DMV THROWERS
Resources
DC · MD · VA
DOWNLOADS
Resources
Guides, downloads, and trusted links for new and returning yo-yo players. Looking for tutorials, apps, and history? Jump to Yo-Yo Links.
Workshop Run Sheet
Workshop lesson plan with warm-ups, core tricks, and beginner-to-intermediate progressions.
View DOCX
Beginner Trick Checklist
A one-page printable with 43 first tricks to check off. Tape it to the wall and watch it fill up.
View PDF
Beginner Trick Guide
Step-by-step fundamentals for new players learning core throws and mounts.
View PPTX
Club Display Loop
Slide deck used at club events and public displays for quick club intro loops.
View PPTX
Event Planning Kit
Templates and checklists for planning meetups, demos, and contests in the DMV.
View DOCX
Club Charter
The official DMV Throwers club charter outlining our mission, structure, and governing guidelines.
View DOCX
Officer Roles
Officer position overview covering responsibilities, expectations, and how to join club leadership.
View DOCX
Press Kit
Club info, branding assets, and media-ready materials for organizers and journalists.
View PDF
Scouts Yo-Yo Adventure
Official Scouting America Cub Scout Yo-Yo Adventure requirements and guide for youth progression.
Open Scout Adventure
Beginner Yo-Yos at YoYoSam
Starter yo-yos for new players. Use club code DMVTHROWS for 10% off, and a portion of every sale goes back to the club.
Shop Beginner Yo-Yos
YoYo Museum
An archive of yo-yo history, vintage models, manufacturers, and collector lore. Great starting point for players curious about the roots of the hobby.
Visit YoYo Museum
YoYo Archive
Community-maintained database of yo-yo releases, competition results, and historical records. Also home to the YoYo Archive event calendar used across the community.
Visit YoYo Archive
YoYo Pro Clicker App
Free app for iOS and Android that tracks freestyle deductions in real time. Handy for couch judges helping score contests like VSYC-26. Built by fellow thrower Joseph (@jo.vo.007).
Get on the App Store
Get on Google Play
LEARN & EXPLORE
Yo-Yo Links
Trick tutorials, apps, forums, podcasts, contest records, and history. Hand-picked for learning, not shopping.
Learn Tricks
- How to Yo-YoOur how-to and history guide: string, wind, throw, fix string tension, a first-100 trick list with free tutorials, trick clubs to keep learning, and how tricks evolved.
- Back2Basics Yoyo ClickerFree browser clicker for practice judging. Load a YouTube routine, set up several judges with their own keys, and save the scores. No account.
- YoYoTricks.com Trick LibraryFree video lessons from your first throw to master level. Kendama too.
- Skill Addicts1,000+ tutorials across 1A–5A. Earn points as you land tricks.
- YoYoExpert LearnStep-by-step trick guides for every style, beginner to expert.
- Duncan Tutorial VideosClassic tricks from one of the oldest names in yo-yo.
- YoYoSam Beginner TutorialString, wind, throw, and your first tricks. From our club partner.
- Classic Yoyo TricksThe basics you'll see at most contests, with a video for each.
- Yo-Yo Trick DatabaseTricks sorted by level and style, with a write-up for each. Japanese and English.
- Yo-Yo Trick List on GitHubA free trick checklist, kept on GitHub, from 1A basics to challenge tricks. Also keeps a copy of the old Rethink Yoyo level list.
Kendama
- LearnKendama First 50The first 50 kendama tricks every player should know, on video.
- Kendama USA TutorialsOne-on-one style lessons from top players.
- Skill Addicts Kendama Tree67+ kendama tricks mapped from beginner to pro.
Spin Tops & Trompos
- Our Spin Top Starter GuideBearing or fixed tip, string length, the throw, and balancing a top on your hand.
- Getting Started with Spin TopsWorld spin top champion Chris Neff’s classic forum guide for beginners.
- Skill Addicts: How to Spin a TopThe first four steps, then 36 tricks in learning order.
- YoYoExpert Spin Top ForumQuestions, tricks, and top talk from the community.
- TrompoThe string-wound wooden top with a metal tip, a classic in many countries.
Poi & Flow Arts
- PlaypoiFree poi lessons and step-by-step courses for beginners.
- PoiSwinging tethered weights in rhythmic patterns, first created by the Māori people of New Zealand.
- Contact JugglingRolling a ball over your hands and arms instead of tossing it.
- HoopingHula hoop dance, a big part of the flow arts scene.
- Object ManipulationThe umbrella term for juggling, poi, staff, yo-yo, and other prop skills.
Juggling & Diabolo
- Library of JugglingFree animated tutorials for balls, clubs, and rings, from the cascade up.
- Skill Addicts: How to JuggleThe three-ball cascade in four steps, then a full trick list.
- Skill Addicts: DiaboloGet it spinning in four steps, then 40 tricks in order.
- Juggling LabA free animator that shows any juggling pattern written in siteswap notation.
- International Jugglers’ AssociationThe juggling nonprofit that runs the annual IJA festival.
- The Juggling EdgeJuggling festivals and events. Local clubs are listed under Sister Clubs.
Care & Setup
- Yo-Yo Gear & MaintenanceStyles of play from 0A to 5A and related skill toys, axles and response systems, wood yo-yo care, bearings, string, pads, lube, counterweights, knot picks, cases, and DIY accessories. All sourced.
- 3D Print Your Own Yo-YoFree models, including forum favorites like Dale Tubat’s Modern Yo-Yo and Open Throw 2.0, plus parts lists, builder tips, and DC and NoVA makerspaces that print for you.
- Cleaning a BearingYoYoExpert's step-by-step video for a quiet, spinning bearing.
- How To Yo-yo: MaintenanceStrings, response, and bearings. Written by players, not a store.
- DMV Throwers Maintenance GuideOur own slide guide to cleaning, setup, and repair.
Apps & Tools
- Level Up! (iOS) · AndroidYoYoTricks.com's free app. Stream tutorials and track the tricks you've landed.
- Skill Addicts (iOS) · AndroidGamified trick learning in your pocket.
- YoYo Pro Clicker (iOS) · AndroidCount freestyle deductions like a contest judge. Forum thread.
- ThrowLog (iPad)Log attempts, track streaks, and get told what to learn next. No account, data stays on your device.
- NYYL Shadow JudgingScore live contest routines alongside the official panel, then compare your numbers. Free account required.
- Yoyo CollectionCatalog your throws: specs, condition, value, and trade status. Free and open source, so you can host your own copy. Forum thread.
- YOYOLOGFree collection tracker with photos, specs, and achievements. Install it to your phone’s home screen. No account, data stays on your device, and you can back it all up to a ZIP file. Brand new, so the maker wants feedback. Forum thread.
- DimYoyoLine up yo-yos side by side to compare diameter, width, and gap before you buy. Open source on GitHub. Forum thread.
- Yo-Yo DoodlerSketch a profile over a bearing and see it as a full yo-yo. A fun first step before CAD or a 3D print. Forum thread.
Community
- YoYoExpert ForumsThe longest-running active yo-yo forum. Ask questions, share tricks.
- r/ThrowersReddit's yo-yo community for clips, help, and news.
- r/Throwers DiscordNearly 3,000 throwers chatting tricks, gear, and contests in real time.
- The Yo-Yo ListFind players and registered clubs near you. Only your chosen contact method is shared.
- YoYoNewsNews on contests, releases, and skill toys, run by National YoYo Masters. Club map too.
- YoYo MapFind throwers near you. City-level only.
Sister Clubs & Local Groups
- DMV Throwers on YoYoExpertOur club thread. Meetup recaps, visitors, and news.
- Bmore YoYo ClubOur Baltimore sister club. First Saturdays at Creative Alliance.
- DC Kendama ClubKendama meetups Tuesdays in Sterling, VA.
- Seven Cities YoYo ClubHampton Roads throwers, hosted by Slow & Steady Bikes and Goods.
- SWVA ThrowersOur sister club in Southwest Virginia.
- Sunday CircusJugglers in Meridian Hill Park, DC, on warm Sunday afternoons. Free.
- Fairfax JugglersMeeting in Annandale since 1989. Free lessons, all year.
- Ashburn Juggling SocietyWeekly library meetups in Loudoun. Beginners welcome.
- UMD Juggling ClubCollege Park, open to students and non-students. Props provided.
- Baltimore Jugglers AssociationMeets in Columbia, MD. Check their Discord for dates.
- Freshly DirtyIndie yo-yo brand with a DC-area designer who has brought prototypes to our meets.
Start Your Own Club or Contest
- Yo-Yo Club Website TemplateFree website for your yo-yo, kendama, or skill toy club. Edit one file and meetup dates update themselves. Built from this site. Source on GitHub.
- Yo-Yo Contest Website TemplateFree website for your contest: divisions, schedule, rules, sponsors, and results. Built from our VSYC-26 pages. Source on GitHub.
- Scout Unit & Kids Club TemplateThe same idea for Cub Scout packs, Scout troops, and kids clubs. Source on GitHub. See it in use at Cub Scout Pack 1125, Dumfries VA and Girl Scout Troop 80301, Dumfries VA.
Podcasts & Video
- YoYo PlayerSteve Brown and Mark McBride, the creators of 5A and 3A, tell the story of the modern yo-yo boom.
- Kill Your YoyoRoss Levine talks performance, improv, and yo-yo theory with top players.
- The Yoyo PodcastInterviews with competitors and industry insiders.
- Rejection TherapyChris and JD on contests, judging, and yo-yo reviews.
- Yeet the YoPlayer stories plus the physics of spin. Great for younger throwers.
- YoYo Contest Central60 fps contest footage, sorted by division. Slow it down and study the tricks.
- IYYF on YouTubeOfficial World Yo-Yo Contest footage, organized by year and division.
- Doc Lucky's YoYo TalkHistory, collecting, and world records from the Guinness record holder for largest yo-yo collection.
- Jacob Gross (G2 Jake)Trick tutorials from the owner of G Squared YoYos.
- The GoodsA video series from Recess YoYos and World Champion Tyler Severance.
Contests & Events
- YoYo Archive EventsWorldwide calendar of contests and meetups.
- International Yo-Yo FederationRuns the World Yo-Yo Contest. Past rulesets live on their rules page.
- National Yo-Yo LeagueRuns U.S. regional contests and Nationals. Judge certification and help for new organizers. Divisions, clicker scoring, and judging criteria are in the NYYL freestyle rules.
- NYYL Contest CalendarUpcoming U.S. state, regional, and national contests. Sign up on NYYL Compete to register and track your results.
- World Contest Results DatabaseSearchable results from decades of world contests.
- U.S. National ResultsContest history from the National Yo-Yo Museum in Chico, CA.
Learn the Science
- Yo-Yo Science & DIYOur cited guide to yo-yo physics, design, patents, and manufacturing, with student report ideas.
- Science Buddies: Sleepy Yo-yoA step-by-step science fair project on string length and sleep time.
- Scouting America Yo-Yo AdventureCub Scout adventure with yo-yo safety, a pendulum experiment, and basic tricks.
- Yo-Yos in the ClassroomOur free lesson ideas, 41 printable worksheets (preschool to grade 12), and student coding projects for teachers and homeschool families.
- Easy Yo-Yo ExperimentsSeven simple classroom activities to try before a yo-yo demo.
- PhET Torque SimulationFree University of Colorado sim for torque, moment of inertia, and angular momentum.
- OpenStax: Angular MomentumA free, peer-reviewed physics textbook chapter.
- Khan Academy: Torque and Angular MomentumFree high school lessons, videos, and practice.
- Yo-Yo Physics with a SmartphoneA free research paper measuring a yo-yo’s spin with a phone gyroscope.
- Yo Data, Yo AnalysisA BYU yo-yo club president crunches specs on 500+ yo-yos: price, material, weight, and shape. The post links to the code and data on GitHub.
- Don Watson’s Yo-Yo PhysicsFive free pamphlets by Hall of Fame engineer “Captain Yo.”
- Yo-Yo De-SpinHow spacecraft use weighted cables, like a yo-yo, to slow their spin.
Books to Find
- Look for these at your library or bookstore. Many yo-yo books are self-published by players, so libraries may not carry them; ask your librarian about a purchase request.
- History & Collecting
- Pedro’s Yo-YosRob Peñas, illustrated by Carl Angel. Lee & Low Books, 2024. A picture-book biography of Pedro Flores for young readers.
- World on a StringHelane Zeiger, 1979. A history of the yo-yo.
- Lucky’s Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-YosLucky J. Meisenheimer, 1999. History and values of classic yo-yos, by the director of the National Yo-Yo Hall of Fame.
- Community & Self-Published
- The People of Yoyo: Who We Are and Where to Find UsJ. D. “Mr. YoyoThrower” McKay, 2020. Interviews and stories from players about community, creativity, and yo-yo as a mental health tool.
- Yoyo and Skill Toy Coloring BookJ. D. McKay, 2022. Coloring pages with short notes on yo-yos, kendama, spin tops, and other skill toys.
- How to Run a Boutique Yoyo BusinessJ. D. McKay, 2019. Starting a small yo-yo company, from design and machine shops to marketing.
- YoYo 2020: An Illustrated Guide to YoyoingKeisuke Saito, 2020. History, yo-yo structure, tricks, and yo-yoing as therapy.
- The Yonomicon, second editionMark McBride, 2025. The science, theory, and history of yo-yo play; expands the 1998 original.
- Yoyo Tricks for KidsJasper Todd, 2024. Thirty tricks with step-by-step illustrations, announced on the YoYoExpert forums.
- Yin the Master of Yo!Pixel Pirate Studio, 2011. A self-published picture book by a yo-yo-playing animator.
- Free to Read & Print
- Yoyo Archive ZinesFree print-and-fold zines from the Yoyo Archive on the basics, strings, and more.
- Yo-Yo Physics, Vols. 1–5Don Watson (“Captain Yo”). The science of yo-yos, free to read online.
- Tricks & How-To
- The Klutz Yo-Yo BookJohn Cassidy, 1987. A beginner trick book.
- Awesome Yo-Yo TricksShar Levine and Bob Bowden, 2000. Yo-yo history plus simple to advanced tricks.
- Yo-Yo TricksCynthia Fitterer Klingel, 2002. History and step-by-step tricks for young readers.
- Amazing Yo-Yo TricksStuart Crump, 2000. By a National Yo-Yo Hall of Fame member.
- Advanced Yo-Yo TricksBruce Weber, 1999. Diagrams for more than twenty advanced tricks.
- Yo-Yo World Trick BookHarry Baier, 2000.
- The Yonomicon, first editionMark McBride, 1998. A book on yo-yo theory that describes a system for writing down tricks.
- Stories
- The Giant Yo-Yo MysteryGertrude Chandler Warner, 2006. A Boxcar Children mystery about building the world’s largest yo-yo.
- Yo-Yo ManDaniel Pinkwater, 2006. A third grader sets his sights on a yo-yo tournament.
- The Yo-Yo ProphetKaren Krossing, Orca Book Publishers, 2011. A teen novel about a street-performing yo-yoer (grades 8–12).
- Players’ bookshelvesA YoYoExpert thread where players share photos of the yo-yo books they own and which ones are worth tracking down.
- More yo-yo booksThe YoYo Wiki keeps a longer list, including books that mention yo-yos.
History
- The Story of the Yo-YoOur sourced timeline, from ancient Greece to today’s world contests, with the DC-area chapters marked.
- Yo-Yo Science & DIYHow yo-yos work: physics, design, patents, and manufacturing, plus free 3D-printable designs and local makerspaces. Every fact cited.
- Collecting Yo-YosOur sourced guide to collecting: Cheerio and Russell Coca-Cola yo-yos, limited runs and prototypes, condition and value, safe trading, storage, and yo-yo museums.
- Filipino Yo-Yo HistoryRobert Reyes’s exhibit on Pedro Flores, the Duncan demonstrators, Joe Radovan, and Tommy Reyes.
- National Yo-Yo MuseumThe world's largest public yo-yo display. Free to visit in Chico, CA.
- Doc Lucky's History of the Yo-YoFrom ancient Greece to the modern contest scene.
- Smithsonian: Yo-Yo HeritageThe National Museum of American History, right here in DC, holds the Duncan company archives.
- Duncan Family Yo-Yo CollectionThe Duncan family's yo-yo collection, preserved in the archives of the National Museum of American History in DC. It includes 35 photographs of Tommy Reyes, donated by his son Robert in 2017.
- Bob Rule PapersSmithsonian archive of a Hall of Fame yo-yo and top demonstrator, including a file on Filipino demonstrator Gus Somera.
- The Legacy of Tommy ReyesFilipino American Duncan champion of 1932 who later did yo-yo spots on DC and Baltimore kids' TV, including Bozo with Willard Scott. National Yo-Yo Hall of Fame. Read the exhibit.
- Dick Stohr, "That Yo-Yo Guy"Springfield, VA performer, six-time world record setter, and longtime contest judge. He played the National Theatre in DC in 2003. Profiled in The Washington Post. More on the YoYo Wiki.
- Ann Connolly (Bunake)DC-raised and one of the best-known women in yo-yo since the early 2000s. World Contest finalist. Learn her tricks on YoYoTricks.com.
- Tom ConnollyAnn's dad, spin top standout, and collector with a massive collection. Watch him at the 2012 World Spin Top Competition.
- Virginia State Contest HistoryVA States first ran on January 21, 2006. The first results include Ann and Tom Connolly. VSYC-26 carries it forward.
- Jonathan Robinson (JonRob)5A player from Lynchburg, VA, and 2007 Trick Innovator of the Year at U.S. Nationals.
- Mikhail TulabutVirginia string-trick innovator, Team YoYoJam member, and co-founder of Southeast Virginia Skillz Club (2005).
- World Record at Fort A.P. HillThe Guinness record for most people yo-yoing at once: 2,036 people at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree in Caroline County, VA.
- Capital YoYo ClubAn earlier DC, MD, and NoVA club. In 2012 it met the first Saturday of each month, with meets at Union Station, while a Maryland group met at Baker Park in Frederick. Its forum thread is a snapshot of local yo-yo history. The YoYo Wiki notes many of its members now throw with DMV Throwers.
- Yo-Yo Share, Show & PracticeA Northern Virginia meetup listed on the YoYo Wiki, held the third Wednesday of each month at Luther Jackson Middle School in Merrifield, VA, with Dick Stohr and Tom Connolly as contacts.
- Mid-Atlantic Regional (MAR)First held in 2000, it’s one of the U.S. regionals that predates the National Yo-Yo League. For years it was hosted by Mitchell’s Trains, Toys & Hobbies in Wilmington, DE.
- Pedro FloresThe Filipino American maker who brought the yo-yo to the U.S. in the 1920s.
- Pedro and the Yo-Yo: Man and MythPositively Filipino on Flores and the Filipino demonstrators who carried the 1930s craze.
- The Yoyo: A Story of Downs and UpsPositively Filipino profile of Fred Urian, one of the Filipino demonstrators the Flores brothers trained in Chicago in 1932.
- Royal Tops and the Word “Yo-Yo”Filipino demonstrators Joe Radovan and Ruben Delagana founded Royal, which won the 1965 case that made “yo-yo” a common word.
- Donald F. Duncan Sr.The businessman who bought Flores's company and sent demonstrator teams across the country. National Yo-Yo Day, June 6, is his birthday.
- Duncan: A Rich History of a Simple ToyDuncan’s own history of the yo-yo, from ancient Greece to the Hearst newspaper contests and traveling demonstrators.
- The Engines of Our Ingenuity: The Yo-YoA short University of Houston radio essay on Flores, Duncan, and who deserves credit for the yo-yo.
- Yo-Yo Man (1978)Duncan's documentary featuring demonstrator Nemo Concepcion, one of the Filipino pros from the 1930s boom.
- National Yo-Yo Hall of Fame VideosDoc Lucky's profiles of Hall of Fame members and nominees.
- Yo-Yo on WikipediaA solid overview of the toy, its booms, and its players.
- YoYo WikiFan-built wiki of players, companies, contests, and tricks.
From the Wayback Machine
- Fiend Magazine (2000)The first full-color yo-yo magazine. Only four issues. Hear the story on YoYo Player.
- YoYoNation (2006)Once the busiest yo-yo forum on the web. Founded in New York in 2005.
- RethinkYoYo (2010)A new trick tutorial every week during the late-2000s tutorial boom.
- YoYoExpert (2007)An early look at one of the longest-running learn-and-forum sites.
- YoYoSkills (2008)Chris Allen's tutorial and skill toy network.
- National Yo-Yo Museum: Pedro Flores (2008)The museum's original Pedro Flores exhibit page.
- Duncan Company History (2003)Duncan's own telling of the Flores purchase, the demonstrators, and the contests.
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☕ Support DMV ThrowersKeep Exploring
- How to Yo-YoThrows, first 100 tricks, contests, glossary
- Gear & MaintenanceBearings, pads, string, styles, lingo
- Yo-Yo SciencePhysics, shapes, materials, patents, DIY
- Yo-Yo HistoryFrom ancient Greece to today’s contests
- Filipino Yo-Yo HistoryPedro Flores and the demonstrators
- Collecting Yo-YosVintage, limited runs, value, museums
- FAQMeetups, the club, and contests
- For TeachersLesson ideas, printables, coding projects