Upward Unlimited

Established in 1995, Upward Unlimited is the world’s largest Christian youth sports provider with approximately 500,000 athletes at more than 2,000 churches in 47 states who participate in camps, clinics, and leagues through Upward Sports’ Recreation Division.

Located in Spartanburg County, the 120,000 square foot Upward Star Center features six full-sized basketball courts, 12 regulation indoor volleyball courts, four batting cages, a running track, a fully equipped gym, meeting rooms, a café, and retail shop. The space is shared between Upward Sports and Spartanburg Regional Health Services, which offers strength training, rehabilitation, and orthopedic services to the community.

With a goal of reaching 16,000 youth through its programming in its first year of operation, including 4,700 low-income youth, Upward Unlimited has the capability to truly effect change in the Spartanburg community. In addition to its existing faith-based partnerships, Upward will provide support for at-risk youth through participation in sports programs and leadership training.

The Innovate Fund recognized this $10 million investment as an opportunity to benefit the community of children in Spartanburg County and beyond. In addition to supporting the health and wellness outcomes in Spartanburg, and youth development outcomes nationwide, this project provides nearly 300 jobs to the community. The Upward Star Center is on track to make a big and lasting impact in the Upstate.

“Upward Unlimited seeks to develop young athletes on and off the field. To accomplish this, we invest in the young athletes and those who are investing in them. The Upward Star Center will provide a home base for Upward Unlimited to train and equip coaches and leaders, and serve as a testing facility for sports development and technique improvement.”

– Caz McCaslin, founder and president, Upward Sports