Upward 2017 Season Frequently Asked Questions

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1 Q When does registration actually start on Monday, October 10th? A Registration starts Monday, October 10 th, 2016 at 9 am. All registration will be done on-line. To register, go to and click on Click Here to Register. Last year we were more than half full after the first day of registration and this year we are expecting an even faster response, so please register as early as possible. Q How many teams will there be? A There will be 48 teams total (10 players per team), which is our maximum capacity. In order to accommodate that many teams, we will have 12 hours of games each Saturday game day. The first games will start at 8 am and the last games will start at 7 pm. Q What grades and leagues does the program include this year? A - This year the basketball and cheerleading program includes grades K-4 th. The basketball leagues will be grouped as follows: Kindergarten (co-ed) 1 st -2 nd grade boys 1 st -2 nd grade girls 3 rd -4 th grade boys 3 rd -4 th grade girls. Q What are the practice days and times? A Practices are one hour per week and are at the following times: Mondays: 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm Tuesdays: 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm Wednesdays: 5:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm Fridays: 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm (Youngest teams will be assigned the earliest times) Q What time are the games on Saturdays for each league? A Kindergarten games are at: 8am, 9am, 10am, and 11am. 1 st -2 nd grade boys games are at: 8am, 9am, 10am, 11am, Noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm 1 st -2 nd grade girls games are at: Noon, 1pm and 2pm 3 rd -4 th grade boys games are at: 3pm, 4pm 5pm, 6pm and 7pm 3 rd -4 th grade girls games are at: 3pm, 4pm, 5pm,, 6pm and 7pm Q What is the cut-off birthdate for your Kindergarten League? A If your child turns 5 years old before 12/1/16, he or she is eligible for our Kindergarten League. We strictly follow this cut-off policy. We have made exceptions in past seasons and have moved the cut-off back as far as we can.

2 Q Is there a Wait List and how does it work? A Yes, when leagues fill up we will run wait lists for those leagues. The wait list is in chronological order based on registration. If you happen to register a child for a league that is full, you will be charged the registration fee and your confirmation will show at the bottom in red letters that your child is on the Wait List. If space becomes available - up through the first week of practices in January - you will be notified that your son or daughter is cleared to fill that spot. Players on the Wait List move up on that list when players, not on the Wait List, drop out, or when players on the Wait List drop out. If your child does not make it onto a team, your registration fee will be fully refunded. Families who have players on the Wait List can look into other leagues for their players to play in, and can drop out and be refunded at any time. We apologize in advance, but players on the Wait List are not invited to Evaluations. If space opens and they are placed on a team, we will be in touch by to get uniform sizing information. For wait list status updates, direct all s to davidcookupward@gmail.com Q What is the purpose of the Basketball Evaluations? A During Evaluations, players gets fitted for his or her uniform and their height is measured. If your family is new to Upward, you will attend a 10-minute video orientation. Also, each child will participate in a fun set of 3 skill drills (including shooting, dribbling and defensive sliding). Player s combined scores together with their height are recorded into our Upward League Manager. This helps us ensure that when teams are drafted, they are as fair and balanced as possible. Attendance at an Evaluation is mandatory. Q How will we know which Evaluation to attend? The 1 st or the 2 nd? A This year Evaluations are grouped alphabetically. An will be sent out to all registered families letting you know which Evaluation night to attend. Half of the families (last names ending A-L) will attend the 1 st Evaluation night and the other half (last names ending M-Z ) will attend the 2 nd Evaluation night. Q Can my daughter register for both basketball and cheerleading? A Yes, if your daughter is interested in participating in both activities, feel free to register her for both. Cheer coaches will need to make accommodations in their schedules in order to avoid any conflicts with the basketball schedule, for those girls participating in both activities. There is a registration discount offered to register for both. To receive the discount, it will be necessary to register and pay the full amounts and then send an to davidcookupward@gmail.com to request the discount. The credit card used for registration payment will be credited with $ Q Is there a practice night exclusion offered? A Yes, we allow you to name one night that you prefer NOT have practice. We know that there can be conflicts with other church, educational, and sports activities.

3 Q I am registering more than one child for Upward and they will not be playing in the same league. Can their practices be on the same night? A Please accept the fact that, more than likely, they will not be assigned practice on the same night or at the same time. Q Can my child be placed on a team with other kids from his school? A We don t form teams based on where players attend school, in fact we don t even ask for that information when you register. We also are not able to honor special requests for team placement. However, we do offer a carpool link, where your child can be paired with a friend who you would like to carpool with, provided the link is reciprocal. Q How does the carpool link work? A You can pair your son or daughter up with a friend by using the carpool link during the registration process. If they are successfully linked, they will be drafted to the same team. If you choose to utilize the carpool link, enter only one friend s name on the carpool link line (first and last name spelled correctly) for the son or daughter you are registering. That friend must be the same grade and gender. In order for the carpool link to be activated, the friend you name must also have your son or daughter named on their carpool link. That makes it reciprocal. This will require coordinating with the other family before completing your registration. If you register and then later want to change the carpool link information, davidcookupward@gmail.com Q Are there scholarships offered and if so, how do I register and request one? A Yes, we offer partial scholarships in the amount of $75. Registration can fill up very fast. The following is our procedure for registering and requesting a partial scholarship: First, you go online and register and pay the full registration fee using a credit card like everyone else. This insures your son or daughter is registered and in the system and not on a "pending registration" list. Second, your request for a partial scholarship to davidcookupward@gmail.com explaining your circumstances. Next, our Board will review your request and make a determination. If approved, we will process a partial refund to your credit card in the amount of the scholarship ($75). If not approved, you can either continue in the program, having paid the full amount or request to drop out and receive a full refund. Scholarship funds are limited, so we may not be able to grant every request. Q Since Upward is sponsored by Mountain Park Church, is there a faith component? A Yes, Upward currently teaches three virtues each season. There will be a brief 8-10 minute devotion shared by the coach at the half time of each weekly practice. Upward provides player cards with the virtues and Bible verses to be learned. Upward referees lead the teams in a prayer before each game. During the games, half time videos in the gym are played featuring speakers who share 3-4 minute personal testimonies or experiences, while the teams are in their team rooms.

4 Q - How are the players recognized or awarded? A - Upward has a recognition program following each game in the team room called Star Awards. Players are awarded a colored star by their coaches representing a particular achievement for that game. The Blue Star is for effort, the Gold star is for sportsmanship, the Gray star is for offense, the red star is for defense, and the White Star is for Christlikeness (for example: an act of kindness to another player). A green star is also given for the devotion participation each week at practice. These stars are designed to be ironed on the sleeves of the practice t-shirts. At the end of the season, each player will have 10 green stars and 8 colored stars. We suggest ironing the green stars on one sleeve and the colored stars on the other. Q - Is there an end of the year celebration? A - Yes, on the Monday night following the last game day, we will bring in a stage to our gym and hold our season-ending Celebration Night for the players, cheerleaders, and families. Featured is a Christian entertainer who entertains and delivers a gospel message at the end of the performance. Upon exiting the gym, each player and cheerleader also receives a season ending gift. Q Can you tell me more about parent volunteers becoming Upward Coaches? A We encourage parents to volunteer to coach their son or daughter s team. When registering your player, don t forget to fill out the volunteer section! Upward strives to have one coach (head coach) and two assistant coaches for every basketball team. With 10 players on each team, that means that 30% of all families need to provide a volunteer coach. Upward has lots of resource materials in order to help make coaching not only enjoyable, but also rewarding. These resources include a great Coaches website, which includes practice plans and videos, a Coaches Handbook, a Coaches training session, and an Upward Basketball Coach App. This App can be downloaded from itunes for just $1.00. It keeps track of your lineups, substitutions and Star Awards. For Cheerleading, the same holds true we strive to have one coach and one assistant coach for each cheer team. Typically, the cheer teams have 9 to 10 members. This means 2o% or more of all cheer families need to provide a coach volunteer. Parents who are volunteering to coach can request to coach with up to two other coach volunteers. Q If I want to coach, how do I apply? A All volunteer coaches are required to fill out a Coach Application and a Background Check form. These forms are found at Scroll down and you will find the links to these forms. The interactive PDF can be filled out online, saved and ed as an attachment to davidcookupward@gmail.com. It can also be scanned and ed or printed out and mailed to: Upward Basketball, Mountain Park Church, 40 McNary Parkway, Lake Oswego, OR is preferred. Forms are due no later than October 31 st please. Q Do you need volunteers to work the Concession Area?

5 A Yes, indeed we do! When registering, you can indicate if you are willing to work one or more 2 hour shifts in the Concession Area. There are lots of shifts and 8 game days, so we greatly appreciate your willingness to volunteer! You will be working each shift with at least one or two other volunteers. Teenage siblings are welcome to come with you to work too. No prior experience needed.