Upward

2024 Basketball & Cheer

Important Info & Dates

Emmanuel Community Church, in cooperation with Upward Sports, is offering Basketball/Cheerleading for children ages 5 years old through 5^th grade. Our league is designed to help teach the sport, support one another in a Christian environment, and give each participant the opportunity to play or cheer without the pressure of winning or losing. Please carefully read through the information as it may answer most of your questions.

REGISTRATION:  Click HERE to register.

PRACTICES:

Practices start the week of January 8. Teams will practice one night per week, for one hour. Practice nights for basketball and cheer teams are Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday. Participants cannot choose which night they practice but can indicate one night that they CANNOT practice. SIBLINGS will also practice on the same night, unless one sibling is participating in the Friday night league.

GAMES:

Games starts the weekend of January 12/13 and run through March 15/16. For more details on specific game times, see the information below. A new game starts every hour on the hour between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm on Saturday’s.

Cheerleaders typically cheer for an entire game (One Hour). They cheer at a variety of game times during the season based on the number of cheerleaders registered. Once registrations are completed, a schedule of cheer times will be made. All cheer teams will cheer on Saturdays.

CHEER PRACTICE SCHEDULE AND GAME SCHEDULE

• Kindergarten and/or 5 years old through 5^th grade girls: 8 Practices & 8 Games
  • 8 Week Practice Schedule: Practices will begin the week of Monday, January 8. Cheer teams will practice either on a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday night (once a week). Practices last for one hour. Typical practice times are 6:00 pm or 7:00 pm.
• • 8 Week Game Schedule: All games will be on Saturday mornings. Cheer times will be determined based on the number of cheer teams.

 BASKETBALL PRACTICE SCHEDULE AND GAME SCHEDULE:

• Kindergarten and/or 5 years old (Boys & Girls): 8 Practices & 8 Games
  • 8 Week Practice Schedule: Practices will begin the week of Monday, January 2. Teams will practice on a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday night (once a week). Practices last for one hour. Typical practice time is 6:00 to 7:00 pm.
• • 8 Week Game Schedule: All games will be on Saturday mornings. Game times will be determined based on the number of players in the league. Typical games times are 8:00 am or 9:00 am.

• 1st Grade (Boys & Girls) & 2nd Grade Girls: 8 Practices & 8 Games

Please Note: 2^nd grade girls are included in this league.

• • 8 Week Practice Schedule: Practices will begin the week of Monday, January 8. Teams will practice on a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday night (once a week). Practices last for one hour. Typical practice times are 6:00 to 7:00 pm or 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
• • 8 Week Game Schedule: All games will be on Saturday mornings. Game times will be determined based on the number of players in the league. Typical games times are 10:00 am or 11:00 am.

• 2nd & 3rd Grade Boys: 10 Practices & 10 Games
  • 10 Week Practice Schedule: Practices will begin the week of Monday, January 8. Teams will practice on a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday night (once a week). Practices last for one hour. Typical practice time is 7:00 pm or 8:00 pm.
• • 10 Week Game Schedule: All games will be on Saturday mornings. Game times will be determined based on the number of players in the league. Typical games times are 12:00 pm or 1:00 pm.

Players in this league will have a choice to play in a competitive league where “normal rules” of basketball are used (i.e. stealing of the basketball & tracking fouls). Scores will be kept but no official win/lose records will be recorded. This league will be limited to 32 players. 3^rd graders will have the first option of choosing to participate in this league. The league director has the final decision on which league a participant plays in based upon the numbers of players’ and the players’ abilities. 

• 4th & 5th Grade Boys: (10 Practices & 10 Games)
  • 10 Week Practice Schedule: Practices will begin the week of Monday, January 8. Teams will practice on a Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday night (once a week). Practices last for one hour. Typical practice time is 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
• • 10 Week Game Schedule: All games will be on Saturday mornings. Game times will be determined based on the number of players in the league. Due to the size of this league, we have expanded it from 4 teams to 6 teams. By doing this, it has created an extra hour of games on Saturday afternoon. Typical games times are 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm or 4:00 pm

• 3rd to 5th Grade Girls Friday Nights: (9 Practices & 9 Games) This league will start on Friday, January 12. Practice begins at 6:00 pm and the games start at 7:15 pm. 
  • 9 Week Practice Schedule: Practices begin on Friday, January 12. Teams will practice for one hour before their game. Practice will start at 6 pm.
• • 9 Week Game Schedule: Games begin on Friday, January 12 at 7:15 pm.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Evaluation/Orientation Dates: (Each participant must attend one of the following dates)

- Sunday, November 19: 1:00 to 3:00 pm - All Ages

- Monday, November 20: 6:00 to 8:00 pm - All Ages

- Sunday, December 3: 1:00 to 3:00 pm - All Ages

- Monday, December 4: 6:00 to 8:00 pm - All Ages

All evaluations are held at the church (12222 US 24 W, Fort Wayne, IN 46814). Please enter through Door #3.

• Practices Start: Week of January 8

• First Game:
  • Friday, January 12: 3^rd to 5^th grade girls
  • Saturday, January 13: All other leagues

• Pictures: Friday, January 26 and Saturday, January 27

• Last Game:
  • Saturday, March 2: Kindergarten and/or 5 years old, 1^st Grade and 2^nd Grade girls
  • Friday, March 15: 3^rd to 5^th Grade girls
  • Saturday, March 16: 2^nd to 5^th Grade boys

• Closing Ceremony: Friday, March 22

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER*

Volunteers are needed for evaluations, coaching, referees, concessions, and timekeepers.  Contact Pastor Craig Mickey at cmickey@eccfw.org if interested.