Spreading the Yoyoing Love! A story about this past weekend: PICS!!!!

General Yo-Yo
1

Well this past weekend at the Kutztown Middle school there was a arts festival. This was a big show in the auditorium that had artwork everywhere, students selling handmade things, kids performing on stage and a bunch of kids just walking around. I go to the University in town and my friend Dan Green asked me if I would like to yoyo at the festival for fun and the kids love seeing yoyoing. I was a little nervous cause I don’t usually like to yoyo in front of random non-yoyoers but I agreed to go. Dan is also a yoyoer but isn’t heavily in the community. He picked me up and then we went to the school.

We went to the festival at the school and he introduced me to the event organizer. We just found a spot and started yoyoing. After a little while of yoyoing I caught a kids eye and he came up to me and told me it was cool. I asked if he wanted to learn how to throw it and all the good stuff. He agreed and then I pulled out my classic and let him use it. This kid learned quick. I taught him how to throw, bind, do braintwister, and even split the atom!! This was all in less then an hour and he was doing all the tricks properly. His name was Quinn he was learning super quick and I could see he really enjoyed it. Then a couple of his friends came over and I asked them if they wanted to yoyo. I gave the girl, Maria a FHZ to throw and the other boy, Michael a Maverick to play with. I was just yoyoing and they were all impressed and I was just having some serious fun.

I look over and Quinn is teaching Maria and Michael how to throw and bind the yoyo. That just brought a smile to my face and it made me feel good that he liked it and even was teaching the other ones how to do it. By the time I realize whats happening there were like 10 kids around asking to yoyo. I only brought a few yoyos that were for beginners and I wanted all these kids to have fun. So I whip out my case and start giving these kids yoyos to play. Including my Double Joker, Wrath, Pride Proto, Freq. wave, Supernova, etc. I didn’t even care if these would get damaged but I just wanted them to all have fun and yoyo.

So these kids are having fun and i’m teaching them all how to throw properly and bind. I hear dinging and all those metal noises and I could care less. They were actually having fun with a hobby I love! After yoyoing for a little while Dan got us a spot to go on stage and just yoyo for the whole place to see. I was a little anxious cause I’ve never been on stage yoyoing for hundreds of people before. I had a few yoyos handed out to the kids still and I left them there and trusted they wouldnt take them. We both went up and yoyoed and I had a blast just doing fun tricks and moves. After we were done the room filled with claps and cheers and I couldn’t help but smile!

When I got off stage I went back to my spot and kept yoyoing for the kids and let them have fun with my yoyos. At this point Maria, Michael and Quinn (Was like my little protege) were still yoyoing and Quinn is really dedicated to get split the atom perfect. I could see so much potential in that kid. After like another 20 minutes yoyoing I decided that these 3 were keepers for sure. They kept asking me about yoyos and where they could buy some. I decided I was going to let them 3 keep the yoyos I let them use. So I let them have the yoyos, gave them a bunch of extra string and bearings, and told them to promise to go on Yoyoexpert.com and check the site out. They agreed and thanked me so much and I was genuinely happy.

We all continued yoyoing and the night was almost coming to an end. I was just having so much fun with the kids and wished I could do this more often. I then talked to Dan and he took me to the event organizer who is a very nice teacher at the Middle school. I asked her if it was possible to have like an after school yoyo club where I can teach the kids to yoyo since they all loved it. She said OF COURSE!!! SO I took her number and I am going to call her next week like she asked so she could figure out how we can go about this club for the kids. I told all the kids that I talked to her and we might have a yoyo club and they were so happy.

Then Dan and I had to go and I told the kids to make sure to look out for this club. I had to take all my metals back and then packed up and headed back to my dorm. They seemed so sad that I was leaving but I’m hoping this club thing works out so I can help Spread the Yoyoing Love and possibly get some of these kids to become the next World Champion!

Here are some pictures I took and had taken of the event:

Quinn:

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk111/prmagic/049_zps45e82edf.jpg

Michael is in the grey sweater:
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk111/prmagic/048_zps2e60d1d2.jpg

Maria:
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk111/prmagic/055_zps4d1e4d0c.jpg

Dan and I (in the maroon):
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk111/prmagic/057_zps01c26141.jpg

Group Picture!:

http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk111/prmagic/052_zps5388c143.jpg

Hope you all enjoyed the read and remember to keep spreading the yoyoing love! ;D

7 Likes
2

Awesome story! Thanks for sharing. It’s great that after so short a time, Quinn was already moving from being a student to being a teacher. Talk about spreading the yoyo love like wildfire. :slight_smile:

So cool that you had the opportunity to say “to heck with worrying about dings” as well. Any time I’ve had to choose between “protecting my yoyo” and sharing one of my metals with a total newbie, it’s been a no-brainer. A quick warning about string length (hey, I can at least try to protect a LITTLE) and I’ll let anybody throw any yoyo I have with me.

Amazing that you’re going to form a club out of it, too! The resurgence of yo… at the grassroots level!

Thanks again for writing this up!

3

Great story!

4

That’s awesome! I’m stock piling beginners throws right now to take downtown In a few weeks I’ll try to spread the love! Idk why but Quinn just looks like hes ment to yoyo…

5

That is an awesome way of Spreading The Love!

6

Wow great story. Glad you had the experience and more to come. Please let us know how this club goes and maybe some ideas on how to start other clubs at other schools.
I have away a brand new dash and didn’t see this kid for another 3 months. I’ve never seen a Yomega response worn out so much it falls out. He is now more advanced than I. And I’m glad.

7

I always love reading stories like these. It would be epic if my school had a yoyo club :smiley:

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Now that’s the sort of story I like to see! It’s great that Quinn was already eager to teach. I think he’ll be a great addition to our little online family.

Yuki

9

Wow. This is awesome. Good job man.

10

Best post i’ve read on the forums yet. I don’t have enough thumbs to stick up. respect

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Thanks for the responses guys! If you haven’t noticed I’m pretty short, these are like 14 year old’s and they are almost my height #shortguyproblems.

I hope this club can happen cause I really want to teach the kids and spread our amazing hobby! Wish I had some more beginner friendly yoyos in my collection though haha

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See if the school will provide a grant to buy a few plastics and other supplies for the club?

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If the school doesn’t have the funds, I’m sure you’ll be able to get some of the members on the forum to open up their cases.

Yuki

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I have a couple plastics left in my collection I could give to the kids. I also have a bunch of metals try can play at the club. I think I should have enough since my string sponsor Modman10 graciously offered to send some plastics and string for the club.