In 1986, through the obedience of a recreation minister named Caz McCaslin, Upward Basketball began at a church in Spartanburg, SC. It was God who founded this ministry and has been faithful to see it to realization. Emphasis was placed on Christlikeness and good sportsmanship, not championships. Changed hearts and lives were seen in both those who played basketball and those who administered the league.

With a full gym and 27 children on a waiting list, Caz began evaluating the church grounds to see if anything could be renovated into a basketball court. The estimate for transforming the youth facility back into a gymnasium was over $11,000. After sharing his burden with a friend, he was generously given the funds needed for renovations and 27 children played for free.

When the next basketball season came, Caz was unsure of what to do. He explored the possibilities of building more courts at the church. When Caz approached his friend who had met his needs before, he heard these words. “Caz, you don’t need another gym...” Imagine the disappointment had the sentence ended there. “What you need is 1,000 gyms.” This statement led to the growth of Upward from one church to seven churches, and Upward Unlimited was born. Every new season has brought more leagues, more staff, and more opportunities to share the gospel.

Values:

The Priority of Children - We believe the every child is a winner.
The Expectation of God-Moments - We believe that God is at work all around us.
The Discipline of Excellence - We believe in serving that exceeds expectations.
The Life of Integrity - We believe that how we live is more important that what we say.

Upward at ECC:

We look forward to serving with you to provide a fun, rewarding, and exciting season for your children. Upward Basketball & Cheerleading is designed where God is at the center. Your children will not only learn basketball or cheerleading skills, but they will also learn that there is a God who loves them. During the season we hope to build character, teamwork, and self-esteem.

Running during the winter:

Running during the summer:

Running during the fall: