Seriously, do you want to attend ESPN High School? If you live in New York City and you are approaching high-school age, then you'll have that chance. ESPN is teaming up with the NYC Department of Education to open a sports-themed high school. Now, that's not as absurd as it sounds on the surface.
The school will focus on the business side of sports, and will include internships with companies involved in sports like VitaminWater. Let's face it, the sports industry is one of the most lucrative in the country right now, so this has the chance to be a great idea.
The only other current details available are that this school will open with 81 freshman in the fall, and that it will be called the Business of Sport School (not coincidentally, I'll guess, the acronym will be BOSS). Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, is on board with the project as well.
As I said, training a large group of kids to specifically enter this field can work, if it's done correctly. There are currently many medical and legal "magnet" schools that train students to head into those fields, so why not do the same with other specializations? As I said earlier, there is a lot of money to be made in the sports field.
Let's just hope they don't end up with Dean Chris Berman or Principal Tony Kornheiser, in which case that thing is dead in the water.
UPDATE, 1:00 PM ET: Darren Rovell is reporting that ESPN's involvement in the school was exaggerated by the New York Post. He received e-mail correspondence from an ESPN spokesman:
Sports
"Reports suggesting ESPN is launching a high school are overstated," Soltys said, via e-mail. "ESPN the Magazine has made a non-financial commitment to help develop a curriculum, in addition to providing other volunteer-based support."
Sadly, I'm kind of disappointed. Private companies with tons of money like ESPN could really help the education system, especially since the field of sports creates so much enthusiasm with youth.
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