At Upper Deck, we’re happy to promote sports in general, and have found that many of our younger collectors still enjoy playing their favorite sports- even in this day and age. On the other side of the coin, they are growing up in an online world, and in turn, gravitating to the Internet to meet some of their needs where fandom is concerned. Of course they are! If you go to a Yankees game, it’s definitely a great experience, but the odds of being able to talk to Derek Jeter himself are rather slim. However, with the internet now a factor, we propose that you CAN and WILL be able to do so, all from the comfort of your own home.

Thanks to UpperDeckU, kids will be able to log into the new virtual world to meet and chat live with the Yankees Team Captain, Derek Jeter on June 16th.  The event will take place at the new Yankee Stadium from 2-3 pm, where kids from all over the world can log into UpperDeckU and chat with him live online!  For the first time ever, Jeter will log into the computer with myself as the facilitator (so excited!), and will be virtually interviewed by hundreds of excited kid fans, who are sure to throw a couple curveball questions at him.

For the past week, kids have been submitting various questions that they want to ask Jeter during the event, including “Do you hate the Red Sox?“, “Do you like hot dogs?”, and “What’s it like to have your own cologne brand?” If you’re wondering how kids can get a ticket to the exclusive appearance, only those users that have Insider Access will be eligible to buy a ticket. Kids can purchase their ticket from Richard McSport inside the Upper Deck Store for their chance to mingle with the one and only Derek Jeter! These tickets are limited, and are available on a first come, first serve basis. And anyone can participate on UpperDeckU, so if you’re a parent with a kid who would enjoy this experience, it’s a great opportunity for both of you!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with UpperDeckU, it is a virtual world for kids, where they can create a character and play games, chat with friends, trade digital cards, decorate their room, and wear MLB and NHL licensed team gear.  It is a virtual world that incorporates a social aspect into sports and card collecting. If you’re starting from scratch, check out the How-To Videos to get more information about all that UpperDeckU has to offer!

This UpperDeckU Jeter appearance marks a new point in time for the industry, as we discover more and more kids are veering away from traditional card collecting and are seeking more from a hobby. It’s no shock that kids are spending their free time online, so why not bring the hobby to them directly? UpperDeckU is the perfect avenue in which kids can embrace card collecting within a social virtual world, which encompasses chatting with friends, trading cards, playing games, and best of all, exclusively meeting some of the world’s most praised athletes. I’m anxiously awaiting this incredible opportunity to see how the kids respond to chatting with Jeter live and curious what great questions they’ll come up with. Perhaps, “When you were younger, did you ever imagine you’d be interviewed online with hundreds of kids actively involved”?  My guess is “no”, but the possibilities are exciting to think about. I foresee these appearances becoming more and more pertinent within Upper Deck and the industry as a whole, as players can connect with numerous kids at once live, online.

In addition to the UpperDeckU appearance, Jeter will meet and have lunch with five incredible contest winners and their guests: each collected the amazing 6,661 card Yankee Stadium Legacy set! The UDU appearance is actually centered around this meet-and-greet, where these hardcore Yankees collectors get the once in a lifetime opportunity to hang out with Derek Jeter. This appearance is well warranted, and is truly an incredible collection to complete. After Jeter meets and has lunch with the winners at the stadium, he’ll be handed off to me for the UpperDeckU appearance.

It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.

I’ll have another post as well as some video and pictures to share after the event, so stay tuned!