Upward was founded in 1995 in Spartanburg South Carolina as a small faith-based youth basketball program, has grown into the international non-profit organization we see today.

Offering support for recreational basketball, soccer, cheerleading, flag football, and volleyball, Upward also offers a full slate of materials including training, playbooks, sports apparel, ministry resources, and online player registration systems.

Sports participation has always been an important part of life in the United States and also worldwide. But with the growing focus on smartphones, apps, and social media, especially among youth, the person-to-person experience of sports is becoming increasingly important at younger ages than ever to counter the isolation, loneliness, and depression growing in our virtual world.

An important element in growing participation in sports at younger ages is the availability of local sports programs, and one of the most important of those is the Upward Sports Program offering participation primarily through churches and other organizations at more than 5,000 locations nationwide with more than seven million players and volunteers.

Upward and programs like it have made major contributions to the mental, emotional and physical health of our youth by turning the physical activities they should be doing into fun activities they enjoy doing. That this is done in cooperation with churches and other faith-based organizations is an added, but no less important, bonus.

In Central Virginia, a leader in the Upward Sports movement is Mineral Baptist Church (MBC) on Louisa Ave. in Mineral, which has been active since 2006, offers flag football from August through October for ages 5-14, basketball from December through February for age 4 through 8th grade, soccer from March through May for ages 4 through 12th grade, and Cheerleading for ages 4-10 during football and basketball seasons.

MBC’s Associate/Youth Pastor Kris Hutchinson leads the Upward program with the support of more than 20 volunteer coaches, 21 referees and other staff, and 125 players and cheerleaders.

With much of the world, especially the younger generation, seemingly headed down several dark roads, growing interest in sports among our youth with Upward at or near the head of the pack with its church partners including our own Mineral Baptist with Pastor Kris Hutchinson and his team at the helm, suggests that the future may indeed be brighter than it sometimes appears.

Barry Schaeffer

Barry grew up and completed his schooling in southern California, moving to Virginia in 1980.

As a communicator, Barry was a regular columnist for CMSWire, as well as Intranet Development and Newspapers and Technology Magazines, and was a reporter for his local newspaper, The Central Virginian.  He was also one of four consultant/authors for the landmark congressional study “Informing the Nation” (1987.) 

As a customer service provider: while finishing college, he spent four years in the retail beverage industry, dealing directly with customers.

As a corporate manager, he was a successful manager with several firms, including:

• At Pacific Telephone, he managed groups of up to 150 people and was rated Outstanding among managers in Southern California.
• For Arcata Data Management, he took over a 100-person division known for significant monthly losses and late delivery penalties, taking it to profitability in less than six months.
• For Planning Research Corporation, he managed a staff of 100 contractor personnel in the computer center for the White House (EOPCC), taking the Award Fee contract from zero award to maximum in six months.

As a project manager, Barry successfully led and completed major projects.

• For the private sector: Pratt & Whitney Canada, Boeing Helicopter, Sikorsky Aviation, Ford Motor Company (through Tweddle Group,) World Book Encyclopedia, The Bureau of National Affairs.

• For the Federal government: Congressional Research Service (CRS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U. S. Office Management and Budget (OMB), Executive Office of the President (White House), Department of Defense (Army National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC), Air Force Material Command, Naval Sea Systems Command.)

• For State Governments: Administrative Code systems for Texas and Oklahoma.

As an entrepreneur, he co-founded and led two successful firms including X.Systems, (founded in 1993 and acquired by XyEnterprise in 2009.) 

He is a graduate of California State University/Los Angeles with a BA in psychology, and of the rigorous Bell System Management Achievement Program.