Herndon UMC

You are Welcome at Herndon UMC!

Players grades K-6 | League Dates:  November 27, 2023-February 24, 2024

Welcome to Upward Basketball at Herndon UMC!

At Herndon UMC we believe that God’s love is real, active and for everyone.  With that, we have a passion for supporting our community’s families.  One way is through Upward Basketball.  Upward’s program is all about connecting families and building community.  Upward doesn’t just teach kids about how to play basketball, but engages the whole athlete – mind, body, spirit and soul.  With over a decade of experience, we have seen children grow in confidence, resilience, and develop skills to build community around them.  It has also been great to see the connections between families in the progam.

We are so happy your family is interested in taking part in this great program!

Caring for Kids

About concussions:

Concern about concussions and sports-related head injuries have grown over the last few years, and Herndon UMC asks all parents/legal guardians of players and coaches to complete a brief online training offered by the Center for Disease Control related to concussions. You can access this training using this link: https://www.cdc.gov/headsup/youthsports/training/index.html and under the “Launch the Training” select “For Parents: Click Here to Launch Course” option.

About COVID protocols/mitigation efforts for this season:

We will continue to be aware of cold, flu. and COVID levels throughout the season as we move into the winter and cold/flu season. We will communicate with families if we feel there is a need to change polices for our league.  As always, players and family are welcome to wear a mask should they want to do so.

Additionally, if you are showing symptoms or have tested positive for COVID, please stay home

Key Dates:

Expand each box to learn more.

November 12-22 | Team Set Up

Teams will be created and coaches will contact team members (by November 22) with follow up information about practice schedules, etc.  

Week of November 27 | Practices Begin

Our once-a-week practices begin on the week of November 27.  Practice times will be arranged around team member and coach preferences along with when other teams of your child/ren’s level will practice.  There will be three weeks of practice and then a break from December 18-December 31.

Practice Schedule for 2023-24 Season

December 18-December 31 | Holiday Break

We wish you a very, merry Christmas full of peace, hope, love and joy!

Please know that you are welcome at any of Herndon UMC’s activities.  Learn more about what is happening at herndonumc.org/christmas.

Week of January 1 | Practices Resume

One more week to practice before the first games on January 6!

January 6 | Games Begin

For this Upward season, there will be 8 weeks of games, weather permitting, starting on January 6.

Herndon UMC generally follows FCPS for weather closures (but not always).  If FCPS closes, please check our homepage, herndonumc.org, for information about closures.  We generally post closures by 7 am and updates by 2 pm.  We have reserved the weekend of March 11 & 12 for a snow make-up day or possibly a tournament for the older kids.

February 24 | Game 8 and End of Season Celebration

The season will end after your last game on February 24.  Celebrate with your teammates here at Herndon UMC.  Details to come.

Welcome, Rachel King!

Hi there! My name is Rachel King and I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Upward Director this season. My husband and our 3 teenage boys have been a part of HUMC for nearly 6 years. We have had the pleasure of calling 5 different countries “home”. I enjoy traveling abroad, visiting national parks, cooking, and spending time with our puppy, Mac. And did I mention basketball?! I have loved basketball my entire life. Growing up just outside of Oklahoma City, my siblings and I spent countless hours on the court. Now I spend countless hours cheering and supporting my own son. My favorite teams are the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Herndon Hornets. I have been an Upward parent, an Upward coach and often joke that I live in the gym, so I should feel right at home! Here at HUMC we have so much to offer not only with our facility, but with our open hearts and gifts of discipleship. I’m excited to lead this outreach program that is such a huge part of our church and community. I’m looking forward to filling that gym up with kids and adults, coming together and fulfilling the Upward mission of “promoting the discovery of Jesus through sports”.

Upward is run by volunteers. Want to lend a hand?

We would love to have you join our team in helping make this season a success for our community children. If you are interested in coaching a team or refereeing a game below. Please note that after you sign up, we will follow up with you with information on doing a background check. 

If you would like to volunteer in a non-coaching or refereeing game, you can reach out to JoAnn Batteiger at upward@herndonumc.org and talk with her about ways you’d like to support our league this year! 

With the link below, scroll to find the date and role that you want to help with.  You will receive a confirmation email from our volunteer system and your sign up is not complete until you click the link in the email.