ESPN RISE Games

Realizing the importance of our youth and sports, ESPN has a long history of covering and promoting high school athletic events. ESPN RISE was created to encourage and recognize teenage athletes by providing them with recognition, resources, information and the inspiration they need. This encouragement will in turn motivate them to improve their skills and achieve their goals to be the best athletes they can be.

In addition to promoting actual events, ESPN publishes several magazines aimed at the youth market. ESPN RISE is a comprehensive sports magazine that is published in 30 U.S. markets. Keeping the magazine regional allows the stories and topics to be focused on local achievements and events. The magazine has a monthly circulation of over one million.

ESPN Girl, is aimed at the teenage female athlete. This magazine is distributed free to high-schools across the U.S. Besides encompassing a large array of sports, other topics such as nutrition, fashion, and socializing are brought into the mix. Each issue has a circulation of roughly 300,000.

In a similar vein, Gridiron and Hardwood magazines emphasize high school football and basketball. Each of these publications has a monthly circulation of 100,000.

In an effort to expand on their commitment to promote and encourage youth-oriented sports, the ESPN RISE Games were developed. This week long event (July 19-25) will take place at Disney’s Wild World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.

The games will feature elite and competitive channel sports events. Baseball, softball, football, basketball, field hockey, and track & field competitions will all be represented. It’s hoped that at future events, additional competitions will be added as the popularity of the games grow.

To get this year’s games off to a proper start, an Olympic-style opening ceremony took place last night (July 19). Disney and ESPN pulled out all the stops to make sure these young competitors felt like champions. NFL reporter and senior writer Michael Smith hosted the show.

After welcoming us to the kick-off event, the parade of athletes took place. Each of the participating teams walked, and sometimes ran, onto the field as their team’s name was called out. The enthusiasm, excitement, and pride could easily be seen on these kid’s faces.

After everyone was assembled in the infield, a local National Guard unit marched onto the green and took its position among the youth.

Seven-year-old Gina Marie Incandela sang the National Anthem. Incredible is all I have to say. How a child this young can hit those high notes is amazing. The crowd gave her a stirring ovation at the anthem’s completion. Among her other performances, Gina Marie has performed at the 2009 NBA Finals and the Today Show on NBC.

Next, Disney Ambassador Clay Shoemaker and Mickey Mouse made an appearance.

Jay Corbin and Brandon Hancock, ESPN RISE editors, were also on hand to welcome the crowd and help kick off the ceremony.

In a stirring moment, the first “True Champion Award” was given to Kyle Bogden. In a national contest, Kyle’s essay was selected as it exemplifies what a true winner is all about. Here is a quote from his essay:

“I guess you could say I’m a mentally strong kid due to the adversity I have overcome. I am hearing-impaired in both ears, and must wear two hearing aids every day. Some people consider me handicapped, or think I need special treatment, and I always tell them the same thing. ‘It’s a gift, and I’m grateful for what I was given because I know that I can get through it every day.’ ”

No Olympic-style observance would be complete without a torch-lighting ceremony. Trace Arena from Tampa, Florida, who plays for the Tampa Makos, was randomly selected as part of a Magical Moment during baseball registration.

In closing, Disney put on a spectacular fireworks display.

Is this event for everyone? Certainly if your daughter or son were one of the athletes on the field you’d want to be here to cheer them on. For the average Disney World guest, probably not. But the evening packed a lot of excitement into an hour. And if you follow high school sports, this event will make you feel good about all that is being done to promote this often overlooked segment of the athletic world.

ESPNU will provide extensive coverage of the ESPN RISE Games starting on Saturday, July 25th through Wednesday, July 29th.

If you’ve never seen Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex, I would highly recommend doing so. Even if athletic events aren’t your thing, this venue is typical of Disney – it’s done well and is worth seeing. And while you’re there, you can always grab a bite to eat at the Wide World of Sports Cafe (counter service). Admission to an event is not required to dine here. Just tell the gatekeeper that you only want to eat at the restaurant.

For more information about ESPN RISE, click here.

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