Heading North - Upward Sports

We are constantly looking for more ways to reach more children with the gospel through Upward!

DO YOU LIVE IN THE AZTEC / BLOOMFIELD AREA? The First Baptist Church of Bloomfield is now an Upward Basketball & Cheer Partner! They will be having all their games in Bloomfield (maybe Aztec too??). For more information call: (505)632-3335. You can download a regististration form for their League by clicking here.

Go to www.upward.org for more information for coaches, players, parents, referees, and Upward in general!

Please select from below.

When can I register my child for Upward?

Early Registration has began and will end on October 4th. We've sent out flyers to the schools, and registration forms can be found in the Children and Youth Ministries Office at First United Methodist Church. The deadline for registration is October 8th! Click here to download and print a registration form for Upward Basketball or Cheerleading.

How much does Upward cost?

Early registration cost per child for basketball and cheerleading is $75; after October 4th, the cost is $85 so sign up early. Basketball Shorts, reversible with both colors, are optional at a cost of $18 and Cheerleading mock turtlenecks are optional at a cost of $18.

When and where are games held? How about practices?

Practices begin the week of Monday, January 2, 2012. First Game will be on Saturday, January 14, 2012.

Games will be held Saturdays following that date at FUMC Gym, Sunrise Christian Church, and First Assembly of God.

Click here for Game schedules.

What are the colors for 2012?

Blue and Silver

Does my child have to attend an evaluation?

Everyone must attend a basketball evaluation or cheerleading orientation. This is when we officially register players and cheerleaders, size them for uniforms and have players' skills evaluated thru a series of short drills.

Evaluations will take place at the First United Methodist Church Gym as follows:

Tuesday, October 4th between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm.

Saturday, October 8th between 9:00am and noon

What exactly is evaluation?

This is a key process in what makes the Upward program so great! During evaluations, each player goes through a set of small drills: shooting, running, etc. Their "scores" are entered into our Upward software. This software then creates all the teams. Each team is created so that it is made up of players of ALL skill levels.

Will my child have equal playing time?

Yes!  If you child is present at every game he/she should have equal playing time as the other members on the team.  Upward has a rotation system that also has your child matched up against a player of fairly equal ability.  If you feel your coach is not following the rotation schedule please let us know and we will work to correct the problem.

What is the Upward Awards Celebration?

We celebrate the end of the regular basketball season with a program at the Civic Center.  This year we have schedule the Awards Celebration for Sunday, March 7th 2012. This is a fun event offered to all participants in which players recieve their end-of-season award gift .

Who do I call if I have additional questions?

For more information regarding Upward programs, you can call the Children & Youth Ministries at (505)947-9200.