*** MEDIA ALERT ***

 

NFL and Infogrames Announce
The Backyard Football “Play With A Pro” Contest
- NFL Players to Coach Winners -  

 

WHAT:           The Backyard Football’s “Play With A Pro” Contest. Kids ages 7-14 submit an essay, photo or video of their “Backyard Team.”  Winning teams will be coached by an NFL player!

·         Grand Prize (6 Winners) – Winners will receive an afternoon coaching session in their backyard or on their neighborhood football field by an NFL player, Backyard Football 2002 CD-ROMs for the entire team, as well as a year’s supply of Gatorade, Gatorade sideline packages.

·         Runner-Up Prize (36 Winners) – Winners will receive a copy of a Backyard Football 2002 CD-ROM game, the sequel to the number one selling CD-ROM football game for kids and the only computer or video game that portrays NFL stars as youngsters.

 

Check out www.humongoussports.com for more details and information on prizes.

 

WHO:             Judges include legendary NFL referee Jerry Seeman, John Hurlbut, General Manager of Infogrames – Beverly Studio, Sheila Buckley, publisher of Sports Illustrated for Kids, and a representative from Gatorade.  

 

WHEN:           Contest runs through Nov 9, 2001.  Winners will be announced on Nov. 15, 2001.

 

TO ENTER:     A parent or guardian must submit an entry on a piece of paper (no bigger than 8-1/2”
x 11”) with the child’s name, address, phone number, team name (if any), and age.  Kids aged 7-14 should submit a short essay and photographs, OR a video, explaining why their football team (youth league or neighborhood friends) is a “Backyard Team” (i.e. team oriented, diverse, plays by the rules, sense of community, good sports, in it for the fun, etc.).   Kids may enter as often they wish, but each entry must be mailed separately in an envelope no larger than 9”x12”.  Entries must be original and previously unpublished, and written/dictated by the child him/herself.

 

Mail entry with essay or video along with a parent’s or legal guardian’s signature to Play With a Pro, 1878 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14610.

 

CONTEST BENEFITS:    Kids sharpen their writing skills and show their creativity while having fun and learning important lessons through football.  Being a part of a “Backyard Team” promotes team spirit, fair play, community involvement, diversity, and fun - like those important attributes featured in the CD-ROM game Backyard Football 2002.  

 

JUDGING CRITERIA:    Essays/videos will be judged 75 percent on why a team is a “Backyard Team” and 25 percent on originality.

 

MEDIA CONTACT:    For more information contactVeronica Skelton at Sydney Communications at 415.342.3435 or vskelton@sydneycomm.com, or Liz Einbinder at 415.921.8957 or leinbinder@mindspring.com.

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Contest sponsor Infogrames, Inc. (Nasdaq: IFGM) is a leading publisher and distributor of video games for  consoles (Sony, Sega, Nintendo, and Microsoft), personal computers and Macintosh systems.  Infogrames Inc.'s Humongous Entertainment division is a leader in children's entertainment software.