Upward and Onward

Last night was Noah's final Upward practice and Saturday will be the last game of the season.  It's always a little sad to see an end to something we love to do as a family.

While my gas tank will appreciate not having to drive to Owensboro two additional days each week, there are so many things about Upward I'm going to miss.

If you didn't catch my post last November, you can read it here from the beginning and what this program means to us.

For the rest of you, I'll carry on.

Every Monday night for the past several months Noah and I have made the trip for practice.  It has given us at least a four hour block of time to be together each week and above all that has been a joyful blessing.  We've had great conversations on our commute, laughs, and inside jokes along the way.  I've also enjoyed watching him grow as a player under the leadership of his coach. 

Last night, I treated Noah to a sushi date prior to his practice, to celebrate the end of a season.  We both shared a first, eating at the sushi bar, and it was such fun watching Noah watch the chef make our meal.

Eavesdropping on their prayer circle each week at practice has also been an encouragement to my soul.  To see Noah growing as a Christian and building on his faith is probably one of the proudest mom moments I can have.  I've watched him willingly and openly share prayer concerns and offer to lead the group in prayer several times this season.  I have no doubt this also falls on the leadership of our church home, as the strong examples he has there for role models.

At the end the coach asked each of them to share two things they learned - one athletically and one spiritually from Upward this year.  Noah's warmed my heart.  He said the one thing he took away from their devotions was to always follow God's path, not the world's, for his life.  How I prayerfully wish he holds on to that throughout his teenage years.

May he always look Upward to God to direct his life.

Looking Upward

Upward Basketball was a big part of our family when Noah was little.  A positive sports experience with a spiritual background, it was a wonderful way for him to be introduced to basketball.  He started playing in first grade, with his Dad as coach, and a very special person as the assistant.

His big brother, Austin, helped coach Upward that year. Initially, I was somewhat concerned, because Austin was young himself, and we didn't know if the church would even agree. Thankfully they did and it was a blessing for so many reasons...

Together they coached Noah's team through a perfect season. I was touched by how generous and motivating Austin was. The boys enjoyed having him and learned so much that year.

Austin continued to "coach" Noah for any sport he played. He was always there on the sidelines, rooting for him or pushing him further because he knew Noah could do it.  When we lost Austin, sports seemed to be put on pause.  Noah had a hard time being on the field because baseball was such a huge reminder of his brother.  In fact, he took a break for several seasons, not coming back to that game until this past year. 

With basketball, it helped Noah transition because of where the game was played.  By 2009, he'd outgrown Upward and moved into school sports.  Sadly, we had no memories of Austin cheering from the stands at a school game, but that made it easier for him to continue on the court.

Cheering for Noah the past few years has brought us so much joy.  Our "little" big guy has grown in the sport, his defensive game improving as his size increased each year.  Normally the tallest kid on the court, "Brickwall Blair" dominated and we'd chuckle overhearing comments from some of his smaller opponents.

Now in middle school, we were all disappointed when he didn't make the team last month.  We knew going in it would be difficult, as multiple elementary teams merge into competition for one small group.  Knowing his passion for the game, I needed to find a way to keep him involved.  Not wanting to travel, remembering our season in AAU, a friend mentioned Upward. 


When my little guy was still little



Upward for middle school?  It didn't seem possible from what I remembered of our timid, non-competitive, seasons past.  Noah joked that he really wasn't interested in playing for stickers anymore. 

Last night was his evaluation and we were all thrilled to see the growth and change in the sport.  I think it will be the perfect mix of competition, improving his skill set, laced with the positivity and uplifting spirit that is Upward.  We're excited for the season.

During evaluation they randomly called boys up and placed a numbered sticker on their back, which would help the coaches score and rank them as they played.  These scores would later be used to form teams.  Goosebumps covered both Tim and my arms, when #23 was patted onto Noah.  Our special number symbolizing Austin.  As he always does, Austin was sending hugs from Heaven, letting all of us know he would also be there this season, cheering from above in the best seats in the house.