Upward Sports is an international multi-million-dollar operation to blend sports with religion and partners with churches such as OVCN (Oro Valley Church of the Nazarine) to do so. They are a 501(c)3 nonprofit that hugely benefits financially from their programs. The question is why are they here?
The legal team for OVCN mentions Upward Sports in their latest submission to the town. It is unlikely that OVCN could finance a project of this magnitude without Upward Sports.
Several years of tax returns of Upward Sports are available online [See 2019 tax return in panel below] or I can provide them on request. Those returns paint a picture of their business model. The churches are used as a conduit for the plan and in a tax timely fashion properties are sold. Their main facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina is now for sale (all or individual pieces) to any comers. This is the same sports complex they presented as being needed to continue their mission. If it is closing, what happened to the youth and ministry?
The church deliberately delayed town meetings and Town Council consideration until after the recent election in hopes of a church member candidates being elected and thus providing a favorable Council for their initiative. This did not happen.
Anyone interested or affected should take a hard look at Upward Sports. Many people are making a great deal of money from this real estate venture in disguise. The effort by OVCN to minister to youth through sports is overshadowed by their association with Upward Sports and what they bring to the community.
It's the elephant in the room….
As Ronald Reagan used to say “Trust but verify”.
Anyone interested or affected should take a hard look at Upward Sports. Many people are making a great deal of money from this real estate venture in disguise. The effort by OVCN to minister to youth through sports is overshadowed by their association with Upward Sports and what they bring to the community.
It's the elephant in the room….
As Ronald Reagan used to say “Trust but verify”.
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Tim Tarris is a long time Oro Valley resident and member of the Concordia/Buena Vista Group. They are the neighbors who reside in the area of town where the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarine (OVCN) wants to build a sports facility. That location is the intersection of Concordia and Buena Vista. All neighbors oppose the rezoning required to make this happen. Tarris delivered his remarks to the Oro Valley Town Council last Wednesday. Read more about this situation.
