NCHC Historical Overview

Our Story: A Legacy of Homeschool Athletics

Founded during the 1991-92 season, the National Christian Homeschool Championship (NCHC) began with a single basketball tournament in San Antonio, Texas. Since then, we’ve grown into the largest and most prestigious organization for homeschool athletics in the nation. This growth is a testament to the dedication of our players, coaches, and staff.

For the first nine years, the tournament was led by Jim Leininger, Don Miller, and Alan Day. In 2000, Tim Flatt took the helm and, along with his wife Cheryl, guided the NCHC’s day-to-day operations through 2020. In 2004, Tim’s son Robert joined the team, helping to expand our reach by adding basketball Regionals and Districts, as well as new sports through partnerships with Lamar Sports (Larry Johnson). Robert, who took over as Executive Director in 2014, has been involved in homeschool athletics at every level, from player to coach. Zachary Stargell joined in 2015-16, with his role expanding alongside the growth of our events. Additionally, the NCHC added Conferences with Jeremy Bialek as the NCHC Conference Commissioner.

Incredible Growth

The growth of homeschool sports has been remarkable over the last 24 years. We’ve expanded from a single-sport event to a diverse platform with numerous tournaments.

Total Teams at NCHC Events

1991: Year 1 of NCHC
2000: 125 (Basketball only)
2020: 1,136 (Basketball & Volleyball only)
2025: 1,546 (Basketball & Volleyball only)

NCHC Events with 50+ Teams

1999: 1
2019: 4
2025: 9

NCHC Events with 100+ Teams

2000: 1
2020: 3
2025: 6

NCHC Events with 200+ Teams

2002: 1
2020: 2
2025: 4

National Tournament History

Our tournaments have been hosted in some of the most dynamic cities across the country.

🏀 National Basketball Tournament

Host Cities: San Antonio, Sante Fe (New Mexico), Estes Park (Colorado), Oklahoma City, and Springfield (Missouri).
Largest Homeschool Basketball Event: This tournament has been the largest homeschool sporting event for 32 consecutive years.

🏐 National Volleyball Tournament

Host Cities: Springfield (Missouri), Wichita (Kansas), Kansas City (Missouri & Kansas), and Lawrence (Kansas).
Largest Homeschool Volleyball Event: This tournament has been the largest homeschool sporting event for 13 consecutive years.

Our Tournaments by the Numbers

See the incredible year-over-year growth of our flagship tournaments.

1998-1999 – 100 Teams

1999-2000 – 125 Teams

2000-2001 – 158 Teams

2001-2002 – 202 Teams

2002-2003 – 226 Teams

2003-2004 – 238 Teams

2004-2005 – 254 Teams

2005-2006 – 288 Teams

2006-2007 – 294 Teams

2007-2008 – 304 Teams

2008-2009 – 324 Teams

2009-2010 – 328 Teams

2010-2011 – 329 Teams

2011-2012 – 330 Teams

2012-2013 – 330 Teams

2013-2014 – 331 Teams

2014-2015 – 332 Teams

2015-2016 – 333 Teams

2016-2017 – 340+ Teams

2017-2018 – 350+ Teams

2018-2019 – 350+ Teams

2019-2020* – 350+ Teams (COVID CANCELED)

2020-2021 – 312 Teams

2021-2022 – 362 Teams

2022-2023 – 358 Teams

2023-2024 – 384 Teams

2024-2025 – 408 Teams

2025-2026 – TBD- Registration Now Open- CLICK HERE

2011-2012 – 60 Teams

2012-2013 – 61 Teams

2013-2014 – 62 Teams

2014-2015 – 63 Teams

2015-2016 – 64 Teams

2016-2017 – 64 Teams

2017-2018 – 65 Teams

2018-2019 – 96 Teams

2019-2020 – 96 Teams

2020-2021 – 128 Teams

2021-2022 – 138 Teams

2022-2023 – 143 Teams

2023-2024 – 174 Teams

2024-205 – 210 Teams

Expanding Our Reach

The National Christian HomeSchool Championships (NCHC) began expanding its national tournament schedule in 2002. All new sports, except Volleyball Nationals, were agreed to be temporarily overseen by Lamar Sports LLC and Larry Johnson until they could be fully integrated into the NCHC. As of 2025, the Heartland Volleyball Regionals have returned to NCHC management.

Expansion Highlights

2002: Track and Field Nationals started in Wichita.
2003: Boys Soccer Nationals started in Wichita.
2007: Cross Country and Girls Soccer Nationals started in Kansas City.
2009: Volleyball Nationals began in Springfield.
2010: Golf Nationals started in Springfield.

The 2009–2010 school year saw all National Tournaments in Springfield, MO, with participation reaching 75 teams in the Fall and 99 teams in the Spring.

Regional Basketball Tournaments In 2007, we began hosting Regional Basketball Tournaments to provide more opportunities for teams to compete.

2006-2007: 93 Teams (Lebanon, MO; Cincinnati, OH)
2007-2008: 132 Teams (Lebanon, MO; Cincinnati, OH)
2008-2009: 230 Teams (Cincinnati, OH; Atlanta, GA; Oklahoma City, OK; Omaha, NE; Shreveport, LA)
2009-2010: 252 Teams (Atlanta, GA; Oklahoma City, OK; Omaha, NE; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN)
2024-25: 560 Teams attended NCHBC 2025 HomeSchool Basketball Regionals! Midwest (235 teams), Big South (215 teams), Heartland (115 teams).

District Basketball Tournaments. In 2019, we began hosting District Basketball Tournaments to provide more opportunities for teams to compete.

2024-25: 311 Teams (Houston & Fort Worth, TX, Monroe, LA, Wichita, KS, Orange, CA)- More info- CLICK HERE

Our Mission: The Standard of Active Governance

The National Christian Homeschool Championships (NCHC) is not just an event host; we are a membership-based organization serving the homeschool community since 1991.

We are the home of the National HomeSchool Basketball Association (NHBA) and the National HomeSchool Volleyball Association (NHVBA). These are the governing bodies that oversee the world’s largest homeschool tournaments.

Dynamic Stewardship We do not believe in “autopilot” administration. We are dedicated to the principle of Active Governance. This means we verify eligibility, audit rosters, and enforce Membership Standards in real-time to ensure fairness. We accept the burden of making the hard calls—whether that means revoking a membership to protect the field, or providing a pathway for compliance—so that the competition remains pure.

“Kids First” is our tactical doctrine. We refuse to let technical loopholes or administrative gaps compromise the safety and integrity of the Association. We sweat the details so our members can play the game.

Governance Philosophy: A Private Association The NCHC is not a public service; it is a Private Voluntary Association administered by a private LLC. We operate under a “Sword and Shield” philosophy:

The Shield (Protection): We protect the integrity of the bracket by strictly enforcing eligibility and conduct rules.
The Sword (Action): We reserve the right to actively investigate references, verify academic records, and deny membership to any program that threatens the culture of the Association.
Status: Participation is a privilege, not a right. The Executive Committee retains sole authority to interpret rules and resolve disputes.

Below is the link to the New York Times article and slide show from the 17th annual National Championships:

* SPORTS March 16, 2008 Growing Cheers for the Home-Schooled Team By JOE DRAPE

© 1991-2026 National Christian Homeschool Championships, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The National HomeSchool Basketball Association (NHBA) and National HomeSchool Volleyball Association (NHVA) are proprietary divisions owned and operated by National Christian Homeschool Championships, LLC. The NCHC operates as a Private Voluntary Association; all events are Invitational competitions and are conditioned upon strict adherence to the Association’s governance standards.