THIS IS EPISODE 62 OF THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
With a vision to create the best sports experience possible for every child, Caz McCaslin founded Upward Unlimited, the world’s largest Christian sport league for young athletes. In 1995, Upward Unlimited launched Upward Sports and has grown under McCaslin’s leadership and guidance from several hundred children playing in seven church basketball leagues to more than half a million children playing in 2,500 multi-sport clinics, camps, academies and leagues in 47 states.
Caz also has released a new book titled “Coach Em Up – Reclaiming Sports For the Benefit of the Athlete.”
On this episode, we talk to Caz about starting Upward Basketball, why youth sports are broken, and how the founder of the game of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, actually invented basketball to be a ministry, much like Upward.
TIMELINE:
4:25 – Starting Upward Basketball
9:20 – How to actually put a dream into action.
13:15 – Upward Basketball’s model
16:30 – Meeting Dr. James Naismith’s grandson
20:55 – How has youth sports evolved over the years?
27:30 – Why it was important to have kids get an equal amount of playing time.
31:55 – Why he wrote his book “Coach Em Up”
34:40 – How to start an Upward sports league.
36:43 – What he’s learning from God
https://www.instagram.com/p/BViIcHuAovl/?taken-by=cazmccaslin
QUOTES:
“There’s 2 things that scare me to death, number one is to run off and do something that God didn’t tell me to do and the second is to not do something that He did tell me to do.”
“I was scared to death NOT to do this and start Upward. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God had called us to do it.”
“Be still and to hear his voice. That’s what I’ve been learning from God.”
“We keep following God step for step.”
“We want this to be something from kindergarten to 12th grade. We’re praying and testing a lot of different. We’re trying to be patient and listen to God’s voice on where to go next.”
You can follow Caz on Instagram at @CazMcCaslin and learn more about Upward sports by checking it out Upward.org
