ESPN Rising

ESPNRise, the new and (needless to say) well-financed kids sports Web venture, debuted August 25. I've already learned that Trinity High School in Euless, Texas is No. 1 in prep football and have been invited to join the social networking group for Harpeth High School in Kingston Springs, Tenn. The target audience is high school kids, 14 to 18, which I suppose disinvites me.

Speaking of social networking, Weplay is also plugging away in cyberspace, trolling for kid athletes and depending on pro stars to reel them in - investors include Derek Jeter, LeBron James and Peyton Manning.

Kid sports players making virtual connections - in a safe environment - feels like a positive thing. So does a Web site that parents and coaches can use to "organize their schedules, share pictures and communicate information such as practice dates," as Weplay explains itself.

On the other hand, who benefits from national rankings of high school teams? Serious question.