National Sports Center facts for kids
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| Location | Blaine, Minnesota |
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| Coordinates | 45°09′27″N 93°13′33.33″W / 45.15750°N 93.2259250°W |
| Owner | State of Minnesota |
| Operator | National Sports Center Foundation |
| Capacity | 5,500 |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1987 (money appropriated) |
| Opened | 1990 |
| Construction cost | $20.3 million (facility) |
| Architect | none |
| Tenants | |
| Minnesota Thunder (USISL/A-League/USL-1) (1990–2003, 2008–2009) Minnesota United FC (NASL) (2010–2016) Minnesota Wind Chill (AUDL) (2013–2021) Minnesota United FC 2 (MLSNP) (2022–present) |
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The National Sports Center (NSC) is a huge sports area in Blaine, Minnesota. It has many different places for sports. The center covers about 600 acres, which is like 450 football fields!
You can find a big soccer stadium here. There are also over 50 other soccer fields. The NSC has a golf course and a place for meetings. It even has a giant ice rink with eight sheets of ice, called the Super Rink. A new baseball stadium is also being built.
The National Sports Center opened in 1990. It was created to host many sports events. It has welcomed national and world championships. These events include soccer, hockey, and figure skating. Other sports like rugby and ultimate frisbee have also been played here.
Over 3.8 million people visit the NSC every year. This makes it the most popular sports place in Minnesota.
Contents
Welcome to the National Sports Center!
What is the NSC?
The National Sports Center is a special place for sports. It is located in Blaine, Minnesota. The center offers many ways for people to play sports. It also brings big sports events to Minnesota.
Training Future Stars
The Herb Brooks Foundation works with the National Sports Center. They created the Herb Brooks Training Center. This center helps young athletes train for hockey. It has both ice and dryland training areas. Young players can improve their skills here.
The Amazing USA Cup
Every July, the National Sports Center hosts the USA Cup. This is a huge soccer tournament. It is the biggest soccer tournament in North and South America. More than 1,100 teams come to play. Players from 19 different countries join in the fun.
Why the NSC Exists
The National Sports Center has two main goals. First, it wants to bring visitors to Minnesota. These visitors come for amateur sports events. This helps the state's economy. Second, it wants to give people in Minnesota chances to play sports. It helps them stay active and fit.
A non-profit group called the National Sports Center Foundation runs the NSC. Even though it's a state facility, it pays for itself. It does not get money from the state to operate.
A Look Back: NSC's History
The state government approved money for the NSC in 1987. They gave $14.7 million to build the sports complex.
In the early 1990s, the U.S. was chosen to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup. People in Minnesota hoped the NSC could host some games. They even thought about adding temporary seats for 45,000 fans. However, the NSC was not chosen as a World Cup venue.
The Main Soccer Stadium
The NSC Stadium is a key part of the center. It has a large grandstand for fans. There are also smaller stands on the other sides. The stadium's field is 118 yards long and 75 yards wide.
The United States women's national soccer team has played many games here. They have faced teams like Canada, Australia, and Sweden. In 2004, Mia Hamm scored her 150th international goal at the NSC. This was during a 3–0 win against Australia. The stadium has also hosted U.S. men's youth national team matches.
The biggest crowd at the NSC was in 2001. Over 15,615 fans watched a women's soccer game. The U.S. team won 1–0 against Canada.
Home to Soccer Teams
The NSC Stadium was once home to the Minnesota Thunder soccer team. They played there from 1990 to 2003. They also returned for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
Later, the NSC Minnesota Stars started playing at the stadium. This team is now known as Minnesota United FC. They won the first season of the North American Soccer League. Minnesota United FC played at the NSC until 2017. Then, they moved to TCF Bank Stadium when they joined Major League Soccer.
New Baseball Stadium
A new baseball stadium is currently under construction. It started being built in November 2024. This stadium will have 5,000 seats. The city hopes it will host professional baseball games.
See also
In Spanish: National Sports Center para niños
