Kids Enter ‘Walk the Dog,’ ‘Rock the Baby’ Contests

Freddy Garcia is a yo-yo buff who says he learned how to Rock the Baby in only a few days.

On Monday, the 10-year-old Valerio Street School student demonstrated the trick--which involves rocking the yo-yo back and forth through a triangle created from its own string--in the school’s first yo-yo contest.

“It’s pretty easy,” Freddy said. “I think I’m going to win this one.”

He was one of about 100 Valerio students who participated in the contest, which featured five categories.

The others were Around the World, Walk the Dog, Elevator and Crawler.

Luis Padilla, 10, did a great Walk the Dog, in which the yo-yo spins on the floor with the string extended. Judges Briant Freeman and Jennifer Ibarra, both 10, took serious notes.

Each gave him a score out of 10 possible points.

“There were a lot of pretty good ones,” Jennifer said. “But no one did a perfect 10.”

Each competitor entered one event, and members of the student council served as judges. Winners, who will be announced next week, will each receive a certificate and a yo-yo.

“We’ve caught so many kids lately sneaking yo-yos on campus, so we figured why not have an event where they can use them openly,” said Franchesca Rochetti, a Valerio teacher and one of the contest organizers.

Student council president Vitaly Alperov, 11, helped recruit participants by posting signs throughout the campus and signing students up during recess.

He hoped for a better turnout, but was happy considering it’s the event’s first year.

“I thought there would be 500,” Vitaly said. “Maybe next year.”