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Blaine, Minnesota, is the home of the National Sports Center (NSC), a 650-acre multi-sport complex. The facility started out about one-sixth that size.

The vision for the facility got its foothold in 1987, when $14.7 million was earmarked for its construction. Upon opening in 1992, the 92-acre site included a velodrome, sports hall, residence hall, dining hall, stadium, and about twenty-five soccer fields. In its first year, 386,000 visitors came to see events such as the U.S. Olympic Festival (cycling and soccer), the USA Cup, with 390 teams participating, the North American Cup Women’s International Soccer tournament, and major weightlifting, wrestling, and track and field events.

The facility has grown far beyond its original scope. It now includes the 250-meter, all-wood cycling velodrome, a stadium, fifty-four grass athletic fields, an eight-rink ice arena (Schwan Super Rink), a 36,000-square-foot welcome center with meeting space, the Victory Links 18-hole PGA-Tour-designed golf course, a 58,000-square-foot indoor field, an 18,000-square-foot indoor sports training/expo space with either artificial turf or a concrete floor, and a 180-bed residence hall. Twenty more multi-purpose fields and a parking lot are in the works. The center hosts national and world championship events in soccer, hockey, figure skating, short-track speedskating, rugby, and lacrosse. Visitors have increased by tenfold and average 3.8 million per year. The center is self-sustaining and draws no state funding. Although there have been countless exciting moments in sports at the facility, here are some notable memories:

– Professional soccer player Mia Hamm scored her 150th international goal in 2004, a record at the time, during a 3-0 victory over Australia.

– 15,615 guests, a stadium record, watched the U.S. Women’s National Team beat Canada 1-0 in 2001.

– The 30th annual Schwan’s USA Cup set a participation record in July 2015: 1,153 teams from 19 states and 16 countries were represented. The newest country was Abuba.

The facility’s day-to-day operations are managed by the National Sports Center Foundation. The non-profit organization aims to provide athletic experiences for Minnesotans as well as to generate an economic impact by hosting sporting events. On any given day, there are twelve different programs or events taking place at the facility. Year-round, over 10,000 youth from the Metro area attend camps, clinics, and leagues in field sports alone, with countless others participating in ice sports and golf. Kids have even more time for sports at the NSC when they work with a Blaine tutor to keep the homework load under control.

Luckily, the facility does not limit itself to sports. The stadium, which was built to accommodate up to 10,000 guests, has hosted marching band festivals and concerts. By adding temporary seating, the venue expands significantly, such as when 18,500 people attended the Joyful Noise Family Fest concert in 2015. The NSC also hosted the Minnesota Food Truck Fair, which hosted forty food trucks and thousands of hungry people in the main parking lot—all good reasons for Blaine-area students to save time by seeking tutoring in Blaine!