For the last 30 years, churches across the country have gathered children every weekend to play recreational sports like football, basketball, cheer, and more. Their goal is to promote the “discovery of Jesus through sports.”

Today, Upward Sports is the world’s largest Christian youth sports organization, one that had humble beginnings in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1995. One team's idea to bridge the gap between sports and faith sparked a movement that nearly 2,000 churches participate in today.

A thriving Upward sports ministry exists in the White House because of the work of Temple Baptist Church. In 2012, the congregation’s leadership saw a need and launched a football and cheer program. Within two years, the program caught fire. When the current director, Jason Ricciardi, came on staff, he was excited about the opportunity to grow the ministry he inherited.

“We are currently one of the largest Upward Football and Cheer programs in the nation,” Jason, Student Minister at Temple Baptist, shared. “This season we have 17 teams, 41 coaches, and more than 100 volunteers to help run the program.”

A ministry of this magnitude doesn’t just run itself. Jason pointed out how important quality volunteers are to the program, sharing that they have seen a 75% volunteer retention rate. From the set-up crew to referees, coaches, and fans, Upward at Temple is proud to see “passionate commitment that reflects the love of Christ in action.”

Upward Sports serves the local community with an annual celebration marking the end of the season that draws over 1,500 people. This event celebrates teamwork on and off the field and features food trucks, inflatables, live music, and more. It’s open to the community and allows Temple Baptist a chance to share their steadfast faith in Christ in a fun and safe environment.

Bessie Evans, mom of two boys who've grown up playing in the league says, "Upward has provided our boys with the chance of experiencing the fun of football coupled with the opportunity to learn about Jesus and share their faith with others."

It’s not only an end-of-the-season celebration where good news is shared, in fact, Upward volunteers are encouraged to end every practice with a life lesson from the Bible which includes conversations on teamwork, attitude, sportsmanship, and humility. Their goal is to help make the athletes they serve stronger young men and women off the field and lead them to see that Jesus isn’t just a Sunday morning person, He is vital to everything they do – even things like youth sports.

“Jesus is what makes us different from any other youth sports league,” Jason emphasized. “We have seen God at work through the program and it has impacted the families, schools, and communities where these young people live.”

Some describe the program as a handshake with the community, providing a safe space for young people to learn, grow, play, and have fun. This provides an alternative option that helps athletes enjoy winning but focus on more as well. It’s not just the athletes who are having fun, either. Jason shared how big of a blessing it is to work with the “one hundred dedicated and energetic volunteers week in and week out.”

Over the years, Temple Baptist has partnered with Upward Sports to provide a holistic experience for the community, and they didn’t stop there. In 2015, they introduced a new division for 7th-8th graders seeking a non-tackle yet traditional football experience. This was groundbreaking for Temple, as it allowed a new base of participants to experience the joys of sports each week. In 2023, Temple opened its building expansion which included more field space for the Upward program. Jason energetically shared the possibilities that may come with that.

Upward Football and Cheer are here to stay in White House. If you’re looking for the opportunity to get your family involved in future seasons, check out https://www.templetoday.com/all-things-upward.