2024-2025 UPWARD BASKETBALL & CHEER REGISTRATION

Upward Basketball and Cheer at Westside Church registration opens September 2.

If you have any questions, please contact Kelli.Cox@wchurch.tv.

COST

Early Bird Cost $120.00 (Regular Cost $140.00)

Cost includes a reversible jersey, t-shirt and shorts for Basketball; a cheer top, mock turtle neck, skort, hair ribbon, poms and megaphone for Cheer; plus a season-end award for your child.

Partial Scholarships are available for those with financial need. Contact Kelli Cox at kelli.cox@wchurch.tv if you have questions about a scholarship.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Registration opens - 9/2/24

• Early Bird Registration Ends - 10/18/24 (registration closes 10/25/24)

• Evaluations (required to attend one) – October 22, 24, 27 & 28.

• First practice – 1/6/25

• First game – 1/18/25

• Last game – 3/8/25

• Award Celebration – 3/9/25

CARPOOL LINK/COACH REQUEST INFORMATION

Carpool links (friend requests) and coach requests are not accepted for Westside's Upward Basketball program.

Upward provides a unique system of evaluating players and drafting teams with the goal of having teams of equal skill. Due to the numerous carpool link/friend requests made, as well as practice night exclusions and other needs, it became burdensome to accommodate and resulted in unbalanced teams. To capitalize on this unique feature of Upward Sports, which helps provide a more competitive and fun experience through better balanced teams, we are not be able to honor requests for children to be on the same team with friends.

Exception - siblings of the same gender and in the same division can still be placed on the same team.

Children of coaches can still be placed on their parent’s team, of course. We will still offer practice night exclusions, should one be necessary. These two features have not changed.

LOCATION

All games, practices and Evaluations/Orientations are at Westside Church, located at 15050 W. Dodge Road in Omaha, NE.

GAMES

All games are played on Saturdays at Westside Church. The game season is 8 weeks long. We reserve the right to cancel a game due to weather and may not be able to reschedule it.

Games start every hour on the hour between approximately 8:00am and 7:00pm every Saturday during the season (subject to change based on registration numbers). Kindergarten through 3rd grade participants play on half-court; grades 4th and 5th play full-court. Games are one hour in length and include a half-time devotional. Typically, the half-court games are in the morning, with the K/1stgrade division playing first. The full court, older divisions play in the afternoon and evening.

Cheerleaders cheer for an entire game each Saturday, including a half-time cheer, chant or pom routine. They cheer at a variety of game times during the season. Our cheer squads do not cheer for any specific team, but for any team and division playing at their scheduled game time.

PRACTICES

There is one practice per week, lasting one hour in length. Practices start at either 5:30pm, 6:30pm, or 7:30pm. We typically schedule our K/1stgrade divisions at the earlier two practice times. Practices are the same time and night each week. Practices are held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays. Participants cannot choose which night they practice but can indicate one night that they are unable to practice. Practices for Cheer are also once per week for one hour.

QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions check out the FAQ page or please contact Kelli Cox at kelli.cox@wchurch.tv.

UPWARD VOLUNTEERS

Help participants succeed in flag football, basketball, cheerleading and life by volunteering! Volunteer coaches for Flag Football, Basketball or Cheer are needed to lead our Upward teams and cheer squads. Volunteer referees are also a vital part of the Upward experience.

COACHES – FLAG FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL & CHEER SQUADS

What is required? Complete a coach application. Attend one coach training meeting. Lead one hour of practice each week for 9 or 10 weeks. Attend and coach a one hour game each week for 8 weeks. Attend the awards celebration at the end of the season.

Your Role? Teach the game through drills. Teach the rules of the game. Instill sportsmanship with a competitive spirit. Upward provides complete training assistance, including practice plans and drills, to help you succeed!

How do I volunteer? Sign up to coach when you register your child online by clicking the “Register” button above. If not registering a child to participate, or you have already registered your child, please complete the coach/referee sign up form by clicking the box below. If you have questions about coaching, please contact Kelli Cox at Kelli.Cox@wchurch.tv.

REFEREES

What is required? Have at least a casual understanding of the sport. Attend one referee training meeting. Spend 2 to 3 hours on game day refereeing games.

Your Role? A role model on the court, providing encouragement to the players. Control the game by making the necessary calls and enforcing the rules.

How do I volunteer? Sign up to referee when you register your child online by clicking the "Register" button above. If not registering a child to participate, or you have already registered your child, please complete the coach/referee sign up form by clicking the box below.

High School Student - earn volunteer hours toward National Honors Society or your school's volunteer requirements! We'll sign the required logging forms.

Contact Kelli Cox at Kelli.Cox@wchurch.tv with any questions and for a referee application.

Upward FAQ

What is Upward Sports?

Established in 1995, Upward Sports is the world’s largest Christian youth sports provider. Since its inception, over 7 million kids have played through Upward. The mission of Upward Sports is to promote the discovery of Jesus through sports. With supportive coaches, equal playing time and a family-friendly schedule, Upward Sports leagues are fun for the whole family.

How is Upward Sports different from other youth sports organizations?

Upward Sports provides a fun sports experience based on healthy competition for kids, teaching skills for the sports arena and values for life. Upward Sports is the only organization that offers the 360 Progression™, a uniquely designed total sports experience that adapts and expands as players grow in their personal athletic journeys. The 360 Progression develops total athletes mentally, athletically, spiritually, and socially – producing players who excel both on and off the field. For more information on the 360 Progression, please visit http://www.upward.org/about/360progression.

How and when did Upward Sports begin?

In 1986, while serving as a church recreation minister in Upstate S.C., Caz McCaslin developed a basketball league that incorporated athletic skills and values for success on and off the court. When the program outgrew the church’s gymnasium in 1994, McCaslin realized that his vision was to reach children beyond his local congregation with a first-class sports experience. As a result, he founded what is now known as Upward Sports.

How many Upward Sports Leagues exist and where are they located?

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. Find a youth sports league or camp near you now.

Who can participate in Upward Sports?

Children of any faith or no faith are welcome to participate. Each year some one million people around the world play, coach, referee or volunteer in Upward Sports Leagues and Camps specially designed for K through fifth-grade children. With more than 5,000 leagues and camps conducted by over 2,400 churches across the U.S. and Canada, children and volunteers of any faith or no faith are welcome to participate.

What will a child in an Upward Sports League take away from his or her experience?

Participants gain both athletic skills and values for success on and off the court—including sportsmanship, teamwork, integrity and respect. Young athletes enjoy valuable game-time experience that improves their skills and builds healthy self-confidence as they learn from coaches who care. But Upward Sports is even more than a game-day experience, providing youth with a supportive community, fun activities to help them develop character, and an opportunity to discover Jesus more deeply or for the first time.

How is it possible to give every child equal playing time?

Upward Sports Leagues offer competitive games through a drafting system created to balance talent on each team. Combined with a unique substitution system, this enables Upward Sports Leagues to provide kids with equal playing time over the course of a season.

Does a child’s family have to be a member of a church in order to for him/her to participate?

No, Upward Sports is a community-based kids sports program most frequently hosted by a church. Children and volunteers of any faith—or no faith—participate in Upward Sports.

Can my child request a friend to be on his/her team?

Upward provides a unique system of evaluating players and drafting teams with the goal of having teams of equal skill. To capitalize on this unique feature of Upward Sports, which helps provide a more competitive and fun experience through better balanced teams, we are not be able to honor requests for children to be on the same team with friends.

Can I request a specific coach?

We allow parents to coach their child’s team, but do not generally allow coach requests outside of that unless the child has special needs that can only be accommodated by a specific coach.

Can I bring in my own team?

No. Upward Sports Leagues do not allow preformed teams, whether they are formed outside the league or have played together within the league in the past. We use a specialized drafting system created to balance talent on each team, which also allows players to play against other players of similar talent and ability.

What do I need to do to volunteer?

Please see the Coach and Referee information above for specifics regarding volunteering for these roles. Volunteers are also needed in a variety of other roles including the concession stand, score board, and as a prayer partner. Coaches and referees will need to complete a coaching application and submit to a background check (paid for by Westside).

I don’t know anything about the sport, can I still coach?

Some general knowledge of the sport is helpful when you are coaching, but if you are willing to spend some time learning, you can still coach! We offer training for all of our coaches, in addition to practice plans and drills.

Who do the Upward teams play?

Upward is an in-house league, we only play other Upward teams within our organization at Westside. We do not play teams from other leagues or organizations.

Questions?

Please contact Kelli Cox at Kelli.Cox@wchurch.tv.