Memphis Amateur Memphis Sports Hall of Fame inducts Christ UMC for supporting community sports for thousands of children and adults

2/13/2013

Christ UMC staff receive plaque receive plaque on behalf of church at Amateur Sports Hall Of Fame event. From left are Mary Ann Weaver, Jan Averwater, Jean Branch, Jimmy Chambers and Terri Witty. Submitted photo

Christ United Methodist Church (CUMC) in Memphis, Tenn., received an induction as a Team Sponsor into the Memphis Amateur Sports Hall of Fame this past December.

The Hall of Fame, a nonprofit organization that recognizes those who have made contributions to Memphis area sports, honored the church on Dec. 3 for supporting community sports for thousands of children and adults in the area since the mid-1950s.

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Jan Averwater, athletic and fitness director for CUMC, said the church currently partners with other organizations to provide equipment, coaches, resources and leadership training for community sports.

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Not only does it sponsor an annual 5k race, but also over the past 20 years, it has raised more than $200,000 through that race for outside organizations, including an organization called Sports Outreach Leadership Development that encourages churches to start their own sports programs.

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?CUMC is committed to using sports as a tool to unite the community, provide equal opportunities for children and youth so they can develop their athletic skills and love for sports, regardless of religious preference or economic status,? she said.

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The church began its sports program during a time when racial tension divided the surrounding community. Averwater says church leaders believed sports could connect the two sides, and so their coaches and teams rented court time from schools gyms, community centers and outdoor facilities.

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In the 1970?s CUMC built its own gym and invited the neighborhood to use it. In 1977, the church also built an outdoor facility for soccer, football, baseball and softball, which more than 1,500 participants and spectators still use on a weekly basis. In 1988, CUMC built a second gym, as well, that now caters to more than 1,400 children per week.

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Averwater said CUMC was also the first church in the community to offer a wheelchair basketball league, and it recently began a sports and fitness program for children and adults with special needs.

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In addition, the church hosts camps every summer, and its members play active roles in the Special Olympics. As for the future, members plan to keep up the good work.

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?CUMC will continue to provide facilities, financial resources, training, volunteers and coaches to ensure all children have the opportunity to participate in quality sports programs,? Averwater said.

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For more information about CUMC?s sports programs, contact Averwater at jana@cumcmemphis.org.

Source: http://memphissite.brickriver.com/news/detail/1889

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