“It’s Not Whether You Win or Lose, It’s How You…” – Redding’s Hoops and Cheers Extravaganza Promises Life Skills to Young Athletes

In the heart of Redding, Upward Sports has embarked on a transformative journey of teaching young athletes the nuances of the game along with winning life’s plays. As the program gears for the second season, it aims at blending the sound of dribbling basketballs with high-spirited cheers.  

Deviating from the thrill of the competition, the program aims to instill valuable lessons among the participants. Hosting the program to maintain a balance between character development and athletic skills, it traverses far away from winning score points on the court. 

The basketball program offers a positive sports space

Going by the quote, “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. And, that goes for the game of life, too.” the Upward Sports program has evolved to be just a basketball league. Making its debut at the Redding Nazarene Church on north Bechelli Lane, it focuses on persistence and teamwork. 

Even though Redding offers parents multiple sports options, Upward Sports answers a significant need for sports ministry within the community. Lead Pastor Colin Duffy shared his thoughts in an interview with Abc 7 KRCR, “There’s other options out there, but, as our registration is showing us, there’s still plenty of people that are looking and searching for a safe place to have their kids play sports.”

With the registration numbers increasing at a noticeable pace, it reflects the demand for the program. The impact of Upward Sports on young athletes has gone far beyond honing basketball skills. 

Cheerleading takes center stage on the basketball court

In the previous year, it had only 100 participants, while this year, till now, 90 kindergartners through fifth graders have already registered. The basketball program has instilled a positive mindset in the young players to help them measure their success not by the final score but by the determination displayed on the court.  

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Atkinson gave an insight into how the children coped with the program, “And, sometimes, they would pull it out and win, and they’d be happy. And, sometimes, they’d pull it out and lose, but still have that sense of self-satisfaction, that ‘I tried,’ that ‘I did the best I could and sometimes it’s not enough to win, but I worked hard, I left it on the court, and I can still have a great rest of the day despite not winning my basketball game.'”

Besides basketball, this year, the program adds an exciting touch that is cheerleading. As the young participants are gearing up for the practice sessions starting from January 8, 2024, through this inclusion, the program showcases its commitment to offering diverse opportunities to young athletes. This cheerleading experience will contribute to their personal growth through teamwork and character development. 

Hence, treading beyond basketball dribbles and cheers, the Upward Sports will pave the way for the young athletes to embark on their journey forward, learning about the key factors to overcome life’s challenges. The young athletes will be exposed to a new part of life where victory and loss on the court have nothing to do as they need to emerge victorious in the game called life.  

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