FAQ

DMV Throwers is a free, community-run yo-yo and skill toy club serving the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. We bring together throwers of all ages and experience levels, from total beginners to national competitors. Our goal is simple: build a fun, welcoming community around yo-yo and skill toys.

The club was founded by Arthur Foley (President/Founder) and is coordinated day-to-day by Brandon Rogers (Vice President). Our current officer team also includes Abby Brodsky (Co-Coordinator). We're a volunteer-run organization.

No. Attending our events is completely free. We accept voluntary donations if you'd like to support the club, but there are no required fees, dues, or memberships of any kind. DMV Throwers is not a registered nonprofit, so donations are not tax-deductible.

Yes! Find us at Instagram: Instagram, Facebook: DMV Throwers, Email: contact@dmvthrowers.club, and Linktree: Linktree

Monthly meetups are held at Arlington Central Library, Barbara M. Donnellan Auditorium / Bluemont Room, 1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22201, every 3rd Sunday from 1–4 PM. Anytime in that window works. People come and go throughout. If it's your first time, arriving a little earlier gives you more time to get settled. During warmer months we sometimes hold outdoor meetups at Quincy Park in Arlington, VA.

For regular monthly meetups, no registration required. Just show up. For special events, an RSVP may be requested and will be noted in the event announcement. If a meetup is ever cancelled, it will be announced as early as possible on Instagram (@DMV_THROWERS) and our Facebook page. Always check social media close to the date if you're unsure.

Yes. Street parking is available on N Quincy St and surrounding streets. The library is about a 5-minute walk from the Virginia Square–GMU Metro station on the Orange and Silver lines.

Not at all. Total beginners are just as welcome as experienced players. If you've never thrown a yo-yo before, we'll help you get started. There's no performance requirement. Just come and have fun.

No equipment required. We have loaner yo-yos at every meetup. If you own a yo-yo, bring it. Wear comfortable clothes you can move in. Everything else we'll handle.

That's a great question to ask at a meetup! Our members have a wide range of experience and are happy to give recommendations based on your budget and style. We'd rather give you in-person advice than a generic answer.

No. A completed trick is a completed trick. Some classic tricks are worth learning on a responsive yo-yo too, but as one longtime player put it on the YoYoExpert Forums: “There’s no cheating in yoyoing, just smiling.” See Practice, Play Healthy, and Everyone Can Throw for more tips.

All skill toys are welcome. Kendama, spin tops and trompos, poi and other flow arts, juggling and diabolo, and other skill toys are all fair game at our meetups. Local juggling clubs are listed under our Sister Clubs. The club's focus is yo-yo but we're a welcoming space for the broader skill toy community.

Absolutely. DMV Throwers is designed to be welcoming for families. We regularly have kids and parents attend together, and we make sure the environment is positive and inclusive for all ages.

No official age minimum. All ages are welcome. Older teens are fine attending independently. For younger children, we recommend a parent or guardian be present, particularly for a first visit. For formal officer roles, members must be 18 or older.

Yes. We document meetups and share photos on our Instagram (Instagram), Facebook page, and this website. By attending a DMV Throwers event, you acknowledge that photos may be taken and shared publicly. If you or your child would prefer not to be photographed, just let a club officer know and we'll do our best to accommodate that. See our Privacy Policy for more detail.

VSYC-26 was the Virginia State Yo-Yo Contest 2026, held September 19, 2026 at Dulles Town Center, Center Court, in Sterling, VA. It was the 16th Annual Virginia State Yo-Yo Contest, organized by DMV Throwers. The event had multiple competitive divisions and was free to spectate. Learn more →

Not at all. The vast majority of our members come to socialize, learn tricks, and have fun, not to compete. Competition is one part of the broader community we're building, not a requirement.

Spectating VSYC-26 was free, with no ticket required. Competitor fees for the next contest are TBD. Regular monthly club meetups will always remain free.

Follow Instagram for contest-specific updates, and Instagram for club-wide announcements. Results and news about future contests are posted to both. You can also visit the VSYC-26 page for results and replays.

Members individually attend regional and national yo-yo contests, and we support those efforts as a community. As the club grows we may organize group attendance at events like nationals or regionals.

Lots, and most need no special skill. These come from a longtime club founder on the YoYoExpert Forums: Dragster Races (throw a sleeper, slip the string off your finger, and let the yo-yo race across the floor), Closest to the Edge (slide your yo-yo across a table and stop it nearest the edge without falling off; pad the floor), and sleeper challenges (how many times can you run around your throwing hand, or how many fist bumps can you give, before the yo-yo stops?). Ending with a group game is the best way to make people want to come back.

A fun, informal contest. One format from the YoYoExpert Forums: put everyone’s name in a hat, draw two at a time, and give each player two tries to impress three judges. Winners move on until one is left. The prize yo-yo gets “dinged” by everyone first, so it carries the whole group’s marks.

Try a classic-trick month. A January 2026 forum challenge picked 10 old-school tricks: Around the Corner, Rock the Baby, Stop and Go, Pinwheels, Eiffel Tower, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Motorcycle, One-Handed Star, Rock the Baby in the Eiffel Tower, and Frog in a Bag. The forums also run style months like Fixed Axle February and 5A May. See Keep Learning.

Make progress visible. One parent on the YoYoExpert Forums taped a big beginner trick checklist to the wall for their 7-year-old and friends. Print our Beginner Trick Checklist, start with a responsive yo-yo, and bring them to a meetup, where loaners and other kids make it easier.

Advice from people who have started clubs on the YoYoExpert Forums: have inexpensive take-apart yo-yos, both responsive and unresponsive, plus lots of string (4 to 5 per new player). Train a few helpers, because beginners have lots of problems in the first 30 minutes. Meet at a consistent time and place, welcome each person by name, and mark a yo-yo zone with tape or cones so no one gets bonked. Plan about 30 minutes for young kids and about an hour for adults. In 2019, YoYoExpert also announced a Club Grant Program with starter kits and leveled trick cards; check with them for its current status. Need a website? Our free yo-yo club website template gets you one in about 30 minutes, and there’s a contest template too. We’re happy to help, too: email contact@dmvthrowers.club about a workshop.

Just show up! There's no application or sign-up process. Anyone who attends a DMV Throwers event is part of the community. If you want to get more involved in running things, read on.

Yes to both. If you want to help with setup, greeting newcomers, or running activities, just let Brandon know at a meetup or email contact@dmvthrowers.club. For ideas, bring them up at a meetup, DM us on Instagram, or email us. We can't promise everything happens immediately, but we genuinely consider all suggestions.

Yes. We currently have two open officer positions: Alternate Location Co-Coordinator, who leads logistics for non-primary venues, and Moderator/Activity Coordinator, who plans in-event activities and community programming. If you're interested in either role, reach out to Brandon at contact@dmvthrowers.club.

Yes. We're open to venue partnerships, co-promotions, sponsorships, and community collaborations. Reach out to Brandon at contact@dmvthrowers.club with your idea and we'll go from there.