Upward: A Christian Sports League
Giving Families an Alternative to Recreational Programs
What if there was a way that your child could play the sport he likes in a nurturing yet skillful environment that not only teaches vital sports skills, but also develops their spiritual growth? That is what Upward is all about. Upward is a world-wide sports program dedicated to minister to youth while using a venue that they love to do...sports! Kids ages kindergarten through 7th grade have an opportunity to play and compete with the other teams, learn skills from experienced coaches, and be in a league that actually promotes good character and self-esteem.
The sports that Upward currently supports are basketball, soccer, flag football, and cheerleading. Most leagues have kids meet once a week for practice and have a game day on Saturday. Upward does not have games on Sundays. In addition to skills practice and game day, children are given devotion books that they are encouraged to read throughout the week and during half-time are able to participate in answering questions and be involved with the devotion given by the coach(es). Upward also offers camps throughout the year where youth can gain additional skills with experienced coaches.
Stars are given to children every week for different character traits or skills that they have excelled in the past week. Stars include most Christlike, best effort, best sportsmanship, Scripture learning, best defense, best offense, and best leadership (for flag football). This encourages players to try their best and collect stars that are placed on their uniform during the season. It helps build their self-esteem.
The fee for joining the league may vary by location, but the fee covers the cost of uniforms, equipment, and devotion materials. None of the directors, coaches, or other staff are paid for their positions. It is a work of heart! If you are interested in Upward leadership training to start a league at your church, you can find out more information here.
Children are placed on teams according to their abilities during an initial evaluation. Upward mixes and matches kids so that all teams will have some really skilled players, thus making the teams fair for all. Every child is rotated through positions, so they all have equal playing time, no matter what their skill level is. In fact, Upward's slogan is "Every Child is a Winner."
Upward, if located in your area, is always seeking help from individuals interested in coaching, assistant coaching, refereeing, and much more. To find out if there is an Upward program in your area use this League Finder to help out.
