More Than Basketball

My friend Eric and I were at a large gathering a few weeks ago and he sought me out after the event to tell me a compelling story.  Eric works for the Salem Police Department and as he walked into the stadium, he met eyes with a familiar face that he couldn’t quite recognize.  The man glared at him and it quickly dawned on Eric how he knew this person.  Eric had been called to the man’s home the previous night on official police business!  His wife, a dancer at a local strip club, was standing next to him along with their 10-year-old son.  Even though Eric was a bit concerned about the icy stare of the father, wondering if he had intentions to start a conflict, he was deeply impacted by the emotions he felt toward the young son.

 Eric is a committed follower of Christ, and he shared with me how difficult it is for him to see children in homes that are ravaged by drugs, violence and instability.  Eric remembered seeing this child the night before, standing in the hallway with a look of fear on his face.  His heart broke for the little boy, knowing the challenges he was facing at home.  But this night, standing in a stadium with 2,000 other people, Eric had an altogether different response to seeing this young child.  He felt joy.  He felt hope and a sense of peace that physically affected him.  A smile came to his face, and he knew he needed to tell me his story as soon as the event was over.  What caused this drastic change in the way he felt toward this 10-year-old boy?  Eric was standing in the Salem Armory at the Upward Basketball Year-End Celebration, and this child was wearing an Upward jersey!

 Upward Basketball is so much more than a basketball league.  This vital ministry gives us an opportunity to come alongside young children (and their parents) and show them what it means to follow Christ.  We coach them in character development, we affirm them for their strengths, we help them address their growth areas and we teach them about what life looks like when it is built upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ.  Eric was instantly aware of the fact that this young boy had just spent 3 months in the Christ-centered, prayer-driven, Church-led, affirming atmosphere of Upward Basketball.  Over the past 12 years, we have enrolled 9,077 students in the Upward Ministry.  What an opportunity we have to transform our culture as we teach, motivate and inspire these children with a Biblical Worldview that will guide them long after their basketball playing days are over!
 --Pastor Jeff