A Cincinnati Bengals super fan watched alone the night of the 2022 AFC Championship as his team earned their first trip to the Super Bowl in 33 years. In that moment, Mike Schroder, co-founder of Future Fans, wished he could share what he knew would become a lifelong memory with his then 5-year-old daughter. “She knew the players and the fight song, but I couldn’t get her to watch the game with me,” said Schroder.
Inspired by that experience, dads Mike Schroder and Michael Gold created Future Fans, 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. 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.
Future Fans is launching this week with its multi-award winning product Future Fans Football (National Parenting Product Awards – NAPPA, Play Advances Language Award – PAL).
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.
“Helping kids understand the game is the hardest part. We make it easy,” said Gold. Future Fans unlocks an ability for a young kid to learn the basic rules of a sport in just a couple of weeks, so families and friends can share a lifetime of being fans together. “My daughter Ella (7) has learned from Future Fans Football as we developed it over the last year, and it has been life changing for me. I’m so excited our product is now available for all sports fans parents to experience with their kids,” said Schroder.
Future Fans Football is for kids ages 4 to 10 and can be purchased at FutureFans.com or on Amazon. Additional sports will be available early next year. This is a perfect gift for any football fan looking to experience the season with their future fan by their side.