Statements
Mission
The mission of Nashville Youth Sports Club (NYSC) - assumed name: STARS Basketball Club - is 'Planting Seeds for Christ Through Basketball."
About Us: NYSC was launched in 2012 by Upward Unlimited. However, in 2019, Upward Unlimited chose to focus all time, energy, and resources on Upward Sports (church recreation division). As of 10/1/19, NYSC is a stand-alone, 501(c)(3) organization - an independent basketball club operated out of Brentwood, TN. While the legal name did not change (Nashville Youth Sports Club, Inc.), the assumed name changed from Upward Stars Basketball to STARS Basketball Club on 10/1/19.
Growth: NYSC has quickly become the largest basketball club in Middle TN, and perhaps the state. Our coaching staff (50+) has countless opportunities to impact athletes both ON & OFF the court, being MORE THAN Basketball! One primary focus is the development of the total athlete: MENTALLY, ATHLETICALLY, SPIRITUALLY, and SOCIALLY. These four pillars of impact are derived from Luke 2:52 - "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."
Coaches/ Character Lessons: One way in which the "Off the Court" impact is accomplished is through character lessons. Our coaching staff has shared over 2,000 character lessons w/athletes over the past five years at team practices and/or at clinics/camps. These lessons are based on Scripture and correlate with sports and every-day life. Character lesson topics, just to list a few, have included: Teamwork, Character, Wisdom, Leadership, Perseverance, Effort, Discipline, Integrity, Accountability, & Courage.
Putting a Quality Product on the Court: From a sports' credibility perspective, the club's 2021 spring/summer tournament teams competed at a high-level, having won 80+ Championships, earning 90+ runner-up finishes, & 100+ semi-final appearances in national/regional/& local tournaments. In 2022, 8 teams will compete on the UA FUTURE Circuit, with 2 teams on the UA RISE Circuit.
Background
STARS Basketball Club was an affiliated organization under Upward Sports, a national, Christian ministry providing sports programs to churches and communities across the country as a means of outreach and evangelism. Over the past 22 years Upward Sports has had a positive impact on nearly 7 million children ages 6-12, along with their families, by sharing with them the gospel of Jesus Christ using something as simple as a ball.
In 2012 Upward Sports launched Upward Stars, which is designed to provide a more competitive, high performance opportunity for those athletes wanting to advance their skills, built on the same foundational principles that has made Upward Sports successful. Since this is a different level of competition with an extended age group (up to age 18) a new 'affiliate' or 'sports club' model was created, led by a trained sports club leader. These sports clubs, like the one in Nashville, are built primarily around basketball and volleyball. Each leader will be charged with finding and training coaches who ascribe to the values of Upward Sports, and be willing to pour into the lives of these young athletes, helping them to grow mentally, athletically, spiritually, and socially - what we call the 360 Progression. STARS Basketball Club is making a positive impact on the lives of many young athletes around the Nashville area, with a strong growth potential. The club is governed by its own Board of Directors and has a dedicated sports club leader in place.
Impact
NYSC (assumed name - STARS Basketball Club) is blessed to be the largest basketball club in Nashville, and perhaps the state, operating hubs in both Williamson County & Sumner County. We provide year-round basketball opportunities for 1st-12th grade athletes (boys & girls), through team play &/or developmental programming (camps, clinics, 3-on-3 play, etc.). Our mission is "Planting Seeds for Christ Through Basketball."
Expanding Our Reach (Growth): Launching in 2012 (previously: Upward Stars Nashville), STARS Basketball Club has experienced exponential growth on an annual basis. In 2023, the club expanded to 90+ spring/summer tournament teams, and continued to operate hubs in both Williamson County and North Nashville (Hendersonville, Madison, etc.). STARS Basketball Club connected with approx. 2,500 families in 2021 through tryouts, teams, and developmental programming (camps, clinics, etc).
Focus on a "MORE THAN" Experience: The club attributes the aforementioned growth to placing a high priority on providing a "MORE THAN" experience. This impact is seen both ON and OFF the court! STARS Basketball has the desire to impact athletes: MENTALLY, ATHLETICALLY, SPIRITUALLY, and SOCIALLY. These four pillars of impact are derived from Luke 2:52 - And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Coaches & Character Lessons: One way in which the "off the court" impact is accomplished is through spoken character lessons. Our coaching staff has shared approximately 2,000 character lessons with its participants over the past five years at team practices and/or at clinics/camps. These lessons are based on Scripture and correlate with sports and every-day life. Character lesson topics, just to list a few, have included: Teamwork, Wisdom, Leadership, Perseverance, Effort, Discipline, Integrity, Courage, Commitment, and Service.
Putting a Quality Product on the Court: From a sports' credibility perspective, the club's 2023 spring/summer tournament teams competed at a high-level, having won 80+ Championships, earning 90+ runner-up finishes, & 100+ semi-final appearances in national/regional/& local tournaments (UA RISE, HoopSeen Events; Phenom Hoops Events, etc.).
Goals (Fiscal Year 2023-24): *Reach 5,000+ athletes/families; Expand our hub in NORTH Nashville (Sumner County). Provide $60,000 in financial assistance/partial scholarships; Generate $2,000,000 in Total Revenue; Find and secure a "long-term" facility solution for Williamson County hub (3 to 5 year commitment); Hire a full-time staff member to expand our Inner-City Ministry!
Needs
Funding to hire a Full-Time Staff Member (Manager of Inner-City Ministry) - $40,000 salary; Funding to allow us to rent facility space (NO facility = No Ministry) - Annual cost for facility rentals is close to $200,000; Financial/Scholarship support for players who cannot afford registration costs, which varies based on need; Average, annual financial needs are $60,000, which includes our anticipated inner-city ministry needs.
CEO Statement
For the past twenty-two years, Upward Sports has used something as simple as a ball to share the love of Jesus with those who are searching for the truth! Our club's ministry foundation was built through our prior affiliation with Upward Sports.
STARS Basketball Club gets to use sports as an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with them. We consider everything we do as an opportunity to put the Gospel on display and for others to see Jesus lived out in the lives of coaches and leaders. Youth sports are booming all over this nation, and together we can literally reclaim the landscape of youth sports for the benefit of the athlete.
You will get a better understanding of this initiative in the application itself, but we are helping these young athletes grow mentally, athletically, spiritually, and socially. We are very aware that STARS Basketball is something much BIGGER than ME and much BIGGER than WE. This is something God planned a long time ago, and we appreciate your consideration of this application as a means of furthering His plan in such an incredible way. The challenge is set before us to lead while demonstrating the love of Jesus on and off the court, win or lose.
We are excited about what the future holds for the STARS Basketball Club. We know that our ministry can make a difference in the lives of young athletes on a daily basis. Thank you in advance for your support of the youth all across Middle Tennessee, and we look forward to partnering with you to advance the cause of the Gospel through sports.
Board Chair Statement
Young men and women today face a myriad of influences and distractions that lure them away from many of the values upon which we have built our culture and society. From social media to the ever-present peer pressure, it is easier than ever before to fall prey to the darkness of the world. In addition, when it comes to sports in particular, there are coaches and parents who place too much emphasis on an athletes performance, focusing on what the athlete can do for them and not on what they should be doing for the athlete.
The mission of STARS Basketball Club is to promote the discovery of Jesus through sports, and that is accomplished through godly coaches who impact these young athletes mentally, athletically, spiritually, and socially. The NYSC BOD consists of parents and concerned individuals who know we are in a race for the hearts of these young athletes and the first one there wins. So the challenges we face are simply being in competition with all the other societal factors that call out to this generation, vying for their time and attention. Our goal is to be the peer pressure, to be the place these young athletes can go to hear the truth of God's Word and how their lives can be impacted today, tomorrow, and for eternity.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Religion- Related - Christianity |
| Secondary Category: | Youth Development - Youth Development Programs |
| Tertiary Category: | Religion- Related - Christianity |
Areas Served
Williamson County, Sumner County, Dickson County, Davidson County, Rutherford County, and other counties in Middle TN (over 50% of athletes/families reside in Williamson County)
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Dickson |
| TN - Rutherford |
