Raymond Harry "HAP" Dumont didn't like baseball.

He loved baseball. Born in Wichita in 1904, "HAP" spent his life there. It was while selling baseballs, bats and mitts in the sporting goods department of Goldsmith's that "HAP" got the idea for a National Baseball Congress. He never let go of that dream and in 1931 it became a reality.

Established as an annual Kansas non-professional tournament, the NBC was all things to all players. For the young prospects it was a springboard to professional stardom; to the sandlotter it represented an arena in which he could compete with others of equal talent. To the former pros, the NBC was a place to spend the twilight summers of their careers.

Today, the NBC is one of the most respected baseball operations in the world with teams from Alaska to Alabama, California to Connecticut and points in between, meeting annually in Wichita for the National Tournament.

"HAP" Dumont died of a sudden heart attack in 1971. In 1978 Lawrence Stadium - the stadium "HAP" built - was renamed Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

But if not for him, the NBC might not be what it is today. It was Dumont who came up with idea after idea after the NBC was founded.

Dumont founded the national tournament almost by accident. He started the operation hoping it would help his sporting goods sales.

In time, though, Dumont realized a national tournament would work.

And so he pressed on, starting with his first tourney -in 1935- by convincing pitcher Satchel Paige to bring his Bismark, N.D. team to Wichita. Paige obliged and his team won that tourney. He was the star of the show, winning four games, striking out 60 batters and gaining Most Valuable Player honors

HISTORY OF NBC HAP DUMONT YOUTH BASEBALL

Organizers working with Raymond “Hap” Dumont, founder and President of the National Baseball Congress, established in 1974 NBC “Hap” Dumont Youth Baseball. The youth program started in 1974 as a 12 & Under Organization.

In 1989 a new Division for 14 & Under was added, with the 10 & Under Division following in 1990. The organization continued to grow, and three years later in 1993, the 16 & Under Division was established. The popularity and growth in numbers of teams in the 12 & Under and 14 & Under Divisions resulted in the creation of the 11 & Under and 13 & Under Divisions in 1997. Three years later, in 2000, the 15 & Under and 18 & Under Divisions made their successful debuts.

The 8 & Under Machine Pitch Division was launched in 2002, with the 9 & Under Division starting play in 2003, the 25th Anniversary of NBC "HAP" DUMONT YOUTH BASEBALL. In 2005, the 17 & under Division was added. Today we hold World Series for 11 Youth Age Divisions from 8 to 18 years old.

Starting in 2003 our 18 & Under World Series became a Qualifying Tournament for the NATIONAL BASEBALL CONGRESS WORLD SERIES, played annually at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita, Kansas.

This Amateur Baseball Tournament is for non-professional, adults, drawing teams from around the world. Our 2003 NBC “Hap” Dumont Youth Baseball World Series Champions, the Wichita Sluggers, from Wichita Kansas, were completive while starting a tradition that we hope will be continued by younger groups as it comes time for them to graduate to that next level of play, being able to participate in the GREATEST SPORT IN THE WORLD-BASEBALL