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Upward sports inspires youths
Published October 22, 2009
EDITOR'S NOTE: Russell Burnett Jr. informed The Facts after his guest column was published in Thursday’s edition that Adrian, the fifth-grader talked about the column, was not the child’s real name. He had changed it to protect the boy’s identity.
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The game played out like an ABC “After School Special”, with the children on both teams exceeding expectations beyond the adults’ wildest dreams. And unlike the majority of youth sports these days, nobody in the gym cared or thought much about the final score.
Before the basketball season started, "Adrian’s" parents called around to find out if he could play in a local league. The fifth-grader dribbles fairly well and has a decent enough shot, but he limps mightily because of his cerebral palsy. It hampers him from running as fast as the other kids and his parents wanted to make sure that was OK.
They were told Adrian couldn’t play and they worried about what to do with Adrian, who was dead set on playing basketball. A pamphlet came home in Adrian’s backpack soon afterward and they called to inquire about the new youth basketball league. After talking with the director of the league Adrian was placed on a team. The story should have ended there — but it didn’t.
Adrian did everything his coach wanted him to do — always with that infectious smile on his face. But it was tough for him to keep up during the games. He rarely shot the ball and leading up the last game had not scored a basket.
The two coaches talked before the game about trying to get Adrian some shots, hopefully even a basket. In the last quarter, the opposing team put one of its better players on Adrian to guard him. The player, himself only a fourth-grader, understood the scenario. He and his teammates talked about what they were going to do on the court when the final quarter started, but they had also talked about a lot of things off the court as well.
You see, the league they play in is an Upward Basketball League in Angleton. At the midway point of their practices they discuss things like how to treat other people, they learn Bible verses and they pray for each other, their families and their classmates. One year a player’s mother was dying of cancer and he broached that subject with his coach and teammates. They prayed for her week after week. She finally succumbed to the disease this past year.
The two teams walked onto the court to start the final quarter, and for the first five minutes Adrian still hadn’t shot the ball. The game and the season were almost over until the kids took over. Adrian’s team got him the ball close to the basket and he shot, but it clanked off the backboard. The opposition watched as one of the taller players on Adrian’s team got the rebound and fed him the ball again.
Time was running down and Adrian shot, but didn’t make it. As both teams watched, the taller player picked up shot after shot and kept giving Adrian the ball right under the basket. The scorekeeper stopped the clock and the cheers grew louder and louder with each shot Adrian took. After 12 shots, Adrian banked one off the backboard. As it went through the net the horn sounded triumphantly as players from both teams congratulated him.
His coach ran to the court and picked him up and hugged him. Men and women seated around the court wiped tears from their eyes as they stood and clapped.
So many times in youth sports it is the adults who ruin it for the kids. Upward, the world’s largest Christian sports program for children, was created with a vision to provide the best sports experience possible for every child.
Brazoria County is in the midst of the Upward youth sports cycle right now. Currently, Northway Baptist Church in Angleton is in Week 3 of its flag football and cheerleading season. Sign-ups are slated to begin in a couple of weeks for basketball leagues in Angleton (Northway Baptist), Lake Jackson (First Baptist), Alvin (Heights Baptist) and Pearland (First United Methodist).
Each year about 1 million people around the world play, coach, referee or volunteer in Upward sports leagues and camps hosted by more than 2,600 churches. Anyone — children and volunteers of any faith or no faith — can participate in Upward sports.
Specifically designed for children kindergarten through sixth grade, Upward aims to bring out the winner in every child regardless of the game’s score.
Just ask those who watched Adrian’s game.
Russell Burnett Jr. is an insurance agent in Lake Jackson. He coaches and volunteers in Upward youth leagues.
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