Our purpose of our Upward Sports Ministry is to use sports to share the message of Jesus Christ. This is reflected in our 4-prong approach:

1. To expose everyone we come into contact with to the good news of Jesus Christ.
   
2. To pray for, work toward and expect life change in our participants, their families, and our volunteers.
   
3. To connect people to local, Bible-believing church.
   
4. To teach each participant basic, age-appropriate sports skills.
   

We currently offer:

• Flag Football & Cheer (Fall)
  
• Basketball & Cheer (Winter)
  
• Soccer (Spring)
  

Eligibility varies by sport: 

• Flag Football (co-ed ages 5–17) & Cheerleading (girls ages 5-12)
  
• Basketball (co-ed ages 4–15)  & Cheerleading (girls ages 4-12)
  
• Soccer (co-ed ages 4–17)

Each sport (except Cheerleading) is divided into age divisions to ensure age-appropriate skill progression as well as rules and balanced, competitive play.

Flag Football & Cheerleading:

• Evaluations: Saturday, July 19, 2025 (10am-12pm) and Monday, July 21, 2025 (6:00pm-8:00pm)
  
• Practices Begin: Week of August 11, 2025 (Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday nights; each team practices once per week)
  
• Games Start: Saturday, September 6, 2025
  
• Season Ends: Saturday, October 25, 2025
  

Basketball & Cheerleading:

• Evaluations: November 2025
  
• Practices Begin: Week of December 1, 2025
  
• Games Start: Saturday, January 10, 2026
  
• Season Ends: Saturday, February 28, 2026
  

Soccer:

• Evaluations: February 2026
  
• Practices Begin: March 2026
  
• Games Start: March/April 2026
  
• Season Ends: May/June 2026

All practices and games are held at Mineral Baptist Church.

51 Louisa Avenue
Mineral, VA 23117

All  teams/squads are formed based on skill-based evaluations that took place prior to the start of the season.

All teams will be categorized into three (3) to four (4) age-graded divisions. Cheer divisions will be a bit more varied although we like to keep teams age-graded as best as possible.

*From time to time there are some participants that need to be placed in a different division. These situations will be handled case-by-case by Upward Sports leadership.*

All participants must attend ONE evaluation session. Evaluation times advertised represent a window. Evaluation takes approximately 20 minutes to complete once started. Participants may come anytime during the allotted time frame.

There will be multiple evaluation times offered for every sport: at least one scheduled for a Saturday and at least one scheduled on a weeknight.

*Division 4 Basketball (6th-8th Grade) ONLY: We hold a special Saturday evaluation that lasts 2 hours and all participants are expected to attend the entire time. We run this evaluation more like a traditional try-out experience.

**Cheer participants are not required to complete and evaluation for either flag football or basketball season.

Throughout the season we will have a ministry volunteer taking pictures and filming games for our website and end-of-season highlight video. We do ask every parent to sign a permission slip to use your child's photo for these purposes.

Also, we contract with a photography company to come in and do team and individual photos for every sport. There are packages available for purchase directly with that company.

ACCESS THE PHOTO WAIVER HERE

Field and ball sizes, goal heights, and rules vary by age to help out participants learn and develop sport-specific skills. As these things change, it allows our participants to progress and grow in their character, skills, and understanding of the game.

*Basketball specific: In our lower divisions (1-3), we implement a wristband system that helps create as balanced match-ups as possible. Players will guard the opponent that closely matches their ability and height. This allows for a more competitive system for every player on the court while creating an equal opportunity for each player. At the beginning of each segment, players will line up at half court and “match up” with whom they are guarding. This act is performed to promote equal player match-ups. Equal match-ups combined with man-to-man defense create five competitive pairings on the court.*

Flag Football:
Division 1: pee wee size ball
Division 2: intermediate size ball
Division 3: official size ball

Fields vary based on how many divisions we have which is dependent on annual registrations and team formation.

Basketball:
Division 1: 27.5" ball on 7 ft rim
Division 2: 27.5" ball on 8 ft rim
Division 3: 28.5" ball on 9 ft rim
Division 4: 29.5" ball on 10 ft rim

Division 1-3: two games at once playing on half the court
Division 4: one game at a time on full court

Soccer:
Division 1: size 3 ball
Division 2/3: size 4 ball
Division 3/4: size 5 ball

Fields vary based on how many divisions we have which is dependent on annual registrations and team formation.

All cheerleaders regardless of age and team assignment will be learning the same cheers.

Register online at www.mineralbaptistchurch.org beginning approximately 2 months prior to the first evaluation date for the respective sport.

We also try an accommodate in-person registration during the two evaluation sessions. Although there have been seasons where we were at capacity and could not accept in-person registrations.

Each participant receives:

• Jersey/Cheer Uniform (and applicable equipment)
  • We do not require all uniform pieces but make them available to families at an additional cost if they choose.
    
• Season-end award
  
• Devotionals and character lessons
• 1 practice + 1 game each week

Upward Sports provides all player items to us a la carte, so we can decide what we get each season. In addition to the uniform, end-of-season award, and devotional materials, the participant registration fee includes a coach shirt cost split and other system fees charged to us.

Yes! We want every child to have a chance to play. Contact us at upward@mineralbaptistchurch.org to learn more about scholarship opportunities.

Our Upward Sports ministry is primarily funded through participant registration fees, our annual church budget, and concession money along with generous donations from individuals and sponsors who believe in what God is doing through this league.

Player Registration Fees: paid by participants and covers your costs to play (see above)

Concessions revenue: restock concessions and cover grill equipment

Upward Budget Line (via MBC): overhead and admin costs

Individual and Corporate Donations: scholarships for need-based assistance, big equipment replacement (e.g., scoreboards, benches, etc.)

We understand that sometimes plans change. Refunds are available under the following conditions:

• Full refund if requested before the first game and all ordered uniforms and personal equipment (i.e. megaphones) is returned.
• Partial refund may be available if requested after the first game but before the last game and uniform is returned, to help cover uniform and administrative costs.
  
• No refunds can be issued if participant withdraws prior to the last game and elects to keep the uniform.
• No refund will be granted if participant simply disappears on us and uniform is kept by participant or abandoned by participant (i.e. never showed up to receive it).
  
  

If you need to request a refund, please contact us the Individual Sport Director. We're happy to work with you and offer grace where needed.

Our primary goal in team formation is competitive balance. We realize that there are schedule conflicts and siblings playing in different divisions.

Therefore, we allow you to make one (1) practice night exclusion (a night you CANNOT practice - remember there are no Wednesday practices) when you register. We do our best to keep siblings on the same practice night regardless of division but cannot guarantee this every season.

If your child is assigned a practice night that they cannot make, we cannot guarantee a switch.

The size of each team/squad is established to ensure a safe and positive experience for all participants. Teams/squads that are too large or too small can compromise the experience.  

We will work with families, to the best of our ability, but please be clear on your registration forms about the days you are NOT available.

*If no practice night exclusion is identified, we assume you are available any night.*

**We do not take requests for participants to be paired with certain coaches unless it is a coach's child.

We have roles for everyone! Volunteers are needed for:

• Head & Assistant Coaches
• Referees
• Greeters
• Concession Stand
  
• Game Day Setup
• Halftime Devotions

Fill out a volunteer form at https://mineralbaptistchurch.org/upward-sports-team-sign-up.

This Coaches and referees are more than volunteers — they are mentors and role models for kids and families. Because of the influence these roles carry, we hold our leaders to clear and loving standards that reflect the heart of Christ.

Head Coaches
To serve as a Head Coach, you must:

• Be actively connected to a local church (attending regularly and growing in faith)
• Be either single or married (not in a cohabiting relationship)

Assistant Coaches
Assistant Coaches may:

• Serve without church affiliation if paired with a qualified Head Coach
• Must also be either single or married (not cohabiting)

➡️ If someone is currently living in a cohabiting relationship outside of marriage, they are not eligible to coach, but are absolutely welcome to serve in other valuable roles within the ministry.

Student Leaders
High school students (grades 9–12) are welcome and encouraged to serve as:

• Assistant Coaches under the supervision of an adult Head Coach
• Referees on game days
  This is a great opportunity for students to grow in leadership, responsibility, and ministry experience.

Safety First
All adult coaches and referees (18+ years old) are required to complete a background check prior to serving. We take child safety seriously and are committed to providing a secure and positive environment for every family.

Our seasons are around 12 weeks.

• 1 practice per week (45–60 minutes)
  • 11-12 week season
    
  • 3-4 total practices before games start
    
  • consists of skills, competitive games, and a devotional led by the coaches
    
• 1 game per week on Saturdays
  • Reschedules and make-up games are at the sole discretion of the Individual Sport Directors.
    
  • 8 weeks of games (usually 8 straight Saturdays, except for Soccer which works around Easter/Spring Break)
    

No, attendance at every practice is not mandatory. However, we strongly believe that the skills learned, strategies developed, and relationships built during practice play a vital role in creating a positive game day experience and in each child's overall development.

We recognize that families today juggle a variety of commitments—sports, school, church, and other activities. While we understand the reality of busy schedules, we encourage families to thoughtfully consider how many activities their child is involved in. Busyness does not always equal what is best.

If your child is involved in other activities that may impact their availability for practices or games, please communicate with us during registration. It could affect how we assign players to teams, and we want to be sure every child—and team—is set up for the best experience possible.

Team assignments and schedules will be emailed after evaluations, typically within 1–2 weeks.

There will also be a link for a Team Page which gives you team roster, coach info, schedule, and even what jersey to wear each week (since they are reversible).

On Game Days, we have two fields behind our Family Life Center in the back of our campus for outdoor sports. The Family Life Center is the 2nd building as you enter the parking lot and is where we hold our basketball games.

Games open with player introductions and prayer. During half-time of every game there will be a half-time devotion for players and families. Weekly take-homes are provided for families as follow ups and practical resources relating to the weekly devotion.

Parking, restrooms, and concessions (currently CASH only) are available onsite.

All players at all levels will be given equal playing time. There is a substitution method included in the coaching manual and auto-generated through the Coach's Upward Mobile App to ensure that all players have the opportunity to start games and play throughout the games.

Substitutions will be made at specific times throughout the game (i.e. 3 minute mark, end of quarter, etc.). 

Yes! Upward is a Christ-centered sports ministry. Each practice includes a short devotion, and halftime devotions are shared during games.

See our purpose drop-down above for our "4-prong approach".

Creating a Christ-Centered Culture
We are committed to creating a positive, Christ-honoring environment — one where competition is healthy, but character matters more than the scoreboard.

We believe every game should be played, coached, and watched with excellence, respect, and joy.

We expect coaches, players, and spectators to lead with encouragement, not criticism. That means cheering for players — not yelling at referees, opponents, or coaches. Winning is great, but how we carry ourselves matters more.

Let’s work together to create a culture where every child feels supported, every volunteer feels valued, and every family sees a glimpse of Jesus.

No. All children and families are welcome regardless of religious background.

The Sunday after the last game of every season we invite all participants, coaches, referees, volunteers, and families to our church (Mineral Baptist) for Upward Sports™ Recognition Sunday during our morning service. At this service we open the service by recognizing everyone involved and play a highlight video of our seasons.

Yes! We love having families cheer on their kids. You’re encouraged to stay, build community, and be part of the fun and take part of the devotional time!

There are lots of ways you can help:

• Volunteer on game days
• Help with halftime devotions
  
• Support our concession stand
• Encourage your child's team!

We use myupward.org to send emails and texts about general info, schedule updates, weather delays, and reminders.

This platform allows coaches to send you texts and emails as well as gives you access to the Team Page which included schedules, rosters, and even which jersey color to wear each week.

Email upward@mineralbaptistchurch.org at or call 540-894-4234.

For sport-specific questions contact the Individual Sports Directors which can be found at https://mineralbaptistchurch.org/upward-sports