Let’s Talk Nationals!

Hello Warrior Fam!

I’ve been getting a few questions about “Nationals.” aka. National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championship, aka. NCHBC.  So, here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions:

NCHBC Website and Social Media

Check out the NCHBC website HERE.  There is a 3 point shooting contest, dunk contest and more. Some of the activities (like the 3 point contest) start Sunday night.

For the most up-to-date tourney info, like brackets, follow the NCHBC Facebook page here. Info is posted there first!

If you haven’t registered your player, early bird registration is still available. Register HERE!

What/Where:

  • “Nationals” is a full week of family, fellowship, food, fun and of course basketball. (too bad basketball doesn’t start with “F”)  Totally worth a week of vacation time!
  • The NCHBC tournament is held in Springfield, Missouri which is a ~7 hour drive from Indianapolis.
  • All Warrior teams will be participating in Nationals this year. (Woohoo!)  So at any given time that week, there is most likely a Warrior team playing on a court somewhere in Springfield.

Dates:

  • Nationals this year is March 10-16th. That is Sunday thru Saturday. Pre-game activities begin Sunday, and games begin Monday for most ages.
  • Usually, only 10U Boys and Lady Warriors begin games on Tuesday. We won’t know for sure until March.
  • The final games will be on Friday. Some families choose to return home on Friday afternoon/evening and some families stay until Saturday morning. Staying Friday night is really fun since there are no games the next morning.

Hotel:

  • Warriors reserve a block of rooms at the Comfort Inn – South in Springfield on Glenstone Avenue.
    • Call and reserve your room today. There is NO cancellation fee if cancelled by 4pm on arrival day!!
    • Rooms will be released to the public and the discounted rate will expire on Jan 12th
    • Address:  3776 S Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65804
    • Phone:  (417) 889-8188
  • There are vacation rentals and Airbnb rentals available in the area too, so you don’t HAVE to stay at the hotel.
  • Reasons to choose Comfort Inn are:
    • The Lobby – great place to gather, daily devotions, card games, and fun before/after games, lots of Warriors will be there.
    • Indoor Pool is crazy fun as well as Basketball Legends on the hotel computer.
    • Location – Many places to eat around the hotel, and it’s centrally located.
    • Decent room rate – Hotels charge extra for this week because of the demand

Food:

  • The Comfort Inn provides a HOT continental breakfast, if you stay there.
  • There are tons of food options in the area, and Warrior families have been known to fix crock-pot meals in their rooms!
  • Warriors typically pick one night to have supper at Lambert’s, home of the family style dinners and the THROWN ROLLS!  If you’ve never eaten there, it is a must-do. The kids LOVE catching dinner rolls.
  • Other must-do’s are HOT Krispy Kreme doughnuts, Buckingham Smokehouse BBQ, Braum’s Ice Cream, Freddy’s, and Andy’s Custard.
  • Branson is just under an hour away, so there’s LOTS to do before and after games.

Games:

  • Most games will begin on Monday morning. Excepts are usually 10U and Lady Warriors which usually begin on Tuesday.
  • Plan on at least one game every day for each age level in your family.
  • Each day, games run from 8am – 9pm, and each team will play one, or at most two games in a day. The brackets will not be available until one week before the tournament begins.
  • However, earliest possible start times for each age group are released a couple weeks before the tournament.
  • Multiple court locations – games are played at about 5 different venues in Springfield. Most, if not all, are only a few minutes from the hotel. We will share all locations when available.
  • Lots of transportation help is available with so many Warrior families there.

Misc:

  • Communication – We will rely heavily on the GroupMe app for communication. At least two threads will be created just for Nationals for the Warrior Program, with everyone on them. (One serious thread, and one just for fun)
  • There will be a ~20 min devotional each day in the Comfort Inn South hotel lobby. Exact time of the day will depend on game times, and will be shared via GroupMe the night before.
  • Bring swim clothes! There is a pool at Comfort Inn!
  • No gate fees!  There are no admission fees for any of the Nationals games!

Hope that helps!