Former Iowa State and current Seattle Seahawks quarterback Seneca Wallace is helping unveil an interactive video game designed to teach high school kids about financial issues. The “Financial Football” computer game uses a variety of financial questions to allow teams to move up and down the field in a mock N.F.L. game.
Visa, the N.F.L. and N.F.L. players worked together on the game. A copy of the game is going to all high schools in Iowa through the state treasurer’s office. Wallace was on hand at Des Moines East High School to demonstrate and play the game with students. Wallace says he thinks it’s important to talk with kids about financial issues, especially as they come out of high school. He says parents have been taking care of students and they now are on their own and can get into financial trouble.
Wallace says there are numerous cases of high-paid sports stars who didn’t know how to handle their money, but he says it applies to everyone. Wallace says a lot of times people think they are making good money and don’t think they need to understand the importance of managing money and saving. He says you need to save more when you are making more money, as he says you never know when there might be an illness or something else that requires a lot of money. Wallace says he’s always felt that managing your money is important.
Wallace says he was raised “pretty well” but did not grow up with everything he wanted, and he learned to save for some things he wanted and put the rest away. The financial game also comes with lesson plans that schools can use to teach financial literacy. A Visa representative says Iowa is one of 25 states that will use the program. You can get a copy of the game on-line at: www.iowa.financialfootball.com.
Hear Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson report on Seneca Wallace and financial literacy here:
Financial literacy report :55 MP3