What comes with the price of $75?
Basketball
Jersey and shorts, T-shirt
Cheerleading
Pom-Poms, Skort, Mock Turtle-Neck, and a Cheer Top
Practices
What should my child wear to practice?
We encourage that each child come equipped with sporting shoes, (ex. tennis, running, or basketball shoes) shorts or sweat pants and a t-shirt or jersey. Water and Gatorade is also encourage to be brought for hydration.
What does a typical practice look like?
During your once a week one hour practice time your child will go through the basic drills in the beginning and then take a 5-8 minute break where a Bible lesson devotion is shared with the team. The second half of the practice normally consists of more drills and plays (depending on the age).
Games
When about Games?
All K5 – 4th grade games are played in the Activity Center (Building in the back of the parking lot). Games start at 8:30 a.m. with the k5 boys and go in sequential order until all games are finished. (Click here for game schedule)
All 5th and 6th grade games are played in the gym in the bottom of the main church building. (Entrance is on the side of the gym) Games begin at 9:00 a.m. with the 5th-6th girls and go in sequential order until all games are finished.
In other sport leagues, my child did not get to play as much as other children. How is an Upward league different in that regard?
Coaches are trained on the Upward substitution system, they are given parameters for substituting players in and out of the game. The substitution system provides every child the opportunity to be in the starting lineup, requires no child to sit out back-to-back segments, and allows every child to play at least half of the game.
How much of a time commitment is this on your family?
Each of the 8 practices and 6 games last for 1 hour. Therefore, the time commitment is two hours per week once games begin. With busy family schedules, this set up is ideal and we continue to hear that it works great for volunteers, participants and families.
Evaluation Week
Does my child have to come to an Evaluation?
Every child must participate in the Evaluations. No Child can be put onto a team unless evaluated. An evaluation will last approximately ½ hour depending upon the wait. Your child will be evaluated on basic basketball skills.
Cheerleaders must also come for uniform sizing and player cards.
When are the evaluations?
Monday, January 24th – 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Tuesday, January 25th – 6:30PM-8:30PM
Wednesday, January 26th – 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Thursday, January 27th – 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Friday, January 28th – 6:30PM – 8:30PM
Miscellaneous Questions
Do I have to be a member of Davisville Church?
This league is open to the community and ANYBODY can join as long as they are in K5 – 6th grade.
Do I have to volunteer?
It is highly encouraged that you volunteered, but not a requirement. Part of the Upward experience are the great volunteers who make it so enjoyable every year. for more information on how to volunteer click
here
Can I request that my child be put onto a specific team?
You may request that your child be put onto a specific team, however in order to maintain a balance of skill level amongst the teams, not all requests can be honored. Coaches are the only ones allowed to request that their child be on their team.
How are teams made?
After evaluation week every child is given a grade based on there performance. Teams are then created by grade level, gender, and overall score. We strive hard to make teams as fair as possible and each individual team is split according to the number of participants in the division. Each team is limited to 10 players at their maximum. We have historically separated the leagues as follows:
Basketball
K5 boys division
1st and 2nd boys division
3rd and 4th boys division
5th and 6th boys division
K5 -1st girls division
2nd – 3rd girls division
4th – 6th girls division
Cheerleading
K5 – 3rd division
4th – 6th division
Why Basketball and Cheerleading?
1. Basketball continues to be America’s most popular team sport* having nearly 40 million players nationwide
2. More than 7.5 million 6-11 year olds participate in basketball nationally
3. Cheerleading continues to grow at nearly a 50% rate each year nationally
4. Nearly 3.6 million students participate in cheerleading annually
5. 1.4 million cheerleaders are in the 6 to 11 year old age group
*source: 2004 Sports Participation in America Report, Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
Why Upward Basketball and Upward Cheerleading?
Upward Basketball and Upward Cheerleading offer a break from the norm. The primary focus of Upward is to develop the Winner in EVERY child, not just a few. By keeping this goal in mind, we are able to build a league that promotes salvation, character, and self-esteem in all who participate through:
1. Equipping coaches to minister by providing extensive teaching tools and resources.
2. Providing opportunities to promote other church ministries to all cheerleaders and their families.
3. Encouraging each player and cheerleader with a game-day award following every game.
4. Maximizing ministry opportunities by exposing players and cheerleaders to Scripture-based devotions during each practice and spectators to halftime testimonies each game day.
5. Providing opportunities to see changed hearts and lives among children, family members, and volunteers who experience an Upward ministry.
6. Maximizing the family schedule by having only one hour of practice and one game each week.
7. Building toward a harvest time at the Upward Awards Celebration where participants and family members are given an opportunity to respond to the gospel.