Rubber-Cal, Inc. has joined forces with ESPN to tackle a great American pastime: high school football. The Orange County, California-based industrial rubber company has donated its durable flooring to the network’s most exciting new show RISE UP, set to air September 13, 2011. As the show’s official rubber flooring supplier, Rubber-Cal will donate gym rubber flooring for all four of its episodes. With Rubber-Cal’s help, ESPN RISE UP will rebuild high school sports facilities “from the ground up.”
“When we learned of the opportunity to get involved with ESPN’s new reality TV show, we jumped at the chance,” says General Manager Jackie Washington. “ESPN is the premier sports brand in live media and their reputation is built on 30 years of quality work. Rubber-Cal welcomes this chance to work with ESPN to repair and rebuild communities.”
“RISE UP is about establishing strong foundations,” notes Rubber-Cal CEO Beau Pirghibi. “By rebuilding underfunded school fitness facilities with durable rubber mats and flooring for gyms, we are helping these high schools establish lasting sports programs.”
Rubber-Cal will provide rubber flooring products for all four episodes in the show’s first season. In conjunction with RISE UP, Rubber-Cal hopes to teach high school athletes the importance of quality fitness equipment, in addition to good physical training.
“Because rubber is a naturally elastic material, our gym flooring easily absorbs shock and protects young joints from injury,” adds Jackie Washington. “The same can be said for the equipment used in high school sports facilities. Rubber mats and flooring protect expensive fitness equipment by absorbing shock and vibration. Otherwise, heavy fitness machinery may be damaged by constant contact with hard, unforgiving floors.”
ESPN is truly devoted to getting young and aspiring athletes on the right track — RISE UP doesn’t stop at merely renovating the schools’ athletic equipment and facilities. The show will also offer training and mentorship to help student athletes prevent injuries and maximize their athletic potential.
When the show airs next month, Rubber-Cal’s rubber flooring will lay the foundations for success in four high school sports programs. By donating its products, Rubber-Cal hopes to inspire other high school athletic programs to focus on the most important thing: providing student athletes with a fun, safe, and durable environment in which to grow and challenge themselves through sports.