Welcome to St. Peter's United Methodist Church
ST PETER'S UMC-UPWARD BASKETBALL
Welcome to Upward
Updated 8/1/2022
Our basketball program is for children in PreK4 through 5th grade. All of our teams are co-ed. We encourage participants of all skill levels to come out and join us!
How Upward Basketball & Cheerleading became a ministry of St. Peter's UMC...
The idea of offering Upward Basketball and Cheerleading in the Western Communities was born from a conversation between Bishop Richard "Dick" Wills and Rev. Rainer Richter. St. Peter’s had just completed the Family Life Center, a multi use facility, and Rev. Richter was searching for ways to reach out to the community. Bishop Wills shared the vision of Caz McCaslin who founded the Upward program in Spartangburg, SC in 1995. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Rev. Richter decided that Upward Basketball and Cheerleading was a great way for St. Peter’s to share God’s love with children through the venue of sports.
Children’s Coordinator, John Sullivan had the difficult task of finding just the right people to create a Christian faith-based, Christ-centered program that provides a fun environment for children to learn healthy competition, fundamental skills for the sport, and values for life. Founding directors Chris Moore and Brett Beckwith far exceeded every expectation! The foundation they built laid the groundwork for meaningful experiences for children, parents, and volunteers. St. Peter’s Upward program has continued to thrive and under the leadership of incredible volunteers.
Past League Directors
League Directors:
2008-2010: Chris Moore & Brett Beckwith
2011: Jennifer Klinkowitz
2012-2013: Kevin Drummond & Christine Brevik
2014: Christine Brevik
2015: Jennifer Klinkowitz
2016: Jennifer Klinkowitz
2017: Jennifer Klinkowitz
2018: Jennifer Klinkowitz & Cameron Tummino
2019: Jennifer Klinkowitz
2020: Jennifer Klinkowitz
2021-2022: Jennifer Klinkowitz & Ray McDaniel
2023: Jennifer Klinkowitz
Basic Information
Our basketball program is for children in PreK4 through 5th grade. All of our teams are co-ed. We encourage participants of all skill levels to come out and join us!
Registration Information
Registration is September 1 - November 1.
NO Requests for team placements
ALL Teams are Co-Ed.
NO Refunds
For general Upward.org information, please see: http://upward.org/parents/kidsbasketballfaqs/
Volunteers
Our program is run by volunteers. Please review our Volunteer Opportunities tab (below) to learn more about our volunteer roles. If you are interested in volunteering please contact us at: upward@stpeters-umc.org or you may register online.
About Upward
Registration
Schedule
Rules for 2023
Just for 5th Grade
About Upward
About Upward Sports
Established in 1995, Upward Sports is the world’s largest Christian youth sports provider. Today, approximately half a million players at more than 2,000 churches in 47 states participate in camps, clinics, and leagues through Upward Sports’ Recreation Division.
Our Mission
Promoting the Discovery of Jesus Through Sports.
Our Values
• The Expectation of God Moments
We believe that God is at work all around us.
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. - Ephesians 2:10
• The Life of Integrity
We believe that how we live is more important than what we say.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20
• The Opportunity to Serve
We believe that it is a privilege to serve others.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. - Mark 10:45
• The Discipline of Excellence
We believe in exceeding expectations.
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed; do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3:17
• The Priority of Children
We believe that every child is a winner.
In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. - Matthew 18:14
Registration
Registration Information
Registration opens on September 1, 2022 and closes on November 1, 2022. The cost per child is $165.
To register and start your christian experience, please go to: https://registration.upward.org/UPW82444
NO Requests for team placements
ALL Teams are co-ed
NO Refunds
For more information contact us at upward@stpeters-umc.org.
Schedule
Our basketball program is for children in PreK4 through 5th grade. All teams are co-ed. We encourage participants of all skill levels to come out and join us. Participants will receive a uniform for game-day.
Upward provides a positive Christian sports experience for cheerleaders in PreK4 - 5th grade. Cheerleaders receive a cheer uniform and pom poms.
League Schedule
Evaluations
November 16 and 17, 2022. Details and times will be emailed after the close of registration.
Practice Begins
Week of January 2, 2023 - Coach will call to inform you of which day of the week.
First Game
January 14, 2023
Last Game
March 4, 2023
Rules for 2023
Welcome to Season 16 of Upward Basketball and Cheerleading!
St. Peter’s enforces the unique rules created by Upward Sports to ensure each participant has the opportunity to grow in their athletic skills and faith journey. In order to improve equality of teams, several new rules are now in place.
Before registering, please take note of the following rules for our program:
· To improve team balance, siblings will not be guaranteed the same practice nights
. All teams are co-ed.
· No carpool requests
· No coach requests
* To have your child on the same team as a friend, consider coaching. There will be 2 adult coaches per team.
· Parents and coaches will be required to sign a code of ethics at evaluations.
· Our league is proud to be open to children of ALL levels of play. Beginners admire the experienced players and the experienced players love to mentor beginners.
· All children and families are to act appropriately while on our campus and toward each other.
· Unacceptable behavior by a child or adult will result in one warning followed by removal from our program, if the behavior continues.
Sports are exciting! It is natural to get excited when our children succeed and sit on the edge of our seats for the final game basket. However, we encourage you to cheer for baskets scored by both teams.
Please remember, Upward is a Christ based program. Our actions should represent those of Christ as a positive example to all involved in the program.
Just for 5th Grade
This year your child will have the opportunity to play FULL court games. That's right! At the end of the day, we transform the gym to full court games to give your player a larger opportunity to run and move on the court.
To make this fair for all players, our 5th grade division will be co-ed. Boys and girls will play together on the same teams, allowing all 5th graders to have full court opportunities. Due to the low number of girls, this also offers our girls the opportunity to play against a variety to teams.
There will be 2 full court games each Saturday.
If you have any questions, please contact me before registering your player.
Jennifer Klinkowitz ~ upward@stpeters-umc.org
Volunteers
There are many opportunities to volunteer!
Announcer, Score/Time Keeper, Concession, Referee, Coach, Assistant Coach, Evaluations, Morning Set Up, Evening Reset Up
Middle Schoolers are welcome to help keep score/time, work in concession, be a youth assistant coach, or any set up of the gym. This can be used toward community service hours if needed.
High Schoolers can be announcer, score/time keeper, concession, referee (with knowledge of basketball), assistant coach, evaluations, and all set ups. Community service hours will be given. It is your responsibility to bring your form on the day you help. Papers will be signed by the league director at the end of your shift.
Adults are encouraged to help in all areas interested.
Coaches and Assistant Coaches: Please sign up during the registration process for your child. If you do not have a child in the program, please email your name and grade you are interested in coaching to upward@stpeters-umc.org. Please specify if you would like to be a head coach or assistant coach.
Referees: Anyone interested in being a referee may choose to be paid, receive a concession credit ($10 per game), receive community service hours, or just volunteer from your heart. Forms must be filled out at the time of your game. All referees being paid must attend a referee meeting prior to the beginning of the season.
Please go to https://signup.com/go/yscukeo to sign up!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register?
Please check the Registration tab on this page. you will find a link to the registration form.
When can I register?
Registration is open from September 1 through November 1.
Is my registration refundable if we are unable to play?
No. Registration fees are non~refundable. If your child is unable to play, you may find another player who fits the uniform to take that place.
I do not attend St. Peter’s. May we register?
Upward is open to EVERYONE! Yes, you may register. This is a Faith based league. We do promote the love of Jesus through sports. Each week we focus on a Bible Verse and talk about God’s love in a way the children will understand.
Can my VPK child participate?
Yes! As long as your child is enrolled in a VPK program.
My child has never played basketball before. Will my child fit in here?
Absolutely YES! Upward is open to children of ALL skill levels! Beginners look up to those skilled players and the skilled players enjoy helping the beginners! This is a man~on~man league so your child will be guarding one other child who will be a similar skill level.
Will my child be sitting on the bench the entire game?
No. We play all players the same. The coaches have each player in a rotation!
When are evaluations?
Evaluations will be:
November 6 and 7. Details will be emailed after registration closes.
What time are evaluations?
Times will be announced after registration closes. Your child will choose a uniform size and then go through a set of skills and once completed, is able to leave. Please do not drop your child off!
When will I hear from my child’s coach??
Coaches are given rosters at a coaches meeting and will contact players in early December.
Can I choose my child’s coach?
No. Coaches requests can not be honored at this time. Players are placed on teams in accordance to an Upward program, using evaluation scores. (If you would like your child to be on a friends team, consider coaching with their parent.)
Can my child be on a friends team?
Yes and No!
For Cheerleading: Yes! Cheerleaders may cheer with friends as long as there is space on the squad. The more moms and dads willing to help, the more squads we can form.
For Basketball: Buddy requests will not be honored. We will, however, place a buddy with another buddy if both children’s parents are coaching together. All coaches will have their child on their team. Two adult coaches per team.
Can my kids practice on the same night?
If your child is a cheerleader, we can do our best to find a squad that matches on the same night. If it is just basketball players, we are not able to guarantee same night practice. In the past we have moved kids around and this has formed unfair skill level teams. To ensure the players have a fair match up, we will be using the Upward program and not changing players.
When does practice begin and how long is it? Practice Times?
Practice begins the first week of January. Practices are on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Each practice is one hour long.
Practice times are:
6-7PM
or
7-8PM
My child’s practice falls on a day off of school or a holiday, will there still be a practice?
Yes! We do not close the gym for holidays or days off of school.
When are games and when do they begin?
Games are on Saturdays. The first game is January 15, 2022.
My child is going to miss a practice or a game, what do I do?
Please let your coach know ahead of time so they can plan their rotation.
I do not want to purchase pictures, do I still need to come to picture day?
Yes! Your child’s team will be taking a team photo and we would like your child to be in it!
What is the Award Celebration?
Each season we end with an award celebration in the sanctuary at 10am. This is a time in the morning when the whole league comes together to thank and congratulate the coaches and players and cheerleaders. Each player and cheerleader receives and Upward gift. All participants attending the celebration will also receive a trophy. Trophies are not a part of the Upward program, we purchase them on the side. This is a bonus for coming to the celebration. Please plan ahead to attend this very special moment in your child’s Upward journey.
What time are your church services?
We offer 3 services each Sunday. Everyone is welcome.
8am ~ Traditional Service
9:30am ~ Contemporary Service / Sunday School Classes
11:00am ~ Traditional Services / Children's Church