Print

Share

• Email to a friend
• Add This

Article Rating

Current Rating: (

0

/5)

Low High

(Rated

0

times)

By Andrea Ciccocioppo, Sentinel Reporter, September 7, 2007

Last updated: Friday, September 7, 2007 10:09 AM EDT

Jill Otto is a devoted Pittsburgh Steelers fan. But the 12-year-old wasn't content to just sit in front of the TV watching her favorite sport. She wanted to play football.

Unfortunately, there aren't many opportunities for girls to play football, so Otto was thrilled to find Upward flag football.

“Everyone has the opportunity to play any position they want, so you can see what you like best,” says Otto, a seventh-grader from South Middleton Township.

Otto likes playing quarterback, even though her favorite Steeler is wide receiver Hines Ward.

Upward is a nation-wide children's sports ministry that gives kids the opportunity to participate in sports while ensuring that all athletes get equal and fair playing time, regardless of their experience or talent.

Upward doesn't keep league standings, so scores aren't the focus.

“You don't worry about who wins and who loses and no one gets their feelings hurt,” Otto explains.

“It's about having fun without having to worry what the score is,” says Chuck Vohs, program director.

And it's about God.

“It's a ministry designed to teach kids about self-esteem, character and salvation” through Biblical principles, he adds.

Players are taught a Bible verse eachweek and, though there are brief devotions at practice and during halftime of the games, there's no pressure on players or their families to practice religion. And you don't have to attend church to participate in Upward sports.

“We'd love them to memorize (the verses) but it's really just to teach them and give them exposure to the Bible,” Vohs says.

Coaches are volunteers from local churches and the community.

Carlisle Upward, which offers co-ed flag football, basketball and cheerleading, started as a children's ministry at Grace United Methodist Church, but has grown to include volunteers from other area churches, including Alliance Church, Barnitz United Methodist, Brethren in Christ, Carlisle Evangelical Free Church, Mount Holly Springs United Methodist and Mount Zion United Methodist.

Since its inception - which began with a basketball program of 120 children - the program has grown to include nearly 300 basketball players.

The flag football and cheerleading program has 295 boys and girls enrolled this fall.

Of course, gym space is needed. And so are girls for the flag football program.

“We've just not been able to get the numbers (of girls) up,” Vohs says. So far, there are about 15 girls playing and it's not too late to register for the season.

The neat thing about the program, according to Vohs, is that the schedule is flexible enough to meet the needs of most families. Practices are just one hour per week and games are one hour per week.

There are 72 coaches involved in football/cheering, 24 referees and 30 volunteers who run concessions. Nobody gets paid.

“We do this as a volunteer mission,” Vohs says.

“The difference between Upward and other sports is we train coaches to never comment negatively on a referee's call,” Vohs says. “They pass that on to players and parents see that the coach and their children respond positively (to a call) ... and they don't criticize the referee either.”

Vohs calls that the “circle of affirmation.”

Upward accepts children in kindergarten through grade eight for all sports, plus a special needs basketball team, which includes young adults. For more information, visit the website www.carlisleupward.org.

“It's fun,” Otto says. “You get to meet new people every year and you get to get all your energy out. You can't do that in school.”