Every once in awhile, unique clubs pop up creating an environment for people to pursue interests they never even knew they had. The potential Yo-Yo Club might just become the next prime example.
Although he only began yo-yoing three months ago, club founder and sophomore Alexander Swift has quickly developed a passion for the activity.
“I found a Fireball Yomega yoyo lying around my house, it’s a beginner yoyo and I just decided I want to do this,” Swift said. “From there I upgraded to a Sage, which is a 1A yoyo, and there are five different styles. They are each unique and different, which makes for some cool play to watch.”
Most of the prospective members of the club only began yoyoing within the last few months, and they acknowledge that yo-yoing can be a challenging and time consuming endeavor.
“What’s challenging is having to practice a trick or technique over and over again to get it right, but I love the satisfaction of finally being able to do it and seeing how far I’ve come from where I began.”
The Yo-Yo Club will not only create a community in which current yoyo enthusiasts can improve their skills, but it will also aim to train new people who are interested in taking on the activity.
“It’s kind of more of a niche thing,” Swift said. “If someone really wants to do it but there’s no club it can kind of create a network. I know a lot of people who have wanted to start it, but they don’t know where to start, so we can also help with that.”
However, the groub has faced challenges as it attempts to be accepted as an official member of the school community.
“The public opinion of a club like this is a stigma — yoyoing is regarded as more of a kid’s game rather than something to be enjoyed by all ages and skill levels with a very definite pro scene,” sophomore Julia Kroeper said. “It’s also hard trying to find a sponsor; most advisors have no experience with this kind of thing.”
Beyond the stigma, Swift believes that there are also benefits of yo-yoing that few recognize.
“It relieves stress; it’s relaxing,” Swift said. “After a long day you come home and yo-yo and it’s better.”
Despite the challenges and the setbacks that yo-yo club has faced in its attempt to become established, members are optimistic for its prospects.
“We’re expecting yo-yoing to become a bit of a phenomenon at Marshall,” Kroeper said.