Interview with Jukem Football

My interview today is EXTRA special! Michelle and Jeff Spelman of Jukem football are family, (husband's cousin) and are here with a fantastic giveaway! (It's so nice to be related to such creative folks!)

Do you know of a child who needs a gift? Maybe you have an uncle who loves football? Do you have any friends who like to play games? Then read on....this is for you!

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELVES: We are Jeff and Michelle Spelman, Ohio natives raising our 3 boys (ages 10, 6, and 3) in Cincinnati. We own a small startup game company that we launched in 2007. Our debut product is a card game called Jukem Football. My husband, Jeff, is the inventor, CEO and head coach. He originally created the game as a fun way to help our sons with math skills. We didn't intend to make it into a business originally, but when we would share it with friends and family, everyone loved it and urged us to "do something with it!" We decided to "go for it." Now, the game can be found in dozens of educational supply stores, toy stores, bookstores and gift shops across the country. It has been played in classrooms from first grade through high school.
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Jeff has worked in sports for over 20 years. He worked in college athletics from 1984-1991 at the Universities of Louisville, Virgina, and Notre Dame. He worked day-to-day with Louisville's 1986 NCAA Championship basketball team, Notre Dame's 1988 undefeated national championship football team, Virgina's No. 1 ranked college football team in 1990 and he also ran a Heisman Trophy campaign that year for finalist Shawn Moore. One of Jeff's favorite moments was attending the Heisman Trophy Ceremonies at the downtown Athletic Club in New York.
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After his career in college athletics, he shook up the Major League Baseball scouting industry in the early 1990's by pioneering the Baseball "Showcase" concept. Jeff was the first person to gather in one location the nation's best high school baseball prospects, Major League scouts from every organization and the recruiters from the country's top college baseball programs. Players increased their college and professional opportunities while scouts and college coaches saved time, travel, and were able to better evaluate players because they could finally see nation's top prospects compete against one another on the same field.
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Current household names such as David Wright, Mark Teixeira and Roy Halladay are among the players Jeff recruited to his Showcases. Over 230 of his Team One Showcase players have reached the Major Leagues, including 24 Major League All-Stars. Jeff worked as the National Baseball Scouting Director for Rivals.com and wrote about baseball prospects for MLB.com, YahooSports.com, and CBSSports.com.
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He coaches his boys' soccer and basketball teams and serves as Vice President of the Boosters at his boys' school.
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Michelle is the company's Sales Manager, Cheerleader and Jukem Evangelist. She's a Live Wire bringing play-by-play updates to friends and fans of the game. She loves connecting with people at the grassroots level and experimenting with social media and word of mouth marketing.

APART FROM CREATING GAMES, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO? Cooking is one of her favorite activities and she is excited that her boys are interested in learning how to find their way in the kitchen. She is delighted to say she can always count on someone to help stir a pot. We have lots of teaching moments where we can talk about good nutrition and making healthy food choices. She really loves to bake cookies though, so the conversation includes plenty of discussion on moderation. In the way that a snack satisfies hunger in between meals, Jukem satisfies hunger for football whenever you need it.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR GAME: Jukem is the Anytime, Anywhere, Football card game. Play it at tailgates, parties, game nights, and anytime you are on the go. The game takes approximately 20 minutes and can be enjoyed by 2-4 players, ages eight to adult. Jukem brings football fans together and offers a variety of ways to play the game. We did take a few liberties with the rules of football, but the end product is a fast-paced game that is perfect for both football novices and longtime fans.

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Each Jukem Football game includes:

-Two decks (Jukem rookie & Jukem Football)

-112 total cards (56 in each deck)

-A colorful 20-page Official Playbook

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If you are new to Jukem, start with the Rookie deck. Here you learn the fundamentals of the game. When you are ready for more defensive action and expanded game play, try the Jukem Football deck. There is also a third way to play and it is the favorite of many. Combine both decks and play with all 112 cards. It's an exiting offensive showdown for up to four players.

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Jukem is a game devoted to the spirit of football that was created by a football-loving father for his sons. Play Jukem and connect with your friends and family in a fun and spirited way. Or, buy Jukem for that special person who loves football.

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Jukem in made in the USA. Winner of the 2009 Dr. Toy Award: Best Picks - New Children's Products.

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(My game closet - I've got my copy of Jukem)

HOW DO YOU PROMOTE YOUR WORK: We are a small company, so the best way to promote our game is at the grassroots - sharing the game, meeting people and playing the game out in public. Getting people excited and telling them our story is the best way to promote the word-of-mouth that we really need. We believe that spreading good karma is powerful. We have donated games to multiple children's hospitals and schools, home school groups and other fundraising efforts, we have sent games to children in Iraq, and are working to share the game with our deployed troops.

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WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELVES IN 5 YEARS: Shoo! If you'd told us 5 years ago we'd be doing this, we'd NEVER have guessed it in million years! But we are loving the business of play. It's FUN! Our goal is to be an established brand in five years with licensed editions of Jukem Football featuring all your favorite college or NFL teams. We've got and iPhone app version of the game in the works and Jeff (he's the game inventor, remember) has oodles of more games up his sleeve that he's itching to bring to the world.

Want to surprise the football fan in your life with a copy of Jukem Football?

Leave a comment here and tell us your favorite football team...peewee, college, NFL, or otherwise.

One winner will be chosen on Tuesday, December 15th at noon (EST)
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Have a game or product that you'd like to share? I'm always looking for new interviews and giveaways! Email me at gandm2007@gmail.com