Upward Sports is a non-profit Christian youth sports organization, but its scale and vertical integration resemble the industry's major for-profit platforms.
“I think we're probably the largest recreation basketball company in the country,” director of market research Travis Vaughn told Buying Sandlot.
Launched in 1995
About 225K participants at 1.5K churches in 47 states
Around 150K kids play hoops
Added close to 300 churches in 2025
Expecting fifth straight year of growth
Perhaps the most notable stat: 51% of participants last year did not belong to a church, Vaughn said. Upward’s leagues also regularly have participants who are agnostic or belong to other religions.
Each church operates its own league, but Upward outfits them with everything needed — custom-built management and registration platforms, apparel distribution, practice and training resources, team pages, a coaching app and ministry content.
Upward collects a per-participant fee to cover its overhead and secures uniforms and gear at low wholesale prices before re-selling them to churches. The organization does not accept donations, Vaughn said.
Each church sets its own fee structure -- some may charge $50 and others $250.
The goal is for a church league to be equivalent to any other high-quality rec league in that area. The typical format is a game and a practice each week. Many churches are able to use their own gyms and fields — a major availability and cost advantage compared to other operators.
Upward has some limits as a non-profit, but Vaughn said it is not afraid to innovate or pivot.
The platform previously operated its own apparel distribution center, but has since contracted with a vendor. Vaughn said he’s had talks with LeagueApps, PlayMetrics and others about outsourcing management operations. And while nothing is planned, the possibility of brand sponsorships or expanding to work with non-profits beyond churches exists.
“We understand that every church is unique, every community is unique, and we build custom solutions for each one of these churches across the country,” Vaughn said. “Soup to nuts, I would say everything that a church could possibly need to run a sports experience — we've done it, we've built it.”
Youth sports parents often tend to get painted as either placing too much pressure on their kids or helpless hostages of the tournament-industrial complex.
But I do not think enough consideration is given to what — at least to me — is a pretty simple reality: Parents get a social life through their kids’ sports, especially when it comes to club and travel ball.
I’ve been at hotels where youth sports parents are closing the bar after putting the kids to bed. I’m sure many of you have too. Plus the sidelines, the pool, the restaurants, etc.
Churches can springboard off that factor, especially as organized religion experiences a bit of a post-pandemic boom period. And they can do it in a way that simplifies the logistics — and perhaps lowers the cost. So I’d expect Upward Sports to keep growing in the years to come.
Follow on LinkedIn: Kyle Scott, James Kratch, Kyle Pagan