That is awesome! I have a brother, probably two, with Autism. my brother (17) is seriously my best friend and I’m so proud of him. He has made so much progress in the past few years. Interestingly he loves my yo-yos and will play with them when he thinks I’m not looking. He’s one of the few people who is genuinely encouraging to me in this hobby and he likes to look at yo-yos/come up with ideas for them.
anyways thank so much for sharing I think what you’re doing is great! ;D
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Hey guys and gals
I had a thought. Maybe “Eli Hops” can be bigger than what I thought. What if instead of me going to schools and small groups and entertaining and educating the special kids one on twenty or thirty- it becomes an event. What if I organize an annual or semi annual event where a bunch of yo players and jugglers and Diablo players and top throwers and ultimate Frisbee players and yo-be throwers and whatever else all get together in one place. We invite special kids and groups to come and play and learn with us for free. Maybe have it open so anyone can come and ask for donations from the neuro and physically typical people and raise money for a different cause each event. We could have live music- sport players- whoever would be willing to either donate time or sponsor the event! Even though it would be less times a year- I bet it would help a larger group of kids and if we could raise money for different group each time… well it could do alot of good. Seeing as I live in the Northeast I would probably try to hold the event in the Boston area. What do you guys think? Am I way off track? I think it would be a great way to get MANY different player communities not only involved in a great cause- but get involved with eachother. If you were able to do it would you volunteer? Ideas? Criticisms? Anything?
I am excited!
Dave…You are the MAN!!! That would be an AWESOME idea!
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I agree. I think that is a great idea. I woudln’t be able to attend anything in Boston without some serious planning but I think it is a primo idea Dave.
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what about 2011 PNWR im gonna be there and so will alot of other people and go inside the science center and do crazy tricks
I don’t have any stories about throwing with/for anyone with disabilities, but I do know that the one thing I live for, the one thing I love doing more than anything and everyday look forward to, is seeing kids’ faces light up when they see me doing a yoyo trick. I like to entertain, and more than that, I like to get them to participate by teaching them a little bit before I continue with whatever I was doing. I love kids and I love seeing them laugh and play. I didn’t use to be as fun and outlandish as I am now. Learning to yoyo and showing it to people gave me confidence, so I’m looking into doing something similar to you Dave, teaching a small class at the church my family goes to geared toward smaller kids to teach them yoyo and give them more confidence. Your story has given me that extra push to go with it. Thank you, Sensei. 
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Hi. I have mild Ausbergers, a form of high-functioning autism. One of the problems with autism spectrum disorders is the inability to filter out thoughts or external stimulus. I find yoyoing helpful during periods when I get overloaded. It’s something physical, immediately responsive, and easy to focus on.
Having a particular thing to hold your attention can help reduce the noise that sometimes overwhelms me - particularly when I become flustered by too many competing ideas or thoughts. I run across this problem from time to time both socially and in my work. When too many impressions build up at once it’s like being shouted at from all directions, quite an unpleasant sensation. Yoyoing is a great focus to clear out the cobwebs, as it makes no demands for meaning, either logical or social.
So yoyoing may be helpful for autistic spectrum sufferers for several reasons. It is an engaging skill which provides focus in times of stress. It is also a performance art - which allows one to engage with others via the proxy of the yoyo rather than directly. It can be stressful for autistics to socially engage directly with others. Sharing through directing attention towards an external object allows social interaction without confrontation. Auties enjoy engaging with others as much as anyone, they just find it more difficult than regular folk.
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Dave having an event is a great idea. I you get something organized I’m sure that different yoyo companies would be willing to donate. May be we could get a contest going. The first “Eli Hops Yoyo Contest.” You could see if some of the big yoyo people would come out. It bo awesome.
So when are you thinking of trying to put this together? I’m probably 5 hours from Boston but I may try and come to this. I have a cousin I can probably stay with.
First I have some research to do. I know most Parks/recreational areas don’t mind if you have a get together with your friends and family- but with an event like this- where there will be advertising and (hopefully) vendors and other such stuff I will most definately need a permit from the city I hold the event in. Will a police presence be required (most permitted events require a stipend to hire the police for security purposes). Will clean-up after the even be a part of the permit/rental of the area or will that have to be provided for?
Once I find the most “fiscally responsible” place to have said event - then I need to schedule it far enough in advance to allow for not only people to learn about sit-up but with time to invite groups of special kids and adults to come with enough time for.them to schedule it in. It will most definately need to be an outdoor event so the weather will be a factor. And I want to beable to approach local businesses with the event to see if they want in on the action- so to speak. I have never done anything on this scale but my guess is probably not until next summer/early fall at the soonest.
Any thoughts? Its a big job but man is it worth it!
Update
So I went and got the permit info for holding an event in Boston. Omagosh its crazy. Security, insurance, lists of tables (vendors and food), food services or not, entertainment or not, picture taking, it all costs more. Plus I have to know exactly who and what will be there (expected turn out as well as workers) AND after I submit all this stuff with the appropriate fees they have to approve it and it may not even happen with what seems to be no refunds!
So I am changing my angle. I am going to approach private places that can donate space for the event and/or try to become a part of an already existing event. Something like a health fair or something not yo-yo related so it will draw in other crowds to the cause as well. Wouldn’t want to do it at a competition simply because I don’t want to.take the focus away thing either thing.
So my search goes on.
Any cool summer or fall events near Boston that you guys know of off the top of your heads?
Lemme know!
sensei dave r u willing to take donations of yoyos i have a freind that is going to PNWR his is the owner of DTI"Double Take Industries" he has bassboosts i was gonna buy one freom him and on chat he said he was gonna donate and i mentioned what u were doing and i think he will do it
I will definitely take any donations that anyone wants to send the cause- however I only ask that donations wait until we get closer to the actual event. There are an hundred little details that have to happen before I can even schedule the event somewhere. I also would like as much info as I can get about anyone/companies that donate because they will be considered sponsors and I am planning on having “advertising” at the event. Say “Company X” donates twenty Yo-yos, or fifty, or more, or anything, I want people to look at the signs or (crosses fingers) the event t-shirts and see that “Company X” donated and want to give them business. There are also tax benefits for a group or company that donates. I want anyone who is good enough to donate to get everything they deserve.
Thanks so much for putting the word out there about “Eli Hops”- It’s so great to see so many people passionate about helping these great kids.
How that Yo-yo coming? I can’t wait to see it!
im trying to work with it with DTI cause im trying to get the word out about u and them so im gonna use the bassboost and get your word out at the same time
Thats very interesting. I have a cousin with a developmant disorder, i don’t know if it’s really autism. He sometimes he does calm down when i yoyo, if he’s not to buisy having a pillow fight with my brothers.
Hey kiddos,
On the cusp of the end of the year and the end of this years holiday season- I have a fantastic announcement to make about Eli Hops and a huge leap forward to realizing this great idea.
I have a partner! Jud came to me with a fantastic story of his best friends son whose learning disability prevents him from being able to communicate or focus on any one thing for more than 30 seconds at a time- except for when Jud brings his Yo-yo. When Jud performs for him- the boy can focus and is entertained for up to an HOUR at a time! Jud has since taught him how to Yo-yo and the boy has calmed down and opened up and has become a much happier little kid.
Jud has since begun a yo-yo club at a local church and is “spreading the gospel” of yo-yoing and its benefits.
When he approached me with the idea of joining forces- him working from southeast Texas and me in northeast Massachusetts- he send a laundry list of amazing and realistic ideas that were in perfect compliment to the heart of what Eli Hops is all about. With his help- Eli Hops has already grown and has the potential to be a national organization.
I am proud and honored to welcome Jud into the Eli Hops fold!
UPDATE: I have spoken to a member of the Autism schooling community and she is going to take Eli Hops to her superiors to get them involved. When I told her about it she was very excited and felt that it is an amazing idea and wants to help out! She told me that her employers have many different programs and love getting involved with things like this. I also found out something about her that I didn’t know- her boyfriend loves to yo-yo! He’s new to yo-yo and can’t do much more than walk the dog and rock the baby but he’s passionate and will most likely want to get involved too!
It’s getting real folks. I can’t tell you how excited I am that this is all starting to come to fruition!
Here’s where I ask you guys for help. This is happening for real and I am going to need volunteers to come and yo-yo and top spin and frisbee and play ball and just have fun with these great kids. We will be inviting all types of differently abled kids and their parents/group workers to come. You have to be comfortable working with them by showing them how to play or playing games with them. You also need to be willing to be in the “near” Boston area at the time of the event. There will be no compensation- it’s purely voluntary- but you will be helping make the lives of some really great kids brighter and happier. You will also be helping raise money for a pre-determined established organization that is dedicated to helping differently-abled kids. You also may have a chance to learn some basic sign-language too! If you have any family members who are a part of a differently-abled community PLEASE bring them along!
If you want to help out in any way- please PM me with your contact info and what you are willing to do. I will then email you.
[i]If you are a vendor of any kind and would like to be at the event we only ask that you be willing to donate a small percentage (determined by you) of your sales at the event to the chosen organization. I will send vendors Eli-Hops images for use in advertising and/or specialty products.
Some of you have approached me about donating goods to the cause. Any goods donated to Eli Hops will be receipted so you can use them as proof of donation (for tax purposes) and we will place appropriate advertising for the donators company at the event, on any printed media, and on the website (in construction).[/i]
Happy Holidays everyone!
awesome how exciting!
Oh dude, I’m in Dorchester, we should hang some time!
That’s great Sensei Dave! it sounds like you are make some excellent progress. I am sad to say that I may not be able to be there. (even though I would love to come and help) I hope a lot of people come out to help and give a little joy to these kids.
Heck yeah, good on ya Dave, I will do my best to support this, not to mention bringing my son would be -awesome-