caleb Buring (10) said. “[That is] how everything starts, pretty much. Some people start doing it, and then they see videos, and it looks fun. So it just grows, and the Hacky community keeps getting bigger and gaining more schools and people and teams.”
Like many other schools, White Station High School (WSHS) has also taken to the Hacky Sack trend — people play in the gym, at lunch and even in the parking lot. This has led an anonymous WSHS student to create the @whitestationsack Instagram account to share clips of WSHS students playing Hacky Sack. The person who runs the account hopes to gain attention and make it to Hacky Sack national rankings pages, which are mostly a joke but have added more popularity to the trending pastime.
“Me and the boys, we wanted to showcase our sack skills, and so that’s why we started,” the anonymous source said. “We saw a bunch of other accounts and we wanted to compete to get up on the national rankings — that’s why we [made the account].”
Some people who play Hacky Sack even claim that the game has distinct benefits for them. Since the game is very social, players find themselves talking with others more, strengthening their friendships and even making new connections.
“I feel like I’m happier when I’m playing Hacky Sack than when I’m stuck in the classroom having to do nothing,” Forrest Kelley (11) said. “Instead of going to lunch and just talking or sitting on my phone, I can actually do something fun. I guess it’s made me a little happier.”
While Hacky Sack has cemented itself into the timeline and culture of 2026, is it here to stay? Many trends like Hacky Sack have popped up before and faded rather quickly; however, proponents of sacking see good reason to keep the game alive and are optimistic for the future of the game after the initial popularity boom wears off.
“There might be an initial craze, an initial burst of popularity and it might subside a little bit, but I think people will continue to do it,” Russell said.
Whether or not Hacky Sack sticks around, it has certainly brought people together and has served as a game for friends to hang out, relax and have some mindless fun amidst the pressures of life.
“I’d just say [Hacky Sack is] a fun game to play with friends,” Kelley said. “It’s not much more, but it’s not much less either.”
