About the Upward Basketball Organization
Vision Statement
Submitting to God's authority, Upward desires to change generations globally and recognize that Every Child Is A Winner.
Purpose Statements
The purpose of Upward Sports Ministries is to fulfill God's vision that He planned long ago by promoting:
Salvation - To share the love of Jesus Christ with everyone involved in an Upward ministry.
Character - To help every child grow as Jesus did - spiritually, physically, mentally, and socially.
Self-Esteem - To help every child grow in their understanding and enjoyment of sports.
Mission Statement
Upward is committed to equipping believers to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with unlimited children through sports ministry.
Guiding Principles
- To achieve our mission with a Christlike attitude, Upward is committed to:
- Using ever-changing ways to share a never changing message
- Promoting and protecting the mission of Upward through sound stewardship of all resources
- Working together as a unified team to be a first-class, organized, and detailed evangelistic ministry
- Always viewing conflicts as ministry opportunities
- Reaching beyond denominational and cultural boundaries to encourage Kingdom Growth
- Developing participants to share the love of Christ in and beyond Upward
What is Upward?
Upward is an evangelistic sports ministry designed to promote community outreach, develop volunteer leadership, and share the love of Christ with children and their families, using something as simple as a ball.
Upward is specifically designed for Kindergarten through sixth grade boys and girls. It promotes salvation, character, and self-esteem in every child. Upward provides opportunities for volunteers from all walks of life to become meaningfully involved in the ministries of the church by praying for the program, coaching teams, refereeing games, sharing devotions, and developing relationships in order to open avenues of ministry to the people of our community who participate in the program.
Enrollment for Upward occurs in the fall. Children complete an evaluation that is used to help place them on a team, seeking to maintain balance between the teams. Practices begin in December, with games being played in January and February. The season culminates with Upward Award Night in late February.
Teams practice once a week for an hour, on the same night and time each week. Games are played on Saturdays and last one-hour as well. Game times are also at the same time each week.
Players log equal playing time during games, and all players get a chance to start in games on a regular basis. Players on opposing teams are matched by skill and size during play to help keep match-ups competitive. Learning basketball fundamentals and team concepts are key aspects of Upward.
Evaluations ready to begin!
Evaluation nights begin Oct. 13. Everyone must attend one basketball evaluation or cheerleader orientation. Evaluations will be at the First Baptist Church Recreation Outreach Center, located at 100 W. Brin Street. Players and cheerleaders can register at the evaluation and will be fitted for uniforms. Evaluations are not a "try out" but a simple skills evaluation session to assist with team placement and balance.
Evaluation Schedule:
Tues, Oct. 13; 6 to 7:30 pm
Thurs, Oct. 15; 6 to 7:30 pm
Tues, Oct. 20; 6 to 7:30 pm
Thurs, Oct. 22, 6 to 7:30 pm
Upward Registration is Under Way!
Sign-up today through the office of First Baptist Church, located on the Brin Street side of our main campus, located at 403 N. Catherine Street. The office is open 8 am to 5 pm Monday-Friday. Cost is $60 per child through Oct. 30, then moves to $70. Scholarship assistance available based upon need.
Practices begin the week of Dec. 1.
Games begin Sat, Jan. 2, 2010.
Awards Celebration Night is Friday, Feb. 26, 2010.
