Upward Soccer

Spring 2023 Season

Welcome to the Hickory Flat Church Upward Soccer Program. This is a non-profit recreational soccer league for all children ages 4 through 14. Upward Soccer emphasizes mental, athletic, spiritual, and social development in an inclusive, family friendly, Christian faith-based program.

Program Focus and Goals:

Have fun and get exercise in a safe, healthy environment
Promote good sportsmanship, teamwork, and respect for others
Learn basic soccer skills & develop self confidence
Receive equal playing time, independent of ability level
Teach the golden rule: treat others as we would want to be treated, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves
Teach players to play hard and safe; slide tackles are not allowed.

League Schedule

Early Registration Opens: Wednesday February 1
Early Registration Ends: Wednesday February 8
Registration Closes: Wednesday February 22
1st Week of Practice: Monday March 13 - Friday March 17
1st Game: Saturday March 25
2nd Game: Saturday April 1
OFF: Saturday April 8
Games 3-8: April 15 - May 20 (every Saturday)
Make Up Date: Saturday May 27

Practice & Games

All practices are held at Hickory Flat United Methodist Church’s soccer fields located behind the church.
All teams practice one night a week for 1 hour. Practices will start at 5:30, 6:00, or 6:30pm.
Players must bring a soccer ball (size 3 for K4-5 and G1-2, otherwise a size 4), water bottle, and shin guards to every practice. PLAYERS WITHOUT SHIN GUARDS CANNOT PRACTICE OR PLAY. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Parents receive a 15% discount on soccer balls and shin guards at Soccer Post Canton (Corner of Hwy 140 and East Cherokee Drive, next to Publix). Please mention Upward Soccer to receive the discount.
A parent or guardian must be present at practice each week.
Teams play an 8 game season. All games are played on the same soccer fields on Saturday mornings. Each age division (K4-5, G1-2, G3-5, and G6-8) plays in a specific time slot:
K4/5: 9 AM
Grade 1-2: 10:30 AM
Grade 3-5: 11:45 AM
Grade 6-8: 1:00 PM

Team Assignments & Details

WE DO NOT HAVE PLAYER EVALUATIONS.
Teams are created with the intent to evenly distribute talent across the teams.
Each team is assigned a specific day of the week for their once a week practice. During the registration process, you can indicate one night of the week that you cannot practice and we take that into consideration when assigning teams.
Families with multiple children in the program will be assigned to the same practice day if at all possible.
Requests to place friends and carpoolers on the same team will be honored if possible.
The K4/5 age division should reflect 4 and 5 year olds at the time of the first game. If your child turns 4 during the season, he/she is eligible to play. If your child has had their 6th birthday prior to the first game, we recommend that you classify them as G1 (Grade 1). These age boundaries are much more significant at these young ages.
Children who are 7 years of age and older should play with their grade level.

Coaches are Needed!

This program is not possible without volunteer coaches.
The vast majority of coaches in the league come from the parents of players.
We are offering a $50 discount on registration to all head coaches. If you want to coach, please email upward@hickoryflat.org for the discount code. If you register your child and then decide to coach, you’ll still receive the discount.
Coaching is fun and rewarding. If you like teaching and working with kids, you will be a great coach. Soccer experience is not necessary; we will teach you everything necessary to run practices and games at the Coaching Clinics.
Interested? Please email upward@hickoryflat.org.

Referees are Needed!

Referees help both teams have a safe and enjoyable experience. Whistle, stopwatch, and referee shirt are provided. Previous experience is not necessary, we will cover all of the rules and best practices at a Referee's meeting before the season starts.
Referees also receive a $50 discount on registration. Please email Mike Feeney (upward@hickoryflat.org) for the discount code.

Registration Details

Registration fees must be paid online via a credit card or debit card. Cash and checks are not accepted.
We offer multi-child discounts. The second child receives a $5 discount, third child receives a $25 discount, and the 4th child receives a $100 discount.
The registration fee includes the cost of a reversible jersey, shorts, socks, a water bottle, and an end of season award. The reversible jersey indicates which team is the Home team and which team is the Away team each Saturday.
If you require financial assistance to participate, please contact the League Director at upward@hickoryflat.org to inquire about the availability of scholarship funds.

Online Registration Tips

Please take advantage of the following sections on the Registration Form:
Notes: Please list ALL days of the week you cannot practice here. This information simplifies the team assignment process. Please also include any additional information we should know about your child’s situation here.
Player Rating: If your child is overly fast or aggressive for their age, please put “Excellent” in this field. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
Coach Link: If you want your child to play for a specific coach, please list the coach’s name here. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
Carpool Link: If you want your child to play with friends or carpool buddies, please list those friends’ names here. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
Practice Night Exclusion: Please select one night in which your child cannot practice; the registration form can only handle one selection. If you wish to exclude more than one night of the week, please use the Notes section.

If you have additional questions concerning the soccer program, please email Upward Soccer and I will respond as quickly as I can.

Go to Upward Online Registration -- **Spring 2023 Online Registration

(Please use Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome)