Why Should I Be Part Of Upward Sports?

Upward Basketball & Cheerleading is now in full swing and children are registering for the upcoming season. Although it is still several weeks away, we are already in “crunch time” in terms of lining-up key leaders for this ministry. We still need several coaches, referees, scoreboard operators, stat keepers, DJs, PA announcers, concession workers, and more. All together, we need about 50 people to be part of Upward EACH WEEK to make it a success. That’s quite a challenge especially considering how busy we all tend to be these days.

So here’s the key question: Why bother? Why bother being part of Upward Sports this season? Why commit to being part of Upward when there are so many other items fighting for one of your precious resources – your time. It’s a great question that deserves a careful answer. So here are the top eight reasons you need to be part of Upward Sports this season.

1. It’s a lot of fun.

Come on! It’s basketball and cheerleading with kids. And hot dogs. And music. And games. And all sorts of fun things. I challenge you to be part of Upward for one day without smiling. Bet you can’t do it.

2. You can make new friends.

Not only does Upward give you the opportunity to spend time with some other church members, but you will be able to meet a lot of GREAT new friends. Most of the kids and families will not be part of our church. I’m looking forward to seeing so many of the families from last season and catching up. You will definitely make new friends during the season.

3. This is the year of Branching Out.

2013 is the year of Branching Out as a church. Let’s be honest. When many of us think of that, we get a nervous twitch. Upward gives you the opportunity to Branch Out with FBC Tampa but in a way that is comfortable and fun (see #1) with great people (see #2). It’s one of the greatest Branching Out opportunities ever!

4. You just might get some free stuff.

If you are a coach, you will get a free Upward Sports polo shirt. Guaranteed. If you volunteer in another capacity, you might get a t-shirt. Then there’s always the chance you will catch me in a good mood and get a free hot dog or something out of me. It’s worth a chance.

5. It’s a great opportunity.

Upward is a PROVEN opportunity to build relationships and share the gospel. There is a 0% chance of it not happening.

6. There’s great need.

While Upward is a great opportunity, there is also great need as I explained in the opening of the blog post. We desperately need you. Upward will not be as great as it needs to be if we fail to line up each and every volunteer. Which takes me to the next reason…

7. You can make a difference.

No job at Upward is too small. From schlepping hot dogs to playing music. From coaching to announcing the players. From keeping statistics to keeping score. It’s all vital. And you can be a part of all that and make a huge difference by doing any of those activities. Let’s be honest. All of us have served in a church position and wondered if we were making a difference. You won’t have that concern in Upward.

8. It only takes a few hours a week.

Finally – and this is perhaps the best part – it only takes a few hours a week to be part of Upward. Coaches have a one-hour practice during the week and then a one-hour game on Saturday mornings. Including getting ready for the game and giving stars to players after, it’s a total of about three hours a week. Games will last a total of about three hours on Saturdays, so everyone else is looking at that as the maximum time required as well. That’s about the time it takes to watch a long movie.

There you have it. Eight reasons to be part of Upward Sports. And I didn’t even play the “you’ll make Jesus cry if you don’t” card.

For more information, visit the Upward Page or e-mail Brian Dembowczyk.