Give Your Child a Season They'll Never Forget
Play with Passion, Play with Purpose. Upward Sports Basketball & Cheerleading at Allison Park Church - where every kid belongs on the team.
Basketball
for boys & girls, PreK–5th grade
Cheerleading
for girls, K–5th grade
Allison Park Church | Hampton Campus,
2326 Duncan Ave, Allison Park, PA 15101
Where every kid belongs on the team.
Effective Evaluations & Team Building
Your child will start the season with an evaluation meant to showcase their strengths and prepare us to build balanced teams for the season. Whether it's your first or fifth Upward season, your child will have fun, connect with other players and leave excited for what's next.
Purposeful Practices
At every practice your child will learn basketball or cheer skills, drills and biblical values like respect, teamwork and encouraging others. Working with coaches committed to helping your child succeed.
Dynamic Game Days
Experience the excitement of a game day your child will love — fun halftime moments, your child's name and team announced for everyone to hear, real game play with referees and a snack bar!
Built for families
Allison Park Church partners with Upward Sports, a national league built for developing young athletes. Fair evaluations, trained coaches, and every game played indoors at our Hampton Campus.
How the season works
Register
Registration includes a full uniform for every player and cheerleader.
- Early: $129 · Sept 5-Oct 4, 2026
- Standard: $149 · Oct 5-Nov 19, 2026
- Online registration closes Nov 8, 2026
- Walk-ons accepted during Evaluations Week (Nov 15–19)
- Optional: Reversible Shorts $20 · Cheer Mock Turtleneck $20
EVALUATE
- Basketball Evaluations (K–5th): Nov 16, 17, 19 — you will receive more information on when your child should attend after registering
- PreK Basketball Orientation: Nov 15
- Cheer Orientation (K–5th): Nov 15
practice and Play!
Warm up, practice and take the court!
- K–5th Basketball and Cheer Practices: 1, 1-hour practice each week, starting in December
- K–5th Games: every child will have 1, 1-hour game each week starting January 9th, 2027 — 7 games through the season, ending February 20th, 2027
- PreK Practices & Games: combined into 1 experience, 1 hour each week on Sundays starting January 10th, 2027, ending February 21st, 2027
- Season wraps with a Team Celebration Party for every team on their final game day!
2026–27
schedule
K–5th Basketball
& Cheer
06
Dec.
First elementary practice
03
Jan.
Practices resume
09
Jan.
First Elementary Game Day
20
Feb.
Last game day & celebration party
PreK Basketball
(Ages 4–5)
16
Nov.
Orientation
10
Jan.
First Sunday experience
21
Feb.
Last experience & celebration party
Format: 30 min practice + 30 min scrimmage, Sundays
Coach it. Ref it. Run the snack bar.
Head Coach or Referee (basketball & cheer, game days) - sign up online. Snack Bar Team or Evaluations Team (week of Nov 15–19) - just email us!
Email Upward Director Pam Gauntner:
Upward@allisonparkchurch.com
Contact Us
Upward League Director
Children's Pastor
sarahg@allisonparkchurch.com
Allison Park Church
2326 Duncan AveAllison Park,
PA 15101
FAQ
Who can play, and what's the age breakdown?
Basketball is open to boys and girls PreK–5th grade. Cheerleading is open to girls K–5th grade. PreK Basketball is for kids who are 4 or 5 years old by December '26 and not yet in Kindergarten.
What happens at Evaluations or Orientation, and do we have to go?
Yes - every child and a parent/guardian are required to attend ONE night. K–5th Basketball Evaluations run Nov 16, 17 & 19; your specific night/time is assigned based on registration, closer to the date. Evaluations cover basic dribbling, shooting, and defensive slide skills, with coaching provided for kids new to the sport.
PreK Basketball Orientation and Cheer Orientation (K–5th) are both held Nov 15. PreK kids try dribbling/shooting with a preschool-size ball and hoop; cheerleaders meet their coaches and take home practice pom-poms.
Can we request a specific practice night off, or carpool with another family?
Yes - each participant may select ONE practice night exclusion and ONE carpool request for the season. Requests are considered during the team draft, but can't be guaranteed given the need for balanced teams league-wide.
When are game days, and how long are games?
Games are 1 hour, on the hour, Saturdays Jan-Feb 2027, approximately 8am-4pm. Exact times vary weekly based on team breakdown; the official schedule is released end of December. First elementary game day is Jan 9, 2027; the last game day & Team Celebration Parties are Feb 20, 2027.
This season is a 7-week game day schedule (rather than the usual length) due to Easter falling in March and its impact on church staff and scheduling — this is being trialed this year.
Family and friends are always welcome to watch, and a Snack Bar is open every Saturday. Cheerleaders cheer for both teams and perform halftime pom routines throughout the season.
Full Basketball Team Schedule and Full Cheer Squad Schedule - coming soon.
What does registration cost, and what's included?
Early Registration is $129/child (Sept 5-Oct 4, 2026). Standard Registration is $149/child (Oct 5-Nov 19, 2026). Registration cost includes a full uniform for every player and cheerleader.
Optional add-ons: Reversible Basketball Shorts ($20) and Cheer Mock Turtleneck ($20). Online registration closes Nov 8, 2026 - after that, walk-ons are accepted during Evaluations Week (Nov 15–19).
How does the PreK Basketball Experience work?
PreK Basketball is scheduled Sunday afternoons only, 1 hour total: 30 minutes of practice + 30 minutes of scrimmage/game, with coaches present and engaged the whole time. First PreK experience is Jan 10, 2027; the last experience & Team Celebration Party is Feb 21, 2027.
This season also runs a 7-week schedule for PreK, for the same Easter-timing reason noted above.
How do we get involved as a coach, referee, or volunteer?
Head Coach (basketball or cheer) and Referee (elementary game days): sign up here
Snack Bar Team (game days) and Evaluations Team (week of Nov 15–19): email upward@allisonparkchurch.com
Still have questions?
Email Upward League Director Pam Gauntner at upward@allisonparkchurch.com, or call/text (412) 345-1236 ext. 738.
You can also reach Children's Pastor Sarah Graefe at sarahg@allisonparkchurch.com.