Upward
Update as of October 22, 2024
Level I: 50 (30 spots remaining)
Level II: 41 (19 spots remaining)
Level III: 40 (0 spots remaining)
Level IV: 28 (12 spots remaining)
Important Dates
* November 15th: Registration Ends
* November 22nd: Coaches Meeting and Evaluation
* December 2nd: Team Assignments Announced
* December 9th: Practices Begin
* December 21st-January 5th: Holiday Break
* January 11th: 1st Gameday
* March 1st: Final Gameday and Celebration
Welcome to Upward Basketball!
Welcome to Mt. Juliet Church of the Nazarene's Upward basketball league for athletes ages 4-15!
We exist to use the game of basketball to teach athletes about Jesus, provide a Christian atmosphere for athletics, and instill the love of basketball into each athlete. If you are a beginner basketball player or are desiring to develop your basketball skills, there is a place for you here!
Last year, our league filled before registration ended. If you want to play Upward basketball this year, please register early!
Our season will begin in November with evaluations. We will have two weeks of practice in December before Christmas before we take a break for the holidays. The season ramps up the week of January 6th with our 8 game season beginning! Games will be on 1/11, 1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, and 3/1.
For our youngest players ages 4-6, we will run a "Little Dribblers" program. The first few weeks of practice will be basic basketball skills and rules, including dribbling, shooting, passing, and defense.
They will have games the last four weeks of the season on 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, and 3/1. This program is unique to Mount Juliet and usually fills up before early registration ends. Please register early if you want to be part of the Little Dribblers program!
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)
Based on Luke 2:52 “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” our experiences are designed to equip churches to engage the whole athlete – mind, body, spirit and soul.
More Details
Basketball: K4-10th
This program runs on volunteers, which means we need you! All coaches, assistant coaches, scorekeepers, and referees are volunteers. Many people who volunteer for these roles are parents of the children that are in the program. You don’t have to be an expert in any of the areas, but be willing to follow these guidelines:
All coaches and referees must be background-checked through the church. Those previously involved may or may not have to be rechecked.
- Willing to refrain from vulgar language or inappropriate behavior.
- Participate in the provided training.
- Ability to commit to program guidelines
- Everyone must nurture a positive environment and Christlike attitude.
- Coaches, parents, and participants must refrain from yelling at or putting down referees. Keep in mind that most of them are volunteers and not trained professionals.
- Feel free to encourage players, but refrain from screaming negativity toward coaches, players, scorekeepers, or referees. We understand that the player might be your child, but even statements directed at your child can impact other players. This also means that the encouragement of one player should not put down or insult another person.
- This is a faith-based program, so regardless of personal beliefs, everyone must refrain from discouraging others from following Christ. If there is concern about the teachings, please get in touch with the program director or their assistant.
- Rules are modified based on each level, program, and location. Please refer to the director of the scoreboard table for rule clarification. Other school programs, community programs, or even Upward programs may look and run differently.
- We appreciate feedback about the program, but all concerns should be directed to the program director or assistant.
- Parents or spectators should never confront the referees or opposite teams, coach, or players about gameplay. If there is an issue in the court due to excessive body contact, inappropriate language, or hostility, you should immediately find the director or assistant. If something is emergent and one of these representatives is unavailable, please pull your coach aside so they can respectfully speak to the referees.
- This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it indicates the many guidelines taking place.
If these guidelines are not followed, you and your child may be suspended from the game or the season based on the severity of the infraction. In this event, a refund would not be owed back to the participants. You and your child may be asked to leave the premises, and failure to comply could result in the Mt. Juliet Police Department being called.
Questions? Please contact:
Sam Parnell