Football fandom is massive, we know that. But how do you take the complexities of the pro game and make it fun and understandable for the littlest of potential fans for life.
Two Ohio entrepreneurs, both named Mike, and both Bengals fans, may have cracked the code.
It is called “Future Fans,” a new product about learning football that has found itself into a growing number of NFL families and community events, schools and is becoming one of this holiday season’s hottest toys, something unique for a sports product that is not a video game.
“My daughter is capable of understanding these things, I just wasn’t teaching her the right way,” co-founder Mike Schoeder told Sports Business Journal this week. “This is top-of-the-funnel stuff that in my opinion isn’t done particularly well today, and is under-focused on by teams and leagues,” he added.
So the answer? Future Fans Football. It is billed as “a family experience in a box around learning the sport,” and helps kids make sense of football in unique ways. In short, it is the fun tied to simplicity of the product, which involves reading, gaming components and then interactive activities to explain the rules of football, which has made it popular for boys and girls learning and playing football together, a wonderful break from gender stereotypes.
The product has won five awards from parenting organizations, the gold (highest) level of the Mom’s Choice Award, a speech pathologist, and even the biggest influencers selecting it alongside Disney and Sesame Street products.
In a time when we are time challenged and driven by devices, co-founders Michael Gold and Schroder, have gone back to the basics, with the hope of creating young fans of the game for life, by starting them out young.
Inspired by their own experiences with the Future Fans game they invented, dads Schroder and Gold created a new company that uses stories and games to teach the core concepts of sports in a kid-friendly way. Future Fans is built on the belief that the world is a better place when the shared thrill of sports creates and sustains lifelong bonds—and that’s the ultimate when it comes to holiday gift-giving. Wishing for this with their own families, Schroder and Gold wanted to cultivate a love of sports in their young kids, but doing so can be difficult when they don’t understand the rules.
Here’s how it works. Future Fans Football is a storybook-led experience where adult and child read as the campers of Camp Rallyhoo learn football in unexpected ways – like playing a ring toss game, doing a scavenger hunt, and even eating cookies! The product includes a storybook, activity book, and 5 games and toys, all delivered via 6 unboxing experiences that keep the kid engaged throughout the experience. There are surprises at the end of chapters like learning to dance the Scratchy Bottom Hop, unboxing a toy, or playing a game just like the characters in the book.
The fun of revisiting the story, participating in the activities, and using the items from the boxes remains fresh for young players time and again. Future Fans Football creates a memorable and interactive learning experience for children and parents alike.
Simple, like playing catch only with a little more pizzazz.
The game is for kids ages 4 to 10 and can be purchased at FutureFans.com or on Amazon for $59.99. Additional sports will be available early next year, according to the founders, but for now, go find a box for your little ones. It’s a great fit under the menorah or the tree, and goes well for Kwanzaa as well.
