College cheer and dance squads nationwide have the opportunity to earn a six-figure windfall for their college spirit program and come to Walt Disney World Resort to “Cheer On Your Disney Side” sponsored by ESPN working in collaboration with Disney Destinations and Varsity Spirit.
This week, college cheer and dance squads began competing in a nationwide competition by creating 30-second videos of a cheer or dance routine using remixed Disney Park attraction music to show off their “Disney Side.” Video submissions are being accepted at Espn.com/CheerMagic through Nov. 10 with four finalists announced Dec. 11 on ESPN around the telecast of the Home Depot College Football Awards show at Walt Disney World Resort. Rules may be found at www.espn.com/CheerMagic.
Fans can get in on the action by voting for their favorite “Disney Side” cheer or dance routine from the four finalists. The winning squad will be announced January 12 on ESPN before the college football National Championship, the exciting culmination of the new College Football Playoff format on ESPN in which four semifinal teams will compete on New Year’s Day for the national title on Jan. 12 in Dallas.
The winning cheer or dance squad will earn a $100,000 grant from ESPN for its college spirit program and a team trip to Walt Disney World Resort.
This year, Disney Parks is encouraging people to show their “Disney Side”- their fun-loving adventurous side that laughs more, says “yes” more and just plain lives life to the fullest.
ESPN and Walt Disney World Resort will host a Fantasy Football Convention at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida, August 22-23. The weekend will feature a live telecast of ESPN’s Fantasy Football Now (Saturday, Aug. 23, at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN2), a question-and-answer session with ESPN commentators sponsored by Champion and a fantasy football draft where fans can interact with and seek advice from the network’s experts.
Other events include ESPN: The Tailgate sponsored by Johnsonville Brats, Disney chefs competing in the ESPN Chili Bowl, and a training table breakfast with Disney characters.
The Fantasy Football Now team of host Robert Flores, senior fantasy sports analyst Matthew Berry, Tim Hasselbeck, injury expert Stephania Bell and Sara Walsh will participate in the weekend festivities along with NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter, analyst Mark Schlereth and Insider KC Joyner.
NFL Live host Trey Wingo will also participate in the event. He and Schlereth will judge the Chili Bowl, joined by former Indianapolis Colts running back Edgerrin James.
To register for the event and for information on event packages, fans can visit: espn.com/fantasy. Florida-based fans are offered a special $99 registration rate.
ESPN Fantasy Football, the industry’s most popular fantasy football game, is kicking off its 19th season in 2014. The game is free for all fans and is accompanied by a full array of content and features across ESPN platforms — online, mobile, television, audio and more — with the most comprehensive collection of expert analysis, news, tools and statistical information in fantasy sports.
Saints QB Drew Brees and several fellow NFL stars are making dreams come true at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World for hundreds of high school football players. The Drew Brees Passing Academy and 7-on-7 Tournament is taking place at the Disney sports complex through Saturday.
Brees, along with Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald, Eagles RB Darren Sproles and Patriots CB Darrelle Revis, are headlining the camp which involves football players representing 24 high schools, mainly from the southeast. After an opening day of football drills, the teams began taking part in a 7-on-7 competition on Friday and Saturday.
This is the second year at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the passing academy which benefits the Brees Dream Foundation which provides support for cancer patients and families in need nationwide.
After the first day of the camp, the NFL players talked about the importance of the camp for these promising high school athletes, the upcoming NFL season and the fun they are having at Walt Disney World (see related content).
Saints QB Drew Brees and several fellow NFL stars are making dreams come true at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World for hundreds of high school football players. The Drew Brees Passing Academy and 7-on-7 Tournament is taking place at the Disney sports complex through Saturday. – See more at: http://disneysportsnews.com/2014/06/26/nfl-stars-giving-high-school-players-a-chance-to-shine-at-disney/#sthash.bNHVP2kW.dpuf
Disney Soccer Academy: Beginning in mid-June, Disney Sports is offering four-day instructional soccer camps for kids age 5-18 years old. Participants will get instruction from world-class professional players from Brazil and the English Premier League. The three session options are June 16-19, June 23-26 and July 7-10.
AAU Girls Junior National Volleyball Championships: The most highly touted high school girls volleyball players in the nation will flock to Walt Disney World Resort this summer for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National Volleyball Championship. The event runs June 16-24 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, features players age 10-18 years old and attracts top college scouts looking to recruit the nation’s top prep players.
Drew Brees Passing Academy: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees hosts his 2nd annual football passing academy at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from June 26-29. The academy features elite instruction from Brees and other NFL players and coaches as well as a 7-on-7 competition expected to attract many of the country’s elite high school players.
Orlando City Soccer Club will continue to play its 2014 regular-season home games at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex throughout the summer. To enhance the experience for spectators, additional stadium seating has been added to surround all four sides of the main soccer field at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, bringing seating to approximately 5,200.
This is the Lions’ final United Soccer League (USL) season before becoming the 21st Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise in 2015.
Below is the Lions’ 2014 regular-season home schedule at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex:
Saturday, March 29 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Pittsburgh
Saturday, April 5 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Rochester
Saturday, April 12 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Charleston
Sunday, May 4 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. OKC
Wednesday, May 21 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Charlotte
Saturday, May 31 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Charleston
Saturday, June 7 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Impact Reserves
Wednesday, June 11 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Orange County
Saturday, June 28 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. LA Galaxy II
Saturday, July 12 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Wilmington
Saturday, August 2 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Charlotte
Saturday, August 16 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Harrisburg
Sunday, August 31 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Dayton
Saturday, September 6 @ 7:30 p.m. vs. Richmond
Mirroring the nationwide trend of girls participating in youth soccer, Disney Sports is growing its soccer portfolio, adding the Disney Princess Cup this fall at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World.
The new soccer event, Oct. 10-12, will feature a 6 versus 6 player format involving girls ages 9-14, one of the fastest-growing age ranges among girls in youth soccer, according to recent studies which list soccer as the No. 1 participation sport among female youth athletes.
The Disney Princess Cup, which is open to teams and individual players, will also include a pep rally featuring a Disney Music recording artist, an awards ceremony, a speaker series geared towards empowering young girls, and designated free time for teams and parents to visit the Disney theme parks. All participating athletes will receive a pair of soccer cleats from Puma, the official soccer equipment sponsor of Disney Soccer. Registration for the Disney Princess Cup begins April 1 at www.espnwwos.com.
“The Disney Princess Cup is ideal for those parents and coaches who are looking for a unique soccer experience for their girls,” said Faron Kelley, Director of Marketing for Disney Sports. “This new event figures to provide the parents, coaches and players with a hassle-free experience within a competitive yet family-oriented environment where the parents and coaches can celebrate with their kids and empower them to embrace their inner Disney Princess to become strong, unique and compassionate individuals.”
The Disney Princess Cup builds on the portfolio of soccer events held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, bringing the total number of annual soccer events at the 230-acre facility to 11. That portfolio includes prestigious youth and professional soccer tournaments, from the Disney Soccer Showcase, which features top high school boys and girls teams, to the Disney Pro Soccer Classic, the premier preseason tournament for pro soccer clubs.
The Columbus Crew’s high-powered offense proved too much for Sporting KC, the defending MLS Cup champions. The Crew jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first period, and never relinquished their advantage after halftime, putting up three more goals before Sporting KC scored its first and only goal of the night to avoid being shutout.
The Crew arrived at the championship match after defeating Toronto FC and Philadelphia Union during the first two days of pool play, before tying with Orlando City SC 4-4 on the final day of pool play.
In 2013, the Crew faced the Montreal Impact in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic title game, but came up short in a 1-0 loss.
The day featured a full lineup of action, beginning with a matchup between the Fluminense FC U23 team and Toronto FC. Fluminense FC scored 4 goals after being blanked throughout the previous three days of competition to beat Toronto FC with a final score of 4-2.
Philadelphia Union and the 2013 Disney Pro Soccer classic champions, Montreal Impact played next in a highly-contested match, ending the 90 minutes of regulation with a 1-1 tie before going into penalty kicks. Philadelphia Union edged out Montreal Impact 4-1 in kicks to win the match 2-1 (4-1 PK).
The third match featured hometown favorite Orlando City SC squaring off against the New York Red Bulls, the 2014 MLS regular season champions. The match featured thrilling offense in the second period, with six total goals scored during the 45 minutes, eventually resulting in a 4-4 tie. Orlando City SC will return to the ESPN Wide World of Sports on March 29 to open its 2014 home season schedule.
2014 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic Tournament Records
Columbus Crew 3-0-1
Sporting KC 3-1-0
New York Red Bulls 2-1-1
Orlando City SC 0-0-4
Philadelphia Union 1-1-2
Montreal Impact 1-3-0
Fluminense FC 1-3-0
Toronto FC 0-2-2
This year’s Spring Training game lineup will showcase some of Major League Baseball’s marquee teams, including the reigning World Series Champion Boston Red Sox and National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Braves play the Cardinals on March 15, while the Braves face the Red Sox on March 22.
The first spring training game slated for Feb. 26 against the Detroit Tigers, who return for a Sunday matchup on March 2 and March 21. The New York Yankees visit on March 19. The New York Mets and Washington Nationals make up the core of the Braves’ 17-game home schedule at Champion Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The Nationals come to Disney three times, with matchups on Mar. 4, 6, and 12. The Mets visit the Braves on March 3 before returning on Sunday March 23.
The schedule features three night games at Champion Stadium – the Houston Astros on Feb. 28 and March 24, and the Nationals on March 6.
The Braves Spring Training schedule at Disney concludes with an afternoon home game against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday, March 26.
This year’s roster retains many of the players on the 2013 National League East champion squad, including a core of strong young players, first baseman Freddie Freeman, right fielder Jason Heyward, left fielder Justin Upton and shortstop Andrelton Simmons. The Braves’ pitching staff remains mostly unchanged (excluding the loss of Tim Hudson) from the league-leading ERA lineup of last year. The projected rotation includes Kris Medlen, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Brandon Beachy and Alex Wood, with Craig Kimbrel, Jordan Walden and Luis Avilan in the bullpen.
Information on the Braves’ Spring Training season tickets, suite/hospitality, group tickets and mini-plans is available by calling our Premium Sales team at 407/939-GAME (4263) and online at www.espnwwos.com/atlantabraves. The popular mini-packs are now on sale, featuring four separate three-game options in 2014 and giving fans their first opportunity to purchase tickets to specific games on the Braves’ 2014 spring training schedule.
| 2014 Atlanta Braves Spring Training Home Schedule | ||
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| Wednesday, February 26 | Detroit Tigers | 1:05 PM |
| Friday, February 28 | Houston Astros | 6:05 PM |
| Sunday, March 2 | Detroit Tigers | 1:05 PM |
| Monday, March 3 | New York Mets | 1:05 PM |
| Tuesday, March 4 | Washington Nationals | 1:05 PM |
| Thursday, March 6 | Washington Nationals | 6:05 PM |
| Saturday, March 8 | Miami Marlins | 1:05 PM |
| Tuesday, March 11 | Philadelphia Phillies | 1:05 PM |
| Wednesday, March 12 | Washington Nationals | 1:05 PM |
| Friday, March 14 | Tampa Bay Rays | 1:05 PM |
| Saturday, March 15 | St. Louis Cardinals | 1:05 PM |
| Wednesday, March 19 | New York Yankees | 1:05 PM |
| Friday, March 21 | Detroit Tigers | 1:05 PM |
| Saturday, March 22 | Boston Red Sox | 1:05 PM |
| Sunday, March 23 | New York Mets | 1:05 PM |
| Monday, March 24 | Houston Astros | 6:05 PM |
| Wednesday, March 26 | Miami Marlins | 1:05 PM |
All times are Eastern and are subject to change
All games to be played at Champion Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
