In-Depth Post #1 Introduction to Yoyo-ing

Yoyo-ing.

Something some might remember yoyos as fun toys from their childhood, or that simply as an annoying string that never got untangled. But I hope to turn it into something more for myself.

What skill have you chosen to learn?

For In-Depth 2020, I’ll be learning how to freestyle yoyo. I am going to learn how to perform different yoyo tricks, and how to put them together to create a performance. I’m also going to learn about performance techniques and what makes a great yoyo performance. I want to learn about types of yoyos, how they’re made, and parts of a yoyo. Lastly, I’ll do research around the history of yoyoing and how it has changed over time. All these skills will allow me to dive deep into what yoyoing is and it will help me reach my goal of creating an amazing performance. By the end of In-Depth, I want yoy-ing to feel like second nature, and a fun relaxing activity I can freestyle with anytime.

Yoyo-ing seems like such a simple skill, but a quick look on Youtube can show you how complicated it really is.

https://youtu.be/-wiNh4LLQzg

I’m intrigued by how such a simple idea can become something so complicated, fun, and challenging. Yoyo-ing can be relaxing, competitive, and a skill that’s extremely memorable, and I can’t wait to get started.

Why yoyo-ing?

I first got into yoyo-ing in grade 5. One of my close friends at the time went on a trip to Ontario and came back with this simple yet intriguing toy and a lot of skill. What started out as a fascination, ended with all my friends learning the very basics of yoyo-ing. It was more than just throwing a toy up and down. We learned basic tricks and ended up using them all the time. From competitions of who’s can spin longest, or who’s tricks were coolest, it was always fun. By the end of the year it died out, but I kept my yoyo. When In-Depth came along I remembered learning how to yoyo, and I realized I could turn it into so much more. I wanted to truly learn how to professionally yoyo, and with the help of my old friend, I can.

Who’s my mentor?

My mentor is a friend from elementary school named Nolan. At the beginning of our Grade 5 year at Nestor elementary, Nolan really got into yoyo-ing. He took lessons, learned online, and bought all the special tools to truly learn about professional yoyo-ing. he’s been yoyo-ing for a few years now and knows alot about the subject. When I was younger I learned some very basic tricks, but now I hope to learn so much more.

When and how am I going to learn yoyo-ing?

Due to the pandemic, I will be learning all about yoyo-ing from home. I have until May 20th to hone in all my skills. I’m going to learn this skill through the structure of In-Depth. Using the 5 objectives below I hope to learn all I can about yoyo-ing.

  1. To master and perform at least 20 different yoyo tricks by the end on in-depth.
  2. To grasp the basic history of yoyoing through at least 5 online sources by the end of in-depth.
  3. To learn 5 tips on what makes a good yoyo performance by the end of in-depth
  4. To create at least one original yoyo trick by the end of in-depth.
  5. To understand the major steps of how yoyos are created by the end of in-depth

Throughout In-Depth I’ll work on each of these objectives, each meeting, each practice, and with every bit of research I do. I’ll create blog posts (As required), do my own research (weekly), talk to my mentor (Every two weeks), and practice A LOT of yoyo-ing (Daily), then hopefully, it turns out great in the end.

What can others do to help me, and what do I need?

While this is a self-directed project, I will need help. The most help will come from my mentor and friend. He’ll be able to teach me all the tips and tricks I could possibly need. Outside of my mentor, I’ll need support from my teachers at school and parents at home to keep me going and continuing to work on my yoyoing. Simply showing an interest in my project will suffice. I hope to improve and will need all the support I can get.

I can’t wait to get started, see you next time…

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