ESPN just ordered a series based off a pilot they did last fall about doing makeovers for high school sports facilities and programs!
Not only that, but they got longtime fan and former high school footballer Kenny Chesney to do the theme song for the show. ESPN has ordered six episodes of the show called Rise Up, including schools in Boston, Seattle, Chicago, and Ohio.
Rise Up comes at a time when the recession has sapped funding for public education making sports and extracurricular activities particularly vulnerable. ESPN enlists local businesses to donate materials and man-hours so that the renovation project is a community effort. Each hour is bookended by the surprise announcement that the school has been chosen and the final reveal of the shiny new athletic facilities. There will also be plenty of appearances from star athletes and coaches including Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, Ohio University alum and retired NFL running back Eddie George and New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker.
This definitely sounds like a worthy cause and a great idea for a show. Athletic programs help keep kids fit, and with the recession and all of that, usually the first thing to get cut is sports.
We just wish every school that needed it could be chosen, not just six of them!
Hope the show’s a hit so more can be helped!
[Image via WENN.]