With youth interests and sports participation figures fluxuating in the past decade, teams and brands alike have been devising new strategies to target this attractive demo... Youth now have more disposable income, influence on HHLD purchasing decisions, and freedom to speak their minds (through a variety of media channels).

How are figureheads in the sports world responding to this? Well, the WWE is on to something...

The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) soon will be launching a web site strictly for kids. The site, WWEKids.com, will complement the recent launch of the organization's kids magazine, WWE kids. Both initiatives are geared towards youth 6-14 years of age. WWEKids.com will host content from the magazine and offer interactive puzzles, interviews, and games featuring the wrestlers as well as consumer products. WWE is sidestepping nervous parents by offering exercise suggestions, providing details on healthy eating, and promoting community involvement and self-esteem.

Geof Rochester, Executive Vice President of Marketing for WWE, commented, "We have seen a steady growth in younger viewers of our programs, and we have made a conscious decision to embrace this audience."

This is a GREAT initiative and serves as a model that I think many professional leagues will look to model. Look for more information to come on similar concepts as they develop...