UPWARD BASKETBALL
Upward Basketball is a uniquely designed program that seeks to develop the total athlete mentally, athletically, spiritually and socially. The league is open to boys and girls from Kindergarten – 6th grade. The children will learn sound basketball skills, they will be taught to play to win, and they will learn the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork, integrity and hard work. This league places a high value on Biblical virtues, and seeks to instill positive life lessons found in the Bible to the younger generation. In Upward Basketball, every child will play an equal amount of time, and they will be cared for by coaches who are trained to use positive affirmation as their main tool for motivating their players! Upward Basketball players will grow in character, confidence and faith through their experience with us…and they will have FUN doing it!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS UPWARD BASKETBALL 2024-2025
Is Upward Basketball as fun as I hear it is? Yes! The league has exploded from 115 kids to over 1,000 over the past twenty years, which is an indication that people enjoy the program. Based on our year-end surveys, there is a tremendously high satisfaction rate among our participants.
Is it possible for my child to have a buddy on the same team? Yes! Although we cannot guarantee every buddy request, we do our absolute best to put friends on the same team when possible. There are many variables that are considered during the drafting process. Because of this, we can only accommodate ONE buddy request. This process will be explained in great detail during the Parent Orientation.
There is more than one night my child cannot practice. Which night should I mark on the registration form? You should choose the night that is the absolute worst for your child to practice. If you indicate more than one night, we will have to guess which is the worse night. Please help us take away the guesswork by indicating only ONE night on your registration form. We ask that you be flexible with your schedule as we are working with over 740 players’ schedules and 140 coaches’ schedules. If any practice night is fine, you don’t have to mark anything.
What happens at the Player Evaluation Nights? The Player Evaluations are not a tryout. We do not cut players. At Evaluations, we put every player through a series of basketball drills in order to determine their approximate skill level which will assist us in drafting teams that are somewhat balanced! We also have a Parent Orientation at the same time, so it is vitally important that you and your child attend one of the six evaluation nights that we offer.
I have been through Parent Orientation multiple times. Do I really need to attend again? Yes, please! There are always new things that are highlighted each year, and it gives the Leadership Team an opportunity to share with you our goals for the upcoming season. Its only 30 minutes long and we will try hard to make it worth your while! Please don’t skip it.
When and where are the Evaluation Nights and how many do I need to attend? You only need to attend ONE of the SIX evaluations that are offered. The evaluation nights are "open house" style, so show up when it's most convenient for you. Don't wait until the last day...it'll be mayhem!! October 7, 8, & 10 @ Salem First Nazarene 5:30PM-7PM October 14, 17, & 18 @ Salem First Baptist 5:30PM-7:30PM
After teams are formed, can my child switch to a different team? Because of the tremendous amount of work that goes into forming the teams, it is extremely difficult to make changes. If we made a mistake in the process, we will absolutely correct our mistake. But we do ask for your understanding when it comes to swapping teams/players after the drafting process has concluded.
SOUNDS GREAT! How much does it cost? The registration cost per child for basketball is $115 and registration closes in mid-October. Registration fee includes 12 weeks of practice, 8 basketball games, uniform (jersey, shorts, and a t-shirt), an Upward Sports car magnet, and a gift at the end of the season.
I still have more questions. What do I do? Call or email Jeff at 503-580-1353 or upward@fbcsalem.org. He’ll do his very best to answer your questions!
What color will the uniforms be? I’d like to buy hair ribbons, wrist bands and shoelaces to match!
