ESPN HS

ESPN HS
Categories Sports
Frequency Monthly
Total circulation
(2011)		 1,005,422[1]
First issue 1997
Company ESPN
Country United States
Based in Boston
Language English
Website espn.go.com/high-school/

ESPN HS was a high school sports magazine published monthly during the school year in 25 markets around the United States. Founded as SchoolSports magazine in 1997, the publication changed its name to RISE in 2006 and was purchased by ESPN in January 2008. In 2011, the magazine's title was changed to ESPN HS.

The magazine ceased publication in September 2012 after ESPN decided to close its high school sports unit.[2]

History

Sensing the high school sports market was being undercovered by local newspapers and television stations, SchoolSports was founded in 1997 in the Greater Boston area. In addition to being one of the first publications dedicated to covering high school sports, SchoolSports also gave student-athletes a voice by allowing them to submit articles for publication in the SchoolBeat section. The magazine's distribution model was also unique, as the publication was sent directly to area high schools free of charge.

Over the next 10 years, the magazine expanded to 25 markets and was published in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Miami, Detroit, Houston, Colorado, Arizona, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Central Florida, St. Louis, Minnesota, Oregon, San Antonio/Austin, Indiana and New Jersey. All told, RISE had a peak monthly circulation of more than 1,000,000.

In conjunction with the magazine's 10th year of publication in 2006-07, the name was changed from SchoolSports to RISE to reflect its emergence as the nation's leading teen lifestyle magazine in addition to its top-notch prep sports coverage.

The magazine's name was changed again to ESPN HS in 2011, but that name lasted only one year before the publication was shuttered.

Famous cover subjects

Men's Basketball
-LeBron James
-Amar'e Stoudemire
-Dwight Howard
-Chris Bosh
-Kevin Durant
-Greg Oden
-O. J. Mayo
-Derrick Rose
-Kevin Love
-Derrick Favors
-Brandon Knight

Women's Basketball
-Candace Parker
-Maya Moore

Football
-Reggie Bush
-Devin Hester
-Kevin Jones
-Matthew Stafford

Baseball
-Jeff Francoeur
-Delmon Young

Track & Field
-Allyson Felix
-Walter Dix

Other
-Morgan Pressel (golfer)
-Kate Ziegler (swimmer)

Other Ventures

In the summer of 2006, RISE first put on a groundbreaking high school basketball showcase called the Elite 24. The game brought together the nation's top 24 high school basketball players, regardless of school year, for a game at Harlem's historic Rucker Park. The game's official name is the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic.

Beginning during the 2006-07 school year, RISE teamed with Gatorade to continue Gatorade's long-standing Player of the Year program.

Beginning during the 2007-08 school year, RISE began publishing GIRL, a first-of-its-kind magazine dedicated solely to girls' high school athletics. Girls' basketball player Elena Delle Donne of Ursuline Academy in Delaware was the first cover subject of GIRL in the fall of 2007.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "eCirc for Consumer Magazines". Audit Bureau of Circulations. June 30, 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-07-30. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  2. ↑ John Ourand (June 13, 2012). "ESPN Decides To Shutter High School Unit It Launched In '08". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  3. ↑ Lucas O'Neill (March 5, 2012). "Flashback: Elena Delle Donne". ESPN. Retrieved September 14, 2012.