FAQs
General
A program that provides the opportunity to reach out into the community for Christ through basketball. The upward motto:
- Every child plays.
- Every child learns.
- Every child is a winner.
Upward Sports is a first-class sports experience that emphasizes healthy competition, sportsmanship, skills building and fun versus the “win-at-all-costs” mentality found in many children sports leagues. Upward provides the Best Sports Experience for every child, regardless of prior experience or skill level. Upward emphases that winning is about so much more than the final score.
For more information, please visit Upward.org
Over one half million children (K5- sixth grade) participate in Upward Sports leagues and camps annually. For over 20 years, Upward Sports has been conducting exciting children’s sport leagues and camps in the US and around the world.The Providence Presbyterian Church is entering its 12th season hosting Upward Basketball at our church facility. We would love to have you on our team!
Participants: children in Kindergarten (age 5) to 6th grade
Volunteers: adults and teens, No, you do not have to be a member of Providence Presbyterian Church for your family to participate.
Providence in general follows the recommended Upward Basketball rules Level 1-3 with a few minor tweaks. We do not implement Level 4 rules. A summary of the rules by division can be found at the following links:
All evaluations, practices, and games will be held at our church facilities:
The green (for practice) and multi-colored (game recognition) stars are iron on and should be applied to the arms of the Upward Basketball T-Shirt. When the Upward Basketball T-Shirt is worn under the Upward Basketball jersey, the stars will be visible.The Upward Sports Website suggests the following:To apply the stars onto the basketball uniforms, use these instructions to help avoid damaging the garment and to ensure laundering durability.
- Use an iron set at medium high temperature.
- Set the iron to no steam.
- Some recommend putting a piece of fabric between the iron and the star (my wife doesn’t!).
- Press using both hands for 15-20 seconds.
- Do not move the iron back and forth as in ironing, just press down firmly.
Registration
Generally, registration will open on September 1st. Please reference the Registration page or current season schedule for details of each new season.
You may register at a Player Evaluations using one of the computers provided or you may fill out a paper registration obtained from the church office. Paper registrations and your payment may be mailed or hand delivered to the church prior to the close of registration. NOTE: There is a risk that your child will be placed on a waiting list the longer registration has been open. Please reference the current season schedule for details of each new season.
It means that there is a chance that there may not be enough space available for your son or daughter to play this season. However, if another player drops out or we are able to add additional teams, your child will be pulled from the wait list on a first in, first out basis. So please come and get evaluated and see how things play out! (NOTE: A full refund will be issued if we are unable to place your child on a team.)
No. In the past, we have allowed players to exclude multiple nights. This has resulted in having teams within divisions being unbalanced as to talent and resulted in extremely difficult and time-consuming manual adjustments to team roaster. Therefore, it is important to consider the priority you give to Upward versus other activities. Of course, if you coach your child’s team, your child will be assigned to the practice night that you are assigned based on your availability.
No. In the past, we tried to accommodate families but as with multiple night exclusions, this required extensive manual roster changes and led to some unbalanced teams.
The only way to choose the team that a player is on is when a parent is the coach.
One of the main tenants of Upward Basketball is to create as near equal teams as possible. This goal produces competitive opportunities for every player on every team to learn and advance both offensively and defensively throughout the season. In order to do this, we must have the flexibility to draft teams as dictated by the player pool available at the beginning of each season. Further, we believe that it is an important life skill to learn to form teams and relationships with new people that we may not initially know. As adults, we all know that we don’t always get the luxury of choosing who we work with. We believe it is important to teach our children skills to gracefully handle this situation early in life.
You may request a “carpool” which is the only method of having a player on the same team as another player and is used in forming teams. Rules for carpooling:
– A carpool is limited to 2 players and a carpool must be a mutual decision between families (I.e., both must have the other player listed as a carpool when registering).
– Carpools must be players of the same Grade division and gender (except kindergarten, gender does not matter).
– Coaches desiring a specific assistant coach will result in a carpool between the coach’s player for that team. No further carpooling will be allowed for the coach’s players.
– Carpools requests may not be honored in all cases. While we will do our best to honor carpools, there may be instances that preclude carpooling between 2 players versus the practice schedules.
– Once practices begin, actual carpooling with players on your team is highly encouraged.
Evaluations
Evaluations are NOT try outs. Everyone who is not on a waiting list will be placed on a team. However, evaluations are an extremely important part of the Upward Sports Experience and are mandatory. Evaluations are a way for the Providence Upward Registration team to verify registration information, test fit uniforms, measure height, and conduct six simple drills with your child. All of this data is entered into a computer system and used to generate teams. Player assignments are generally done by the computer such that every team in a division, when looked at as a whole, has similar player capabilities. This enables highly competitive and balanced game situations and generates opportunities for each and every participant to learn and grow in their basketball ability over the course of the season.It is also an excellent opportunity for you to meet members of the Providence Upward Basketball Leadership Team and get answers to all of your questions in person!
Please reference the current season schedule. If you have missed all of the scheduled evaluations, please contact the registration team at UpwardSports@ProvidenceChurch.org.
Each child only has to be evaluated once at one evaluation session. Once your evaluation is complete, you are good to go until you are contacted by a coach with team assignments.
All evaluations will be held at Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031, in Mission Hall (our gym). Please use the back parking lot entrance (near the gym) to the church.
It means that there is a chance that there may not be enough space available for your son or daughter to play this season. However, if another player drops out or we are able to add additional teams, your child will be
Yes! Please see “What are evaluations” FAQ above for reasons why.
No. Evaluations are conducted on a walk-in, first come, first served basis.
Practices
Jewelry is prohibited on all basketball players. Please remove all jewelry prior to practices and games.Compression shirts below the elbow are prohibited for basketball players since they may make the wristbands less visible (we use colored wristbands to identify player match-ups in our man-to-man only defenses).Crocs and similar shoes are prohibited for basketball players during any basketball activities (practices, games, etc.).
A good quality court shoe or high top basketball shoes are best (discount coupons for Dicks sporting goods are available at the church). High tops are not required and may not even be required for the younger participants, depending on an individuals ankle strength.Running shoes with a wedge heel won’t protect against rolling ankle injuries and are highly discouraged.Please ensure your child wears street shoes to the church and changes into basketball shoes prior to entering the gym. This will help prevent snow, water, and outside debris from contaminating the basketball court and potentially contributing to an injury.
Practices are spread across all weekday nights at Providence Presbyterian Church utilizing both our new Taylor Hall space (one team at a time) and Mission Hall Gym (two teams at a time). Each team will have a single one hour long practice time assigned to it each week during the season (with a few off weeks due to the Christmas and New Year holidays).Younger players (Kindergartners and 1st/2nd graders) will practice earlier in the evening (5:30 – 6:30pm with a few 1st/2nd grader teams practicing at 6:30pm) and older players (3rd/4th and 5th/6th graders) will generally practice later in the evening (6:30 – 7:30pm and 7:30 – 8:30pm).Practices generally start the first week of December and continue until the last game of the season is played. If there is a makeup game, then practices will be held the week leading up to that makeup game. Please reference the current season schedule for additional details.
All practices will be held at Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031, in either the Taylor Hall (multipurpose) or Mission Hall (gym) areas. We anticipate a very full league this year and will have to use both spaces to the maximum degree possible.
Yes. An occasional missed practice or occasional late arrival is understandable. However, practices are an integral part of the Upward Basketball program and complement the experience of Game Day. Without practices, a player’s development as a basketball player, team member, sportsperson, and student of the Word will be severely hampered. It is also not fair to his or her fellow teammates.Please make a commitment to your child and your child’s teammates to bring your child to each and every practice and arrive on time.
Consistent absences from practices or tardy arrivals may result in your child sitting out all or a portion of the next game.
We do not hold practices between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Some years this will directly map to the FCPS holiday schedule, some years it may be different.We do not observe any holidays after New Years Day. This means there will be regularly scheduled practices on Martin Luther King, Jr’s Day, the traditional FCPS Student Holidays at the end of January, and Presidents’ Day.
Practices: We follow the Fairfax County School Weather and Operating Status for evening activities. That is, if evening activities (especially student evening activities) are canceled for Fairfax County Schools, then Providence Upward Basketball practices will also be canceled. Practices will not be made up.
Games: We monitor the weather closely leading up to a weekend and will cancel games as soon as it is clear that safe road conditions will not be present Saturday morning to support Providence Upward Basketball Games. In most cases this decision will be made by 730am. However, it is possible that weather conditions will deteriorate during the course of the day. We rely on reports from arriving parents and periodic monitoring of weather forecasts to make a real-time decision and may cancel games mid-day if required. If there is a single cancellation during the season, the canceled game will be made up on Saturday, March 14th. Any additional canceled games will not be made up
Communication: We will send an announcement via email and update the front page of this website (often delayed) with weather related cancellation announcements as soon as a cancellation decision is made. We will also send all coaches a weather cancellation notice which they will forward to their respective teams. Finally, if able, we will post a sign on the doors to the gym.
NOTE: Normally, we do not make an announcement when practices or games will be held according to schedule. Therefore, if there is no announcement, then practices or games will go on as scheduled!
If you have any questions on this policy, please don't hesitate to contact us.
We take the safety of our players, coaches, and volunteers very seriously, but have also lived here long enough to remember past mega-storms that did not materialize. We would very much like to get a good, safe day of basketball in if at all possible. but will not hesitate to cancel if conditions are not right.
Games
All games will be held on Saturdays. Generally the first game of the season will be held the first non-holiday Saturday in January and continuing for 8 consecutive weeks (NOTE: Some season may include a “bye” week). Specific game schedules for teams will be published shortly after teams are drafted. Please reference the current season schedule for general details and contact your assigned coach for your team’s specific practice schedule.Locker rooms generally are available about 20 minutes before a scheduled game time. Teams are encouraged to be lined up outside the gym approximately 10 minutes prior to game time. Starting line ups will be finalized approximately 5 minutes before game time.Locker rooms are also generally available for approximately 25 minutes after a game for post game team activities.
Please check with your coach to understand his or her specific requirements for your child’s team. In general, arriving approximately 20 minutes before a scheduled game time will provide your child with sufficient time to change out of street shoes and sweat clothes and into game attire. This will also provide some time for stretching and pre-game coaching.Locker rooms generally are available about 20 minutes before a scheduled game time. Teams are encouraged to line up outside the appropriate gym approximately 10 minutes prior to game time. Starting line ups will be finalized approximately 5 minutes before game time. Team introductions will occur promptly at the scheduled game time.Locker rooms are also generally available for approximately 25 minutes after a game for post game team activities.
All games will be held at Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031, in either the Taylor Hall (multipurpose) or Mission Hall (gym) areas. We anticipate a very full league this year and will have to use both spaces to the maximum degree possible.
Providence in general follows the recommended Upward Basketball rules Level 1-3 with a few minor tweaks. We do not implement Level 4 rules. A summary of the rules by division can be found at the following links:
Jewelry is prohibited on all basketball players. Please remove all jewelry prior to practices and games.Compression shirts below the elbow are prohibited for basketball players since they may make the wristbands less visible (we use colored wristbands to identify player match-ups in our man-to-man only defenses).Crocs and similar shoes are prohibited for basketball players during any basketball activities (practices, games, etc.).
A good quality court shoe or high top basketball shoes are best (discount coupons for Dicks sporting goods are available at the church). High tops are not required and may not even be required for the younger participants, depending on an individuals ankle strength.Running shoes with a wedge heel won’t protect against rolling ankle injuries and are highly discouraged.Please ensure your child wears street shoes to the church and changes into basketball shoes prior to entering the gym. This will help prevent snow, water, and outside debris from contaminating the basketball court and potentially contributing to an injury.
The lighter color is always worn by the home team. The away team always wears the darker color. NOTE: If you don’t remember if you are home or away for any given day game, please make your best guess. The great thing about reversible jerseys is that they are easy to switch on the spot! Also, please remember to wear the Upward Basketball T-Shirt under the Upward Basketball jersey.
Generally, no…We strive to have an even number of teams in each division; thus each team will have a scheduled game each week. However, some seasons may include a league-wide “bye” or skipped week in the game schedule. Please reference the current season schedule for additional details.
There is one makeup game day in the schedule. It is the Saturday immediately following the last game of the season. This make-up day will only be utilized if there was a cancellation during the regular game season. Only one missed game will be made up during a season. Please reference the current season schedule for additional details.
We do not hold practices between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Some years this will directly map to the FCPS holiday schedule, some years it may be different. We do not observe any holidays after New Years Day. This means there will be regularly scheduled practices on Martin Luther King, Jr’s Day, the traditional FCPS Student Holidays at the end of January, and Presidents’ Day.
Practices: We follow the Fairfax County School Weather and Operating Status for evening activities. That is, if evening activities (especially student evening activities) are canceled for Fairfax County Schools, then Providence Upward Basketball practices will also be canceled. Practices will not be made up.
Games: We monitor the weather closely leading up to a weekend and will cancel games as soon as it is clear that safe road conditions will not be present Saturday morning to support Providence Upward Basketball Games. In most cases this decision will be made by 730am. However, it is possible that weather conditions will deteriorate during the course of the day. We rely on reports from arriving parents and periodic monitoring of weather forecasts to make a real-time decision and may cancel games mid-day if required. If there is a single cancellation during the season, the canceled game will be made up on Saturday, March 14th. Any additional canceled games will not be made up
Communication: We will send an announcement via email and update the front page of this website (often delayed) with weather related cancellation announcements as soon as a cancellation decision is made. We will also send all coaches a weather cancellation notice which they will forward to their respective teams. Finally, if able, we will post a sign on the doors to the gym.
NOTE: Normally, we do not make an announcement when practices or games will be held according to schedule. Therefore, if there is no announcement, then practices or games will go on as scheduled!
If you have any questions on this policy, please don't hesitate to contact us.
We take the safety of our players, coaches, and volunteers very seriously, but have also lived here long enough to remember past mega-storms that did not materialize. We would very much like to get a good, safe day of basketball in if at all possible. but will not hesitate to cancel if conditions are not right.
Coaching
Coaches run the practices and coach the team during the game. Practices are once a week, beginning in December, with a 2-week break over Christmas and New Years and there are 8 games during the season. In all, there generally are 10 or 11 practices during a season. Also, coaches should attend the year end celebration.
Yes. We encourage each team having an assistant, and some coaches identify their assistant when registering. If the assistant has a child playing Upward, the coach’s child and the assistant coach’s child will be a carpool. Some coaches have an older child or spouse as an assistant, making Upward an excellent family activity. If you sign up to coach and do not know anyone to assist, we will do our best to assign a team parent as an assistant.
Yes. Each team should have a team parent to help coordinate such things as after game snacks,etc.
There will be a mandatory training session for all coaches and assistant coaches. It will be offered on multiple nights to fit various schedules. These dates will be posted on the website and transmitted by email. Further, you will be given access to a website that will provide a script for each practice session, as well as videos to explain certain rules. In this way, if you are only mildly familiar with basketball, you will be able to coach with these aids.
We ask potential coaches to prioritize the nights they are available to coach. It is very helpful if you can identify at least 2 nights you can practice, as we need to spread practices throughout the week. In th e past, we have had 4 or more teams for each division, therefore itis best to have each team practice on a different night so we can accommodate those with a practice night exclusion. As for time generally younger players (Kindergartners and 1st/2nd graders) will practice earlier in the evening (530 – 630 pm with a few exceptions for 1st/2nd graders) and older players (3rd/4th and 5th/6th graders) will generally practice later in the evening (630 – 730 pm and 730 – 830 pm).
We have had a few instances where we have more coach volunteers than teams. Usually, in such an instance, those have been assigned as an assistant coach. Coaches and assistant coaches decide how to share/split duties in a manner that is mutually acceptable to each. In most instances, there is little difference between the duties of a coach and the assistant, with the one exception that the coach becomes the main source of communication with the parents.
Virtually all communication is electronic. Teams rosters contain email addresses for all team member parents. Also. each team has access to a team page on an Upward website.
Post-Season
Yes! Providence Upward Basketball has a League Wide End-of-Season Celebration at the end of every season. It is definitely the don’t miss event of the season! Please check the calendar and watch for announcements on the Upward web page as the end of season approaches!The End-of-Season Celebration is open to everyone and is completely free! Invite your family, extended family, friends, and neighbors. There will be reserved seating for all Providence Upward Basketball teams and their coaches. Family members, friends, neighbors, and PPC members are asked to sit further back in the Sanctuary.Generally, the celebration starts with live gathering music provided by the Providence Praise Band 1/2 hour prior to the ceremony start time. Each ceremony is headlined by an outstanding Upward Sports Entertainer and often includes a random drawing for basketball related prizes.
The End-of-Season Celebration will be held at Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031, starting in our main sanctuary.
Please contact the Providence Presbyterian Church Facilities Manager and CC the league commissioners to inquire about the possibly of hosting a small end-of-season team party at Providence.Please note:there will be a league-wide End Of Season Celebration (see season schedule) that will include a professional entertainer, end of season gifts, and a light dinner.
All players receive an end-of-season gift from the league at their last regularly scheduled game. Instead of trophies, coaches may issue certificates to each participant. Samples of these certificates will be available to coaches near the end of the season.
For more information, please visit the Upward Sports™ Website
Additional Upward Basketball Reference Materials:
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Thank you for your interest in Providence. We look forward to hearing from you.
9019 Little River Turnpike Fairfax, VA 22031