North Main Upward Sports

07/15/2026

Don't miss out on the LOVE as registration ends TOMORROW (July 16th)!!

Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in high school and college. At Upward, we pride ourselves on keeping the focus solely on the kids by teaching fundamentals, equal playing time and sharing God's love.

Register now: https://registration.upward.org/UPW90742

WHO CAN JOIN?
Flag Football: Co-ed, for players ENTERING Kindergarten–6th Grade
Cheerleading: Girls ENTERING Kindergarten–6th Grade

KEY DATES & SCHEDULE
Practices:
Grades 4–6: Tuesday evenings beginning August 4
Grades K–3: Thursday evenings beginning August 6
Cheer: TBD
Additional practice Sunday, August 9
Evaluations:
Grades 4–6: Tuesday, July 28 & Sunday, August 2
Grades K–3: Thursday, July 30 & Sunday, August 2
Exact times will be shared closer to evaluation dates
Games: Sunday afternoons/evenings at Butler Memorial Stadium beginning August 16
Last Game: October 4
(No games Labor Day weekend. Awards ceremony date TBD.)

LOCATION
All flag practices & games: Butler Memorial Stadium at Butler Memorial Park
Cheer practices: Butler Memorial Stadium or North Main Street Church of God

COST
$100 per player, which includes:
Flag: Reversible jersey (49ers and Patriots), flag belt, wristband, end-of-season award
Cheer: Top, skorts, poms, hair bow, megaphone, end-of-season award
Optional: Black shorts (flag) or white mock turtleneck (cheer) – $14
Siblings: siblings will receive a $15 discount
Scholarships are available — please reach out to Justin if you need support!
We kindly ask that families pay upon registration to help us reduce administrative time and focus more on what matters: your kids!

PRACTICES
All teams will train together for consistent instruction, then split into individual teams for play reviews. Practices will last about 90 minutes and include a short devotion.

GAMES
Our Sunday game days bring the energy!
Expect:
A real stadium setting
Introductions, music, and maybe even games under the lights!

WHAT TO BRING (FLAG)
Water bottle (with name written on it)
Cleats (any sport type: football, soccer, baseball, etc.)
Optional: mouthpiece
Positive attitude and love for the game!

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
Yes, you can help! We need coaches and volunteers. No experience? No worries! We'll practice as a group and Upward offers great coaching resources.
Coaches even get cool swag (yes, hats included)!
Volunteer here: https://registration.upward.org/UPW90742/volunteer

COMMON QUESTIONS
Is flag football "real" football?
Yes! Flag football teaches many of the same fundamentals as tackle—throwing, catching, running routes, defensive positioning, and more—just in a safer environment. It’s also a fantastic stepping stone for youth or junior high tackle football and hopefully soon...high school girls flag football!
Can girls really play?
Absolutely! Girls not only participate—they excel. Football is evolving, and women are making their mark as players, referees, and coaches. We encourage all young athletes to get in the game.
What if we're on vacation?
No problem! Just let us know about conflicts with evaluations, practices, or games—we’ll work with you.

There’s nothing like stepping onto the field under the lights, the grass dewy beneath your feet, and the buzz of game day in the air. Football season is coming and you want to be part of it so sign up and spread the word!

God Bless and Go Upward!!

07/05/2026

Registration ends in 11 days!

Don't be left on the sidelines and register today!! Also, so there are no fumbles, please remember to register your player or cheerleader by the grade they are entering.

Register now: https://registration.upward.org/UPW90742

WHO CAN JOIN?
Flag Football: Co-ed, for players ENTERING Kindergarten–6th Grade
Cheerleading: Girls ENTERING Kindergarten–6th Grade

KEY DATES & SCHEDULE
Practices:
Grades 4–6: Tuesday evenings beginning August 4
Grades K–3: Thursday evenings beginning August 6
Cheer: TBD

Additional practice Sunday, August 9
Evaluations:
Grades 4–6: Tuesday, July 28 & Sunday, August 2
Grades K–3: Thursday, July 30 & Sunday, August 2
Exact times will be shared closer to evaluation dates

Games: Sunday afternoons/evenings at Butler Memorial Stadium beginning August 16
Last Game: October 4
(No games Labor Day weekend. Awards ceremony date TBD.)

LOCATION
All flag practices & games: Butler Memorial Stadium at Butler Memorial Park
Cheer practices: Butler Memorial Stadium or North Main Street Church of God

COST
$100 per player, which includes:
Flag: Reversible jersey (49ers and Patriots), flag belt, wristband, end-of-season award
Cheer: Top, skorts, poms, hair bow, megaphone, end-of-season award
Optional: Black shorts (flag) or white mock turtleneck (cheer) – $14
Siblings: siblings will receive a $15 discount
Scholarships are available — please reach out to Justin if you need support!
We kindly ask that families pay upon registration to help us reduce administrative time and focus more on what matters: your kids!

PRACTICES
All teams will train together for consistent instruction, then split into individual teams for play reviews. Practices will last about 90 minutes and include a short devotion.

GAMES
Our Sunday game days bring the energy! Expect:
A real stadium setting

Announcers, music, and maybe even games under the lights!

WHAT TO BRING (FLAG)
Water bottle (with name written on it)
Cleats (any sport type: football, soccer, baseball, etc.)
Optional: mouthpiece
Positive attitude and love for the game!

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
Yes, you can help! We need coaches and volunteers. No experience? No worries! We'll practice as a group and Upward offers great coaching resources.
Coaches even get cool swag (yes, hats included)!
Volunteer here: https://registration.upward.org/UPW90742/volunteer

COMMON QUESTIONS
Is flag football "real" football?
Yes! Flag football teaches many of the same fundamentals as tackle—throwing, catching, running routes, defensive positioning, and more—just in a safer environment. It’s also a fantastic stepping stone for youth or junior high tackle football and hopefully soon...high school girls flag football!

Can girls really play?
Absolutely! Girls not only participate—they excel. Football is evolving, and women are making their mark as players, referees, and coaches. We encourage all young athletes to get in the game.

What if we're on vacation?
No problem! Just let us know about conflicts with evaluations, practices, or games—we’ll work with you.

There’s nothing like stepping onto the field under the lights, the grass dewy beneath your feet, and the buzz of game day in the air. Football season is coming and you want to be part of it so sign up and spread the word!

God Bless and Go Upward!!

06/02/2026

How exciting is THIS!!

The Butler Golden Tornado are expected to join the ranks of the growing WPIAL flag football scene. The Butler Area School board unanimously approved a proposal during a meeting Monday, June 1, and…

05/16/2026

Flag players can participate too!!

🏈Building The Foundation Youth Camp🏈

BASD students grades k-7 in the 2026-2027 school year come and join us!
🗓️ June 9, 10 & 11
⏰ 10:00 AM-12:00PM
🗺️ Art Bernardi Stadium
Sign-up here 👇
https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/520548

We can't wait to see you there!

05/14/2026

Are you ready for some flag football?!: Upward Flag Football & Cheer - Season 4 Registration is NOW OPEN!

We can't believe the hype we're receiving for our 4th season and we're ready to get it started!! Registration is now open so don't leave anyone out in the dust and get the word out. Also, so there are no fumbles, please remember to register your player or cheerleader by the grade they are entering.

Register now: https://registration.upward.org/UPW90742

WHO CAN JOIN?
Flag Football: Co-ed, for players ENTERING Kindergarten–6th Grade
Cheerleading: Girls ENTERING Kindergarten–6th Grade

KEY DATES & SCHEDULE
Practices:
Grades 4–6: Tuesday evenings beginning August 4
Grades K–3: Thursday evenings beginning August 6
Cheer: TBD
Additional practice Sunday, August 9

Evaluations:
Grades 4–6: Tuesday, July 28 & Sunday, August 2
Grades K–3: Thursday, July 30 & Sunday, August 2
Exact times will be shared closer to evaluation dates

Games: Sunday afternoons/evenings at Butler Memorial Stadium beginning August 16
Last Game: October 4
(No games Labor Day weekend. Awards ceremony date TBD.)

LOCATION
All flag practices & games: Butler Memorial Stadium at Butler Memorial Park
Cheer practices: Butler Memorial Stadium or North Main Street Church of God

COST
$100 per player, which includes:
Flag: Reversible jersey (49ers and Patriots), flag belt, wristband, end-of-season award
Cheer: Top, skorts, poms, hair bow, megaphone, end-of-season award
Optional: Black shorts (flag) or white mock turtleneck (cheer) – $14
Siblings: siblings will receive a $15 discount
Scholarships are available — please reach out to Justin if you need support!
We kindly ask that families pay upon registration to help us reduce administrative time and focus more on what matters: your kids!

PRACTICES
All teams will train together for consistent instruction, then split into individual teams for play reviews. Practices will last about 90 minutes and include a short devotion.

GAMES
Our Sunday game days bring the energy! Expect:
A real stadium setting
Announcers, music, and maybe even games under the lights!

WHAT TO BRING (FLAG)
Water bottle (with name written on it)
Cleats (any sport type: football, soccer, baseball, etc.)
Optional: mouthpiece
Positive attitude and love for the game!

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
Yes, you can help! We need coaches and volunteers. No experience? No worries! We'll practice as a group and Upward offers great coaching resources.
Coaches even get cool swag (yes, hats included)!
Volunteer here: https://registration.upward.org/UPW90742/volunteer

COMMON QUESTIONS
Is flag football "real" football?
Yes! Flag football teaches many of the same fundamentals as tackle—throwing, catching, running routes, defensive positioning, and more—just in a safer environment. It’s also a fantastic stepping stone for youth or junior high tackle football and hopefully soon...high school girls flag football!

Can girls really play?
Absolutely! Girls not only participate—they excel. Football is evolving, and women are making their mark as players, referees, and coaches. We encourage all young athletes to get in the game.

What if we're on vacation?
No problem! Just let us know about conflicts with evaluations, practices, or games—we’ll work with you.

There’s nothing like stepping onto the field under the lights, the grass dewy beneath your feet, and the buzz of game day in the air. Football season is coming and you want to be part of it so sign up and spread the word!

God Bless and Go Upward!!

04/08/2026

Spring flag football league for middle and high school girls!

📣📣 REGISTRATION IS OFFICIALLY OPEN!

Sign up today to join our Middle School and High School Development Team!

➡️ Click the link to get registered!
https://butlerareaflagfootball.teamsidelinesite.com/programs

🏈 Practices start soon!

👀 Keep an eye out for more Try It Out days if you're still curious about flag football!

01/18/2026

That’s a wrap! Thank you to everyone who helped make this season such a success. We are especially grateful to the Butler Area School District Athletic Department for hosting an Upward Night, the Butler Varsity Cheerleaders for showing our cheer squads so much love, and the Butler Boys Basketball team for an amazing performance and for reminding us that every player needs a place to start their journey.

01/15/2026

Registration for our 4-6th grade basketball and cheer league CLOSES IN ONE WEEK! (PLEASE SHARE so no one misses out as online registration will close Thursday, January 22nd)

The registration link is: https://registration.upward.org/UPW90055

League details
Every team will play 6 regular season games plus an end of season tournament. We tried to start the league towards the tail end of the elementary travel basketball season but want to finish before Easter and spring sports. We are allowing 3rd graders who played for their school team to play in our 4th grade division. Besides the 3rd graders, we are not going to allow any players to play up this season.

Games in this league will be played full court with the presence of a PIAA referee (or two volunteer referees). Tournament games will have two referees per game.

Cost and Payment Details
Cost will be $95 (the extra $10 is for referees) plus an optional $14 for shorts or cheer turtlenecks. There is also a sibling discount of $15 per child. If the sibling participated in the k-3rd grade basketball and cheerleading league, please enter the sibling discount code SIBLING26 when registering. Scholarships are available for those in need (email [email protected] or call/text 724.679.1755 for more details). We are asking all families to pay online when they register which is different from what we had in the past. If there is an issue where you can't participate then we will issue a full refund.

Mandatory Evaluations for Basketball
Instead of an evaluation day like we’ve done in our K-3rd grade league, we will be having MANDATORY evaluation nights which will be an open gym/scrimmaging concept on the following nights:

6th Grade - Tuesday, February 3rd (6-7:30)
5th Grade – Wednesday, February 4th (6-7:30)
4th Grade – Thursday, February 5th (6-7:30)

You must attend the evaluation night in order to play (your travel coach will understand). After the evaluation for each group, the coaches will be drafting teams. This is a concept that has proved successful in past seasons and in other Upward leagues to make the teams more competitive and balanced for older age groups. To accomplish this, we will not be allowing carpool links (except for siblings) or practice night exclusions. (If your child has a crazy schedule, please sign up to be a coach so you can pick your practice day and time) There will also be an initial coach meeting Thursday, January 29th at 7 PM (coaches only).

Cheer
We are so happy to bring back cheer again this season!! Cheerleaders must be 4-6th grade. Practice day and time is to be determined. We will also have a welcome day to make sure your contact information is up to date and correct any uniform sizing issues plus you will get to meet our amazing coaches!!

Other Important Dates and Information
First week of practice will be the week of February 9th.
Teams will have an optional practice Saturday, February 14th.
First game will be Saturday, February 21st. We will start the games late morning and run into the evening depending on the number of teams to limit competing with other sports.
There will be no games the March 14th due to a church function and the week of Easter so enjoy those weekends off!
Awards ceremony (last regular season game) April 11th.
Tournament will be April 17-19. Depending on the number of teams, games be Friday night, all day Saturday and possibly Sunday afternoon.
This will give each team 6 games plus a tournament; therefore, guaranteeing at least 7 games for the season.
Unfortunately, there will be no snow make up games.

Volunteers
WE NEED COACHES!! Please let me know asap if you are willing to coach or be an assistant coach. We also know many of you have someone at your church (or maybe yourself!) who would be great at giving halftime devotions. Please feel free to pass along their name and contact information. You can also register at https://registration.upward.org/UPW90055/volunteer

Online registration closes January 22nd and we won't be able to take any more players after evaluations so please register as soon as possible and feel free to share this email with anyone who may be interested in our league.

As always, do not hesitate to contact us with additional questions.

God Bless and GO UPWARD!!

12/17/2025

Registration for our 4-6th grade basketball and cheer league is now open! (PLEASE SHARE)

Every team will play 6 regular season games plus an end of season tournament. We tried to start the league towards the tail end of the elementary travel basketball season but want to finish before Easter and spring sports. We are allowing 3rd graders who played for their school team to play in our 4th grade division. Besides the 3rd graders, we are not going to allow any players to play up this season.

League details
The registration link is: https://registration.upward.org/UPW90055

Games in this league will be played full court with the presence of a PIAA referee (or two volunteer referees). Tournament games will have two referees per game.

Cost and Payment Details
Cost will be $95 (the extra $10 is for referees) plus an optional $14 for shorts or cheer turtlenecks. There is also a sibling discount of $15 per child. If the sibling participated in the k-3rd grade basketball and cheerleading league, please enter the sibling discount code SIBLING26 when registering. Scholarships are available for those in need (email [email protected] or call/text 724.679.1755 for more details). We are asking all families to pay online when they register which is different from what we had in the past. If there is an issue where you can't participate then we will issue a full refund.

Mandatory Evaluations for Basketball
Instead of an evaluation day like we’ve done in our K-3rd grade league, we will be having MANDATORY evaluation nights which will be an open gym/scrimmaging concept on the following nights:
6th Grade - Tuesday, February 3rd (6-7:30)
5th Grade – Wednesday, February 4th (6-7:30)
4th Grade – Thursday, February 5th (6-7:30)

You must attend the evaluation night in order to play (your travel coach will understand). After the evaluation for each group, the coaches will be drafting teams. This is a concept that has proved successful in past seasons and in other Upward leagues to make the teams more competitive and balanced for older age groups. To accomplish this, we will not be allowing carpool links (except for siblings) or practice night exclusions. (If your child has a crazy schedule, please sign up to be a coach so you can pick your practice day and time) There will also be an initial coach meeting Thursday, January 29th at 7 PM (coaches only).

Cheer
We are so happy to bring back cheer again this season!! Cheerleaders must be 4-6th grade. Practice day and time is to be determined. We will also have a welcome day to make sure your contact information is up to date and correct any uniform sizing issues plus you will get to meet our amazing coaches!!

Other Important Dates and Information
First week of practice will be the week of February 9th.
Teams will have an optional practice Saturday, February 14th.
First game will be Saturday, February 21st. We will start the games late morning and run into the evening depending on the number of teams to limit competing with other sports.
There will be no games the March 14th due to a church function and the week of Easter so enjoy those weekends off!
Awards ceremony (last regular season game) April 11th.
Tournament will be April 17-19. Depending on the number of teams, games be Friday night, all day Saturday and possibly Sunday afternoon.
This will give each team 6 games plus a tournament; therefore, guaranteeing at least 7 games for the season.

Unfortunately, there will be no snow make up games.

Volunteers
WE NEED COACHES!! Please let me know asap if you are willing to coach or be an assistant coach. We also know many of you have someone at your church (or maybe yourself!) who would be great at giving halftime devotions. Please feel free to pass along their name and contact information. You can also register at https://registration.upward.org/UPW90055/volunteer

Stocking Stuffers
Many of our Upward Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, etc. use Upward registration as a gift for their families. Just have them fill out the registration for you or be creative in how they want to present it.

Online registration closes January 22nd and we won't be able to take any more players after evaluations so please register as soon as possible and feel free to share this email with anyone who may be interested in our league.

As always, do not hesitate to contact us with additional questions.

God Bless and GO UPWARD!!

12/15/2025

Practice for tonight (Monday, December 15) is cancelled!

Stay safe and warm!!