Pennington resident Tara McCullough could not have guessed that her son Connor’s interest in YouTube yo-yo “throwers,” during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, would someday lead to road trips all over the East Coast.
“Our yo-yo trips include Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland,” said Connor, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Timberlane Middle School. “I don’t have a sponsor to help fund this, so we drive everywhere instead of flying. Some throwers have sponsors, like they’ll wear a shirt or use a certain yo-yo, to fund travel – which is great. I would like to have that.”
“There are contests all over the country, but we set a 5-6 hour driving limit,” added his mom.
On January 18, Connor placed 4th in the Virginia State Yo-Yo Contest’s X Division Off-String (in which the yo-yo is not connected to its string) and 7th in the 1A Pro Division.
This success was especially poignant as the Virginia State Yo-Yo Contest was the first yo-yo event he ever attended back in 2021. His mother had suggested they check it out, after Connor asked for a professional grade yo-yo for Christmas and was learning tricks he saw online. Like many parents, she was hoping to transform his online interest into a real-world experience.
“I wouldn’t even take my yo-yo into the venue back then,” Connor recalled. “I wasn’t confident enough. I never thought that just a few years later I’d be there competing!”
Luckily, the McCulloughs met former US National Yo-Yo champion Eric Koloski that day. He and Connor struck up a friendship, and Koloski mentored the aspiring young thrower, meeting with him regularly to develop routines and foster his talent.
Similar to learning a musical instrument, learning to “throw” (doing complex tricks and routines with a yo-yo) requires daily practice, patience, and a certain level of natural talent. Competitive routines are set to music the thrower chooses, employing choreography of yo-yo tricks and body movements for a visual and audio experience.
The National Yo-Yo League sponsors contests and skill development opportunities all over the US, and online. The yo-yo community is known for being both competitive and supportive. Contestants cheer each other on and connect socially outside the competition circuit.
“It doesn’t matter how high-ranking they are,” explained Connor’s mom Tara. “They take the time to cheer on other competitors and share tips. This experience has opened up so many friendships all over the US, in addition to other countries.”

Connor owns about 65 yo-yos, and uses different types for different sorts of routines. There are “off string” routines, in which the yo-yo is flung off the string, caught, and rewound onto the string repeatedly, and “one throw” routines, in which the thrower shows how many tricks they can pull from the velocity of a single throw. Connor will develop routines in future with several techniques set to music. Higher level contests also include lighting effects.
The middle-schooler plans to continue competing, balancing this hobby with his participation in the Timberlane Middle School soccer team. Occasionally a day of school is missed because of his travel to and from weekend competitions, but overall Connor finds a balance between school, sports, and competitive yo-yo.
“Right now I’m in the golden age bracket for yo-yo,” he explained. “They say ages 10 to 18 are ideal for development and competing … when you don’t have job and housing worries.”
In March, Connor will sit on a panel of judges for an online yo-yo competition among fellow throwers, sharing feedback and tips with contestants, paying forward the guidance he appreciates receiving from his mentor.