Players grades K-6 | League Dates: December 1, 2025-February 28, 2026
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 15+ years 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!
Register Here!
Registration for the 2026 season opens on Monday, September 15. Lock in the Early Bird registration fee of $130 per player. Starting October 16, the registration fee increases to $155 per player. If you are registering more than one child, then please note we offer a $10 discount for each additional sibling’s registration fee (i.e. $10 discount for the first additional sibling, $20 for the second, etc.) Additionally, scholarships are available for families in need of financial assistance. Contact Rachel King, upward@herndonumc.org for more information.
Key Dates:
Expand each box to learn more.
October 16-November 21 | Registration Continues
Register online at UPWARD.org.
After October 15, the registration fee increases to $155 per player. If you are registering more than one child, then please note we offer a $10 discount for each additional sibling’s registration fee (i.e. $10 discount for the first additional sibling, $20 for the second, etc.) Additionally, scholarships are available for families in need of financial assistance. Contact Rachel King, upward@herndonumc.org for more information.
Please remember that space is limited, and we will be using wait lists. More coaches and refs means more kids can participate, so if you are willing check please sign up!
November 20 & 21 | Player Evaluations
6-7:30 PM on Thursday & Friday
in Doe Fellowship Hall (701 Bennett Street)
You and your child/ren will need to attend only one of these days, and you can stop in either day. Evaluations will take about 10-15 minutes and will include confirming registration information; your child/ren doing a few skills assessments with one of our coaches; and taking care of any last minute things before the first week of practice.
Unlike a school team or another sports league, where you traditionally try out to see if you make it onto the team, Upward accepts everyone who registers to play on a team! Evaluations help us measure and assess what each child’s skill set and better build level teams for the season. All we ask in evaluations is for our players to come ready to have fun and do their best!
November 22-28 | Team Set Up
Teams will be created and coaches will contact team members (by November 28) with follow up information about practice schedules, etc.
Week of December 1 | Practices Begin
Our once-a-week practices begin on the week of December 1. Practice times will be arranged to accommodate team member and coach preferences, as well as the schedules of other teams at your child’s/ren’s level. There will be two weeks of practice and then a break from December 15-January 2.
Look for the practice schedule to be posted here and on the Connection Corners in the church, when available.
December 15-January 2 | Holiday Break
Herndon UMC will offer some casual open gym opportunities over this break. More information to come.
Herndon UMC wishes everyone a very merry Christmas full of peace, hope, love and joy!
Please know that you are welcome at any of Herndon UMC’s activities. More information to come here and at herndonumc.org/christmas too!
Week of January 5 | Practices Resume
One more week to practice before the first games on January 10!
January 10 | Games Begin
For this Upward season, there will be 8 weeks of games, weather permitting, starting on January 10.
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 7 for a snow make-up day.
February 28 | Game 8 and End of Season Celebration
The season will end after your last game on February 28. Celebrate with your teammates here at Herndon UMC. Details to come.
Meet our Director, Rachel King!
Hi there! My name is Rachel King and I’m excited to begin my third season as the Upward Director after previously volunteering as an Upward coach and parent. With my husband and our 3 teenage boys, I have been a part of Herndon UMC for nearly 7 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. Here at Herndon UMC, we have so much to offer not only with our facility but with our open hearts and gifts of discipleship. I love leading this outreach program that is such a huge part of our church and community. I look 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, click on the link 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 another way, you can reach out to Rachel at upward@herndonumc.org and talk with her about ways you’d like to support our league this year!
When the link to help with Concessions and Games appears 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.