Photo Essay Final-Upward Basketball League
Sun Sets on another Day of Upward
Upward basketball league is run all over the city, but this unique location has a special place in our neighborhood heart. The league is special because it not only teaches skills that are a necessity to basketball, but also incorporates Christ and community into the teaching. This is the sixth year of running Upward at Covenant for kids in Kindergarten-6th grade. Regina Schlotter, who is the coordinator of the league says "The job isn't just about basketball, a lot of real work goes into the planning of the league, but seeing the kids progress so much as a team and as individuals is so worth it." You can come out and see the first game of the season January 9th, games run from 8 a.m to 3 p.m.
Fellowship On and Off the Court
The Fellowship and Education building at Covenant was built in 2009, and since then has brought in so many new opportunities for the church. To play at Upward, you don't have to be a church member. In fact, most of the kids that play in the league are not church members, though every year more kids join the church after the season has passed. Stephanie Schultz, Upward commissioner comments "Upward is not only a great learning opportunity, it also is a great opportunity for the church becomes it makes it easier to meet other members, and brings in many new church members". The Fellowship building helps the Upward players become more tightly knit, and the building has become a sense and beacon of community for the players.
A Family Affair
The entire Smith family makes their way up to Upward basketball on Thursday night for practice. The whole family plays a role in the league, rather its coaching, refereeing, playing, or running, everybody has something, Thursday nights are exciting, but stressful for the family. Coach, father, and commissioner Andy Smith adds "Thursdays and Saturdays are crazy, we are up at the church all of Saturday helping make sure everything goes smoothly. It gets crazy, but the season is short and all the kids love it so that helps me do my job better." The family works hard to keep the league running every year because of how much passion the players have for the league and the sport.
Work Hard, Play Hard
Stephanie Schultz and Andy Smith are both Upward Commissioners, but along with that they help coach a team of 4th through 6th grade boys, which is as far as the league goes. They like to open up practice and get the team moving with some warmup running and stretching. Drew Smith, a 6th grader on the team thinks hard "I like basketball practice because the coaches have us do drills that are fun, but I also still feel like I'm learning." This is an important practice for The Panthers because their first game is coming soon against The Cougars, one of their biggest rivalries.
Teach it, Learn it, Practice it
Coach Andy Smith teaches player Garrett Roeder how to correctly shoot a finesse layup. The special part about Upward is that there is a specific cut-off to the number of players who register, so each kid gets more individual time with the coaches. Upward is special because kids with absolutely no idea how to play basketball can come and learn under no pressure. The parents who volunteer to help coach or referee are such amazing and devoted members of the Upward community. "Parent involvement is critical for organization to work and the time parents spend with children educating them on the sport is fabulous" says Upward parent and board member Maureen Crawley. Upward is a great way for parents to get involved and teach their children about Christianity and basketball.
Pass it or Pay
Player Drew Smith is defended by team mate Landon Hejn. He searches for an open man while scrimmaging. The boys get very into scrimmaging and get riled up about winning. "I like adding some scrimmaging time in at the end of practice to get the kids in game-like situations, its fun and it helps me see what I need to teach them more of," coach Stephanie Schultz remarks. The kids get very into the game, no score is kept, but Upward isn't about the score, it's about the teamwork and community involved.
Seeing is Doing
Coach Smith teaches the kids how to get down on defense. He tries to stop player Landon Hejn from getting to the basketball, and is somewhat successful. Often during Upward practices coaches will get involved in the drill to try and teach kids through visuals. Something parents notice about the league is the spirit of it. Thomas Daniels, Senior Pastor of Covenant observes "The spirit of it is what really makes it so special. Upward focuses on encouraging the kids to do their best rather than the scoreboard, which is an important aspect to me." Pastor Daniels encourages kids to join Upward and preaches only good words about the it to the community.
Layup Now, Lay down Later
Judge Baskin dribbles down the court during the teams shooting practice. Although having fun is important, it also is important to cover the fundamentals of basketball during practice, "The drills we do aren't as fun as scrimmaging or just shooting or playing games, but they help me a lot during games," Judge mentioned. "He started as a kindergartener and it has been so fun to be able to see him develop and grow on and off the court," coach Schultz adds. Judge helps support the team and is just full of spirit, which is always important. A team without any spirit isn't as coachable or as easy to work with, but all the boys on this team care about the outcome of their season.
Devotion and Deep Talk
Near the end of practice, each team of Upward takes a few minutes to sit down and talk about The Bible. Cards with Bible verses are passed out to remind the players how to act during games, and these talks helps the kids really think about their lives. Every Saturday at half time of each game, there is a guest speaker who gives a little talk about Jesus, and helps integrate what was discussed in the devotional into the game. "As a parent, I witness teamwork, sacrifice, laughter, authentic community and most of all an amazing show of faith in action," says church member and Upward parent Beth Feger. You do not need to be athletic in any way to play Upward and enjoy it, there is just so much you can learn during the season.
Teamwork makes the Dream Work
Team members Judge Baskin and Charlie Parthymueller slap hands after making a basket during their end of practice scrimmage. A scrimmage is a good way to end practice because it is fun for the team, gives the coaches a chance to show off, and still teaches the kids fundamentals. Charlie remarks "It's super fun to scrimmage against my team because it is no pressure and is just a good way for me to get a feel of a real game-like situation." Charlie, along with the rest of the team had a good practice and they are excited to start playing games and ready for the season to start.
