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Upward Basketball and Cheerleading
In the world of sports, winning seems to be everything. Success is measured on scoreboards and in standings. Where are we ranked? Who is ahead of us? These are common questions among teams and fans as they pursue what they consider success.
The motto of Upward sports is simple … Every Child is a Winner. This national organization truly exemplifies that concept with their philosophy of winning being more than a game and that scoreboards reveal outcomes, not success. Upward believes that winning comes from the inside – the intangibles – and that players who are true winners are players that 1) play their very best; 2) put teammates ahead of themselves; and 3) respect the authority of their coaches and referees. By giving their all, players see success in themselves, their teammates, and their coaches, and these life lessons serve as the foundation for winning more than a game.
In the Pittsburgh area, there are several Upward sports leagues offered by area churches (visit www.upward.org to search for a league near you). UCP Kids is most familiar with the Mars Alliance Upward Basketball League and the Glade Run Upward Basketball League, as well as both churches’ Upward Cheerleading program. These leagues are for boys and girls Grades 1 – 8.
As in most sports leagues, athletes participate in “skills and drills” in basketball, and motions, jumps and cheers in cheerleading. Each basketball team or cheer squad has a coach and assistant coaches, there are referees for games, and all players and cheerleaders have uniforms. But a unique element of all Upward programs is to help children develop character and self-esteem by sharing opportunities for athletes, no matter what their religious denomination, to participate in prayer and devotions. Each game opens with team prayer and a devotion is an important part of half-time activities.
Another unique component of the program is the Upward stars. In order to build self-esteem and team spirit, each participant is awarded a star after each game and practice. Each colored star has a different meaning, some related to the sport itself, such as Best Offense and Best Defense in basketball and Best Cheer and Best Spirit for cheerleading, but other stars are specific to Upward’s mission of developing character, like the stars for Best Sportsmanship and Best Effort.
Learn more about the Mars Alliance Upward Basketball League and Cheerleading Program at www.marsalliance.org and the Glade Run Upward Basketball League and Cheerleading Program at www.gladerunchurch.org.
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