Upward Basketball is gearing up for another season at Central Baptist Church. Boys and girls from kindergarten through sixth grade play each Saturday during the season and learn the basics of basketball as well as building Christian character. Matt Bell, family minister to youth at Central, said he expects to have another good year of participation. Evaluations for first through sixth grade were held Monday and Tuesday with the assistance of Coach Andy Sharpe and the Southern Arkansas University basketball team. Children are evaluated by such criteria as age, skill, and size and teams are drafted to insure equal skills among players. Weekly practice will begin November 26 and games begin Jan. 12 and continue through February. At the end of the season, teams and players are recognized at an award ceremony and each player receives a prize. Cost per child is $80, which includes the uniform, supplies, trophies and awards. A final evaluation session will be held this Monday, Oct. 15 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. for kindergarten players and for children who missed evaluations this week. For more information, contact Central Baptist Church at 234-2430.
