History
In 1986, through the obedience of a recreation minister named Caz McCaslin, Upward Basketball began at a church in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It was God who founded this ministry and has been faithful to see it to fruition. Emphasis was placed on Christlikeness and good sportsmanship, not championships. Changed hearts and lives were seen in both those who played basketball and those who administered the league.
When Upward started to grow to the point where his church could not host all the children, Caz was unsure of what to do. He explored the possibilities of building more courts at the church. When Caz approached a friend who had met his needs before, he heard these words. “Caz, you don’t need another gym…What you need is 1,000 gyms.” This statement led to the growth of Upward from one church to seven churches, and Upward Unlimited was born. Every new season has brought more leagues, more staff and more opportunities to share the gospel.
Upward Unlimited has been blessed with the opportunity to take the Upward ministry outside of the United States to children of other countries and cultures. Beginning with our presence in South Africa in 2005, Upward has experienced growing interest in sports as an evangelical ministry across the world. Our ministry has now grown to include Brazil, Canada, Ireland and Ukraine. We hope to expand even further in the near future.