Sports Illustrated KIDS
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Sports Illustrated KIDS (SI KIDS) is a spin-off of the popular weekly American sports magazine Sports Illustrated, and was first launched in January of 1989. It is targeted towards kids and pre-teens up to 17 years old. It prices at USD$3.99 per issue.
There are many features to SI KIDS, which include action photos, easy-to-read stories about star athletes and helpful instructional tips from the pros. It also features humor pieces, comics (Buzz Beamer is the lead character of the back-page comic strip) and interactive contests/activities. Some of the humor includes comic cards -- kids can send in their trading cards with funny captions about the athlete on the card. Michael Jordan has been on the cover the most times. One of the magazine's core values is to promote positive values, good sportsmanship and the fun of reading.
As a bonus, each issue comes with a two-sided, pull-out poster of two superstar athletes, plus a full-page stub featuring nine sports cards. There is also a section inside the magazine called Sports Illustrated TEEN, which is for older kids who are too old for SI KIDS, but too young for Sports Illustrated.
A recent innovation for the magazine has included alternate covers. In May 2006, the magazine featured three different alternate covers to cover the NFL Draft.
- The first cover was "Just Imagine Reggie Bush as a Houston Texan."
- The second cover was "Just Imagine Vince Young as a Tennessee Titan."
- The third cover was "Just Imagine Matt Leinart as a New York Jet."
The magazine has won the highest honors from the Association of Educational Publishers and the Parents' Choice Awards. [1]
Contents |
[edit] Sports Illustrated KIDS 2007 Editorial Calendar
| Issue | Features | Ad Close | In Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | Super Bowl Preview, NASCAR Preview, Year in Sports Calendar | 11/6/06 | 1/2/07 |
| March | NBA Basketball, Women's Ski Jumping, Guide to Summer Camps | 12/11/06 | 1/29/07 |
| April | NCAA March Madness Preview, MLB Baseball, Athlete Artists | 1/16/07 | 3/5/07 |
| May | MLB Baseball Preview, Callout for the First SI KIDS Youth Coach of the Year Award, NFL Draft Preview, NBA Basketball | 2/20/07 | 4/9/07 |
| June | Baseball, Invent a Sports Contest, Summer Gear Guide | 3/26/07 | 5/14/07 |
| July | NBA Finals Preview, Baseball, Best Summer Sports Vacations | 4/23/07 | 6/11/07 |
| August | College Football Preview, Summer X Games Preview | 5/21/07 | 7/9/07 |
| September | NFL Preview, Fantasy Football Guide, Back to School Gear Guide | 6/25/07 | 8/13/07 |
| October | NHL Preview, NFL, College Football, NASCAR | 7/23/07 | 9/17/07 |
| November | NBA Preview, NFL, World Series Preview | 8/20/07 | 10/15/07 |
| December/January double issue | Athlete of the Year, Gotta Get It Guide, College Basketball Preview, NFL, NBA, NHL, College Football, College Basketball | 9/24/07 | 11/12/07 |
[edit] Sports Illustrated KIDS Website
The website SIKIDS.com is the online counterpart to Sports Illustrated KIDS magazine. The site changes from day to day, and even from minute to minute, with the goal of creating a fun, safe environment for kids, filled with news, games and interactive features. The staff at SIKIDS.com regularly works alongside the Sports Illustrated KIDS magazine staff, sharing ideas at the Time & Life Building in New York City. Also, reporters and editors for Sports Illustrated sometimes write stories and pass along scoops to the website.
[edit] The Grant School Program
There is a Sports Illustrated KIDS Teacher’s site, which is designed to encourage youth reading. SI KIDS attempts to help improve discretionary reading skills in the classroom using sports as a potential topic that kids will enjoy. The site allows teachers to purchase discounted classroom subscriptions and apply for the Grant School Program to obtain free materials for their students.
The Grant School Program was launched in 1989 and had the dual mission of entertaining and educating kids with high-quality sports information and activities. Each year, SI KIDS gives over 50,000 free subscriptions to kids in schools across America. The Grant School Program is designed to benefit children who live in low-income communities that have limited classroom resources.
[edit] Trading Cards
One of the key elements of Sports Illustrated KIDS is that the magazine features a full-page stub of nine trading cards.
The following chart illusrates some of the famous athletes that have been featured on the sports cards.
| Athlete | Sport | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| Lance Armstrong | Cycling | November 2004 |
| David Beckham | Soccer | July 2004 |
| Swin Cash | WNBA | October 2006 |
| Elena Dementieva | Tennis | October 2006 |
| Jennie Finch | Softball | September 2004 |
| Justine Henin-Hardenne | Tennis | September 2006 |
| LeBron James in his high school uniform | Basketball | May 2003 |
| LeBron James in Cleveland Cavaliers uniform | Basketball | July 2004 |
| Eli Manning | Football | July 2006 |
| Joe Mauer | Baseball | November 2006 |
| Albert Pujols | Baseball | July 2006 |
| Diana Taurasi in her UConn uniform | Basketball | May 2003 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | Football | June 2006 |
| Michelle Wie | Golf | July 2004 |
| Tiger Woods | Golf | September 1996 |
[edit] Special Edition Trading Cards
These cards were featured in the January 2004 edition of Sports Illustrated KIDS to commemorate the magazine's 15th anniversary. They were reprints of the first cards that were featured in the magazine.
In the December 2006/January 2007 Double Issue, special 3D cards and 3D glasses were included.
In the February 2007 issue, future sports stars were featured as the issue's trading cards.
| Athlete | Position | Other |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Love | Center | Lake Oswego High School |
| Michael Main | Pitcher | DeLand High School |
| Jimmy Clausen | Quarterback | Oaks Christian School |
| Isabelle Lendl | Golfer | Goshen, Connecticut |
| O.J. Mayo | Guard | Huntington High School |
| Justin Jackson | Shortstop | T.C. Robertson High School |
| Marvin Austin | Defensive Tackle | Ballou Senior High School |
| Brad Coleman | Race Car Driver | Houston, Texas |
| Maya Moore | Forward | Collins Hill High School |
[edit] Tiger Woods SI KIDS Card Nets $125,000
In 2001, the euphoria over Tiger Woods success spilled into the collectibles market. The first Tiger Woods card featured in Sports Illustrated KIDS from 1996 netted $125,000 in an online auction. [2] The card was graded gem-mint, hence the high amount. The seller of the card was Mike Souza and the publicity over this card led to many other collectors trying to get Tiger Woods graded cards from Sports Illustrated KIDS.
Beckett Grading Services was one of many card grading companies that received a letter from Sports Illustrated KIDS asking that these companies cease the grading of the card. The letter stated that SI claimed their cards were never meant to be circulated as collectibles. [3] The thin paper stock and the bleeding of the other surrounding yellow cards onto the blue Woods card also make a card in gem-mint tough to find. [4] The Souza-sold card is believed to have been the highest price ever paid for a card produced since 1952. More than a mint-graded 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, which sold for $121,000 and more than a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card, hocked for $100,050, according to Pro Sports Authenticator (PSA), which graded the cards. [5]
[edit] Partnership with Topps
In March 2006, the Topps Company and Sports Illustrated KIDS magazine announced a marketing alliance to increase the overall awareness of trading card collecting among kids. [6] One element of the alliance includes the SI KIDS Topps Card Club, a multi-media program designed for young sports fans. This includes a special section in the monthly magazine and a dedicated website (http://www.toppscardclub.com/welcome/index.html). The website provides information on new cards, cool ways to collect, sports trivia and games and the inside scoop on kids' favorite players. [7]
The second aspect of the partnership included Topps Opening Day Baseball Cards featuring an SI KIDS trading card in every .99 cent pack (released March 22, 2006). The SI KIDS cards are modeled after popular features in the magazine, including "Max Action" and "Funny Photos". [8] Every pack will also include a stick of bubble gum.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.sikids.com/about_us/subscribe/index.html)
- ^ http://espn.go.com/golfonline/masters01/s/2001/0409/1170680.html
- ^ http://espn.go.com/golfonline/masters01/s/2001/0409/1170680.html
- ^ http://espn.go.com/golfonline/masters01/s/2001/0409/1170680.html
- ^ http://espn.go.com/golfonline/masters01/s/2001/0409/1170680.html
- ^ http://www.topps.com/sports/news/toppsNews.aspx?news_id=91
- ^ http://www.topps.com/sports/news/toppsNews.aspx?news_id=91
- ^ http://www.topps.com/sports/news/toppsNews.aspx?news_id=91
[edit] See also
- Sports Illustrated magazine
- Sports Illustrated Almanac
- Sports Illustrated On Campus
- Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
- Sports Illustrated Women
- Faces in the Crowd
