Kristian Ferrell
Upward Sports is a non-profit Christian youth sports organisation that offers recreational basketball, alongside other sports, to children and teenagers. It was founded in 1995 by Caz McCaslin, who developed a basketball programme that incorporated athletic skills and Biblical values. Upward Sports partners with churches in the US and Canada to bring youth sports ministry to their local communities. The organisation equips churches with training, playbooks, sports apparel, and other resources to run their own leagues. Upward Basketball is open to boys and girls, from kindergarten through to 5th or 6th grade, with separate teams for boys and girls.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type | Basketball league for children |
| Focus | Developing a winner in every child |
| Operated by | Upward Sports, the world's largest Christian youth sports organization |
| Founder | Caz McCaslin |
| Divisions | Kindergarten (Co-ed), 1st Grade (boys and girls division), 2nd Grade (boys and girls division), 3rd Grade (boys and girls division), 4th Grade (boys and girls division), 5th-6th (boys and girls division), 7th-8th (boys and girls division) |
| Number of Programs | Over 2,800 |
| Number of Participants | Hundreds of thousands |
| Sports | Basketball, soccer, cheerleading, flag football, and volleyball |
| Main Complex Location | Spartanburg, South Carolina |
| Practice Frequency | Once per week |
| Practice Duration | One hour |
| Practice Start Times | 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., or 7:30 p.m. |
| Practice Days | Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays |
| Biblical Truths | Shared at every practice and game |
| Church Attendance | Not required to play |
| Volunteer Coaches | Mostly parents of players |
| Player Experience | Every player plays the same amount of time (K-4th grade) |
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What You'll Learn
Upward Sports is a non-profit Christian youth sports organisation
The organisation offers recreational basketball, soccer, cheerleading, flag football, and volleyball to hundreds of thousands of young athletes. Upward Sports provides local churches with training, playbooks, sports apparel, ministry resources, and online player registration systems to run their own leagues. The basketball league is open to boys and girls, from kindergarten through to 5th grade, with separate teams for boys and girls. Depending on registration numbers, kindergarten and 1st grade could be co-ed. There is one practice per week, lasting one hour, typically starting at either 5:30 pm, 6:30 pm, or 7:30 pm.
Upward Sports also has a unique system of evaluating players and drafting teams with the goal of creating teams of equal skill. This provides a more competitive and fun experience and helps to ensure that every player has the opportunity to develop and succeed. Biblical truths are shared at every practice and game, but players do not need to attend a church to participate—over 35% of families involved do not.
Upward Sports has expanded internationally, with leagues in South Africa, Ukraine, and Brazil, and continues to grow. In 2020, Kevin Drake was named Executive Director of the organisation.
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It was founded in 1995 by Caz McCaslin
Upward Sports, the world's largest Christian youth sports organization, was founded in 1995 by Caz McCaslin. McCaslin's vision for Upward Sports was to "promote the discovery of Jesus through sports". The organization partners with churches in the US and Canada to bring youth sports ministry to local communities.
The story of Upward Sports began in 1986 when Caz McCaslin developed a basketball program that integrated athletic skills with Biblical values. Nine years later, in 1995, the first nationwide season of Upward Sports was launched. Seven churches hosted Upward basketball leagues, with several hundred players participating. This inaugural season marked the official founding of Upward Sports as an organization.
The early years of Upward Sports were marked by rapid growth and expansion. By 2000, the organization had expanded its sports offerings to include not only basketball but also soccer and basketball cheerleading. The number of participating churches continued to grow, and in 2003, the 1,000th church hosted an Upward Sports League.
Upward Sports is unique in its approach to sports ministry. The organization prioritizes the development of every child, not just a select few. Their basketball program, Upward Basketball, offers a holistic experience that goes beyond just the sport. Biblical truths are shared at every practice and game, and the program emphasizes values such as sportsmanship and a competitive spirit.
Today, Upward Sports has become a prominent presence in communities across the US and beyond. With over 2,800 programs and hundreds of thousands of young athletes, the organization has made a significant impact. The main Upward complex is located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and serves as a hub for their operations. In 2020, Kevin Drake was named the Executive Director of Upward Sports, continuing the organization's mission and vision founded by Caz McCaslin over two decades earlier.
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It offers basketball, cheerleading, flag football, soccer and volleyball
Upward Sports is a Christian youth sports organisation that offers basketball, cheerleading, flag football, soccer, and volleyball. It is the world's largest organisation of its kind and partners with churches to leverage sports in their communities.
Basketball is a key offering, with the organisation emphasising its ability to bring people together and unify communities. Upward provides the resources and support to help churches organise basketball leagues, with the added benefit of connecting people with the gospel.
In addition to basketball, Upward Sports offers cheerleading as a way to engage young people and involve them in their ministry. While there are limited specific details about cheerleading on the Upward website, it aligns with their overall mission to use sports to connect with communities.
Upward Sports also includes flag football, soccer, and volleyball as part of their sports ministry. Volleyball, in particular, is highlighted as a fast-growing indoor sport that can attract an older age group of athletes and help churches reach new members of their community. With volleyball gaining popularity, Upward provides the necessary resources, technology, advertising, and even apparel to support churches in offering this sport to their communities.
Through these various sports offerings, Upward Sports aims to partner with churches and create meaningful connections, fostering unity and spreading their ministry's message.
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It serves hundreds of thousands of young athletes
Upward Sports is a non-profit Christian youth sports organisation with a mission to "promote the discovery of Jesus through sports". It was founded in 1995 by Caz McCaslin, who had developed a basketball program that incorporated athletic skills and Biblical values in 1986. The first nationwide season of Upward Sports was launched in 1995, with seven churches hosting Upward basketball leagues with several hundred players.
Upward Sports is the world's largest Christian youth sports organisation, partnering with churches in the US and Canada to bring youth sports ministry to their local communities. There are over 2,800 Upward Sports programs across the US, serving hundreds of thousands of young athletes playing recreational basketball, soccer, cheerleading, flag football, and volleyball. The organisation equips local churches with training, playbooks, sports apparel, ministry resources, and online player registration systems to run their own leagues.
Upward Basketball offers a unique system of evaluating players and drafting teams with the goal of creating teams of equal skill. The program is open to boys and girls, from kindergarten through to 5th or 6th grade, with separate boys and girls teams. Depending on registration numbers, kindergarten and 1st grade could be co-ed. There is one practice per week, lasting one hour, typically starting at either 5:30 pm, 6:30 pm, or 7:30 pm. Practices are held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays, and participants can indicate one night that they are unable to practice.
Upward Basketball has a strong focus on developing every child, not just a select few. Biblical truths are shared at every practice and game, but players do not need to attend a church to participate – over 35% of families do not. Upward Basketball also relies heavily on volunteer coaches, who are often parents of players on the team.
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It partners with churches in the US and Canada
Upward Sports is a non-profit organisation with the mission of "promoting the discovery of Jesus through sports". It was founded in 1995 by Caz McCaslin, who had developed a basketball program that incorporated athletic skills and Biblical values in 1986. Upward Sports is the world's largest Christian youth sports organisation, partnering with churches in the US and Canada to bring youth sports ministry to their local communities.
Upward Sports equips local churches representing various evangelical denominations with training, playbooks, sports apparel, ministry resources, and online player registration systems to run their own leagues. The organisation has over 2,800 programs across the US serving hundreds of thousands of young athletes playing recreational basketball, soccer, cheerleading, flag football, and volleyball.
Upward Basketball, one of the programs offered by Upward Sports, is a unique basketball league that focuses on developing the winner in every child, not just a few. It offers leagues for boys and girls from Kindergarten through to Grade 6, with separate teams for boys and girls. Depending on registration numbers, Kindergarten and 1st-grade teams could be co-ed. Upward Basketball at Westside Church, for example, is open to boys and girls from Kindergarten through to 5th grade, with one practice per week lasting one hour.
Upward Sports also provides a special system for evaluating players and drafting teams to ensure equal skill levels and more competitive and fun gameplay. Biblical truths are shared at every practice and game, but participants do not need to attend a church to play—over 35% of families involved do not attend church. Upward Sports encourages parents to volunteer as coaches and referees, providing them with complete training assistance, including practice plans and drills.
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Frequently asked questions
Upward Basketball is a Christian-based basketball league for children in Kindergarten through to 5th grade. It was founded in 1995 by Caz McCaslin and is run by Upward Sports, a non-profit organisation that partners with churches in the US and Canada to bring youth sports ministry to their local communities.
Upward Basketball's mission is to "promote the discovery of Jesus through sports". The programme incorporates athletic skills with Biblical values. Biblical truths are shared at every practice and game, but players do not need to attend church to play.
Upward Basketball offers leagues for boys and girls, divided by grade. There is one practice per week, lasting one hour, and participants play the same amount of time. Upward provides a unique system of evaluating players and drafting teams with the goal of creating equally skilled teams.
The cost of joining Upward Basketball varies depending on the location and hosting church. However, it typically includes a jersey, t-shirt, shorts, and a season-end award for each child. Some churches may offer partial scholarships for families with financial needs.
