The National Sports Center (NSC) Football Classic was an educational experience for players, coaches and officials. It was also pure football because it was played outdoors - under pouring rain, at times.

The fourth annual tournament brought together 50 teams from Minnesota for competition and education from Aug. 22-25.

Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission Associate Director Barclay Kruse said that the NSC Football Classic essentially features relaxed preseason games for the teams. Coaches are allowed to walk on the field behind the players to shout instructions as long as they do not yell in an official's face too much.

"We hardly know they're there," said Roy Kline, an official from Blaine. "If they complain, we'll kick them off the field."

The tournament was educational for the referees not just because they could work the games and warm up for football season, but because Big 10 official Rick Krueger gave a three-hour clinic the morning of Aug. 24.

Kline, who has been an official for about 40 years and has participated in each NSC football tournament, said these seminars are extremely helpful. One difference though is that the Big 10 or any other major collegiate football conference has seven officials working each game on the field and off the field. The youth games and high school games Kline is usually at only involve three to four officials.

The best lesson he has learned?

"Keep the whistle out of your mouth during the play to avoid an inadvertent whistle," Kline said.

The Blaine-Spring Lake Park Youth Football Association had 13 teams compete. Jim Hanson, president of the association and a coach, said their teams typically start practicing in mid-August and play up to the last Sunday in October, which is the youth football Super Bowl.

Hanson said a decade ago, there were around 400 players under their association. Now there are more than 700. The biggest jump in participation came during the 1999 season, which was the year after the Minnesota Vikings went 15-1 in the regular season before losing a heartbreaker to the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game.

Mark Aho coaches the Blaine-Spring Lake Park Titans football team, which includes players from numerous north metro communities.

"Most of our football is played in the community," Aho said. "We played Burnsville (in the tournament). We normally would not play them until high school."

The players also got to witness a semi-pro football game between the Midwest Pioneers and Iowa Thrashers to see how the adults conducted themselves on the field. Each youth participant also received a ticket to the Vikings' preseason home game tonight (Aug. 30) against the Dallas Cowboys.

The players also got to witness a semi-pro football game between the Midwest Pioneers and Iowa Thrashers to see how the adults conducted themselves on the field. Each youth participant also received a ticket to the Vikings' preseason home game tonight (Aug. 30) against the Dallas Cowboys.