g_assist|nid=8020|title=Upward Soccer|desc=Upward coaches make sure no child sits on the bench and everyone gets equal playing time while teaching the basics of the sport.|link=none|align=left|width=480|height=640]By Philip Timothy, Message Staff Writer
PINEVILLE – Springtime usually means its time to play ball: baseball.
From central Louisiana throughout the country, parents are busy outfitting children of all ages for the approaching ball season.
These would-be “stars of the future” don their brand new uniforms, squeeze their feet into a pair of year-old cleats, search their rooms for their gloves and bats and head to the backyard to hone their skills with mom and dad before the summer leagues kick off.
Yet, there is always an exception to every rule and at Kingsville Baptist Church, 323 youngsters between the ages of 5 to 12, are going through their final prep for the start of the church’s Upward soccer program on March 31.
That’s right, SOCCER.
Now in its seventh year, the highly-successful Kingsville program, which is one of only seven in the state and one of just two in central Louisiana, is coming off a record-setting year in 2011 when more than 350 participated.
“I am really not sure where we would rank in the state as far as our numbers,” League Director Kristetta Miller said. “But I do know we have good participation in our soccer program, and it has become quite popular.
“While a quarter of the players do come from here [Kingsville], we also have a number from Rapides, Grant, and Catahoula parishes,” Miller said. “The players from this parish come mostly from north of the [Red] River, but we do draw a few from Alexandria and towns south of there.”
Upward attributes the growing popularity to a combination of factors: equal playing time for all children, ensuring no one sits on the bench for most of the game; an emphasis on learning the basics instead of getting to the next level; and engaging the churched and the unchurched in a popular place: a soccer field.
“We’ve seen growth on two levels,” said Michele Bennett Walton, senior communications associate for Upward Sports. “First, churches across the country are looking for a way to connect with their community and reach people who are not yet interested in the gospel.
“A kid’s sports league enables them to build common ground with people and fosters trusting relationships in which the gospel can be demonstrated and shared. That’s why we believe churches continue to add Upward Sports to their outreach strategy,” she said.
“But we’ve also seen growth in participants. Parents are seeking a family-friendly place where their kids can play fun sports,” Walton said. “They aren’t looking for a league that will run their lives, but one that will add value to it. As our partners continue to excel in providing this type of positive sports experience, we believe this growth will continue.”
Presently, Upward Sports, which originated in Upstate South Carolina in 1986, has 543,163 youngsters participating in 5,162 leagues and camps in 48 states and Canada.
The Kingsville program is one of 40 leagues spread across the state, which includes 31 for basketball and cheerleading, one flag football and cheerleading league, and seven soccer leagues.
So, why did Kingsville decide on soccer?
“Seven years ago, Wendy Blocker and I attended a training conference for Upward. We came away from the conference so impressed with the organization,” Miller said. “We knew right then it would be a good outreach for the church.
[img_assist|nid=8021|title=Upward at Kingsville|desc=Kingsville Baptist Church in Pineville/Ball always has two coaches for each of its 44 teams. In addition to teaching the youngsters fundamentals of the sport, the coaches provide life lessons about God from the Bible.|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]“Problem was the church didn’t have a gym, and Upward did not, at the time, offer flag football,” Miller said. “So, we decided to start a soccer program and we had the perfect spot to do it.”
The church owned a number of tree-filled acres directly behind it. So, the pair went to work getting the trees cut and removed, and the land leveled. In the end, five soccer fields were built, which on any given Saturday in the spring, 44 teams play 22 games on a Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
“It took a lot of dirt work using volunteer or discounted help to get the fields built,” Miller said. “Like anything it takes a commitment and a lot of volunteers to help make a program like this a successful one.”
Miller and Blocker oversee a core team, which consist of commissioners, who are in charge of the field, coaches, referees, concessions, game-day volunteers, coaches, and devotions. There are more than 100 volunteers with an additional 100 prayer partners who pray over the entire season.
“Because so many people are involved we limit the time of our practices and games,” Miller said. “Practices are one hour per week and all games, which are just an hour, are held beginning on Saturday morning and concluding by early evening.
“Having only one hour of practice a week is huge. A lot of families can’t do four hours five days a week,” she said. “And since the team’s practices are short, many parents stick around either to watch or help the coaches.”
Another reason for the program’s popularity is the fact it’s less aggressive, and there is a difference in atmosphere.
“We do a lot of things different from other leagues,” said Miller, whose own two children have participated in the league.
“We are less aggressive; we incorporate the Bible, and biblical lessons, to connect the children to sports, to coaches and to each other. I like the fact we are using sports to teach kids about Jesus.
“While we do keep score, we don’t keep league standings. We take the emphasis off winning,” Miller continued. “We don’t tolerate bad attitudes, even from the sidelines. We make sure to train our coaches and referees how to deal with it. If we see an unruly parent during a game, our administrative people deal with it.”
Perhaps the biggest thing going for the Kingsville program and all Upward programs for that matter is the fairness.
Each team is equally divided according to players’ abilities, in pursuit of a perfect mix of strong and weak players. At the end of each practice and game, coaches award colored stars to players to recognize their efforts in different areas.
No wonder the program is so popular with churches and communities alike.
“For churches, the benefit of Upward Sports is it offers a proven outreach ministry in a turnkey package – providing them with the training, support and resources needed to reach their community through sports,” Walton said. “For parents, they are finding out Upward is a family-friendly kids sports league that offers a positive learning experience and healthy fun at a great value.”
Miller said Kingsville’s desire is to work on the next generation.
“My oldest daughter graduated from the Upward program last year,” Miller said. “And she is serving as an assistant coach this season. We encourage this. We encourage the kids and the families to stay a part of the program.
“We know it is making an impact on their lives. We know it is making an impact for HIS Kingdom,” Miller said. “Yes, through this soccer program people are getting to know Kingsville Baptist Church, but more importantly, they are getting to know God.”