ABOUT UPWARD

Upward gives kids a positive, Christ-centered environment to learn about sports and competition, along with biblical truth. First Baptist Rogers is excited to offer kids from K5 through fifth grade the opportunity to play Flag Football and Cheer in the fall. Registration is $115.00 per child. To learn more about the ministry and history of Upward, please visit upward.org

For more updates, be sure to follow us on social media. 

key dates for 2024 Season

  • June 1 - Registration Opens
  • August 10 - Evals - 10am-12pm
  • August 12- Make Up Evals - 6pm-8pm
  • August 29 - Coaches Training - 6:30pm-8pm
  • September 2 - Practices Begin - Practices are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday through October 24, 6pm-7pm
  • September 14 - Games Begin - Games are Saturdays through October 26, 8:30am-1:30pm

Our flag football program, a growing alternative to full-contact football, teaches young athletes the basic skills and concepts of the game. Through Christian coaching and teaching, we hope the young athletes taking part in flag football not only grow in their skills on the field but also develop as strong athletes of character.


Flag football is open to children from kindergarten (age 5) through fifth grade.

REGISTER FOR FLAG FOOTBALL

Cheerleading is a huge part of sporting events at all levels of play. When athletes need encouragement and fans need entertainment, cheerleaders can take your sports experience to another level. Cheerleading adds excitement and spirit to any Upward game day. As young women grow in their cheering skills, we desire to help build them up as young women of character. 

Cheerleading is open to children from kindergarten (age 5) through fifth grade.

REGISTER FOR CHEERLEADING

Of course we can't do Upward without parents like you volunteering to coach and referee for the kids. It's an incredible opportunity pour into the lives of children as you teach them about Jesus and the fundamentals of sports and cheer. If you could like to volunteer, sign up below. 

Volunteer Registration

Frequently Asked Questions

PRACTICES

PRACTICE TIMES

  • Practices are one hour on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday from 6:00pm-
    7:00pm.
  • During the registration process, you will have the opportunity to exclude one of the above nights as an available option for your child. 
  • Your team will be given a specific night and field location at the coach’s
    training. The practice night and field location will remain the same
    throughout the season.
  • We DO NOT make up missed practices unless otherwise stated by the
    League Director.

PRACTICE FIELDS

  • Our Upward fields are located on our church
    campus across from the fire station on
    Bellview Road.
  • Each team will have half of a field to
    practice on.
  • Fields are labeled A and B. The half of the field
    closest to the Greenway is A and the half
    closest to Bellview is B.

UPWARD INTERNS:

  • We have student Upward interns that help our Kids Ministry Team run
    practices. These interns can assist you in your equipment needs, they can
    sub in as a coach, and answer most questions. These
    interns are part of our paid staff. If you have any concerns regarding our
    interns, please email us at  

GAME DAY

  • Games are held on Saturday mornings. You will
    find game schedules on the side of the
    concession stand as well as on your team website.
  • We cannot guarantee that your child will have a specific game time. Game times will vary based on grade, and my alternate every week.
  • All teams should arrive 15 minutes before their game to warm up.
  • The Upward Staff will be walking around on game day in yellow vests to
    help you with any questions or concerns

RUN-THROUGH

  • We will begin each game by running through our Upward inflatable
    tunnel.
  • Gather your team behind the run-through and wait for your team name to
    be called. We will call all teams in grade order from youngest to oldest.
  • When your team's name is called, you will run out of the tunnel with your
    team and head to your field.

REFEREES

  • We recruit student referees each year to help us on game days.
  • Referees go through a one-hour training prior to the season and will begin
    each game with a 15-minute recap of the rules and game structure.
  • Referees run our games for us. They will be trained to keep the game
    moving and to spot basic penalties.
  • Referees will start every game with a huddle and prayer. Please introduce
    yourself to the refs on your field prior to the huddle.
  • Our refs will not start off the season calling every penalty just so kids can
    have a chance to learn the fundamentals of the game. As the season
    progresses, you will find that the rules will become more strictly enforced
    as kids begin to understand them.
  • Please show our refs grace. It is difficult to catch all penalties, and
    refereeing becomes more difficult when placed under the pressure of
    coach's and parent's expectations.
  • Remember, people are always watching. The way you respond to refs will
    be reflected in the way the players respond to refs. We want
    to demonstrate good sportsmanship on and off the field for the duration of the season.
  • If you see a consistently missed call amongst all refs and/or you would
    like to help us ref this season, please email us at  

UNIFORMS

  • Players will wear the uniform given to them by Upward.
    o Uniforms are reversible!
    o Home team will wear the dark color
    o Away team will wear the light color
    o Cleats are recommended in our league, but not required.
  • Coaches should wear their coaching shirts on game days.

Staff

Events