43
Church basketball league more than hoops
Photo
Neighbors | Grace Wyler .Upward basketball players Tyler Stein (left) and Alan Cuevas get ready to play in their team's game Mar. 6. Players in the Upward basketball league come from more than 40 different churches and schools.
Photo
Neighbors | Grace Wyler .The Upward basketball league cheerleading squad poses after one of their halftime shows on Mar. 6. The cheerleaders, girls in third and fourth grade, performed dances and cheers throughout the day during the league's weekly game series.
Photo
Neighbors | Grace Wyler .The second- and first-grade girls teams showcase their skills on the court during Upward basketball league's weekly game series Mar. 6. The league hosts games at Old North Church on Saturdays.
The gymnasium at Old North Church had plenty of fans in the crowd Saturday as the Upward basketball League continued its weekly series of games.
Upward, a youth ministry and basketball league, organizes basketball teams for children ages 5-10 from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. The teams compete at Old North Church on Saturdays throughout the season.
“The purpose of Upward is to build self-esteem and learn the basics of basketball,” Rich Lallo, the league’s director, said. “It is part basketball and part ministry — we also want to teach them about God and about their relationship with God.”
The league also has a cheerleading team — a group of girls in third and fourth grade — that takes the court during halftimes to show off their spirit.