(Sung to the tune of "Silver Bells,"): It's Christmas time at the Sports Center ...

By Barclay Kruse, NSC Chief Communications Officer

If you're one of our many summer visitors from far-flung locations all over the world, you might wonder what happens at the NSC in the winter. Well, in two words: A LOT.

Christmas week is one of our busiest times. There won't be many NSC staff taking vacation days. In fact, some of us will celebrate Christmas with our families in January. Here's a snapshot:

On December 22, hundreds celebrated with our "Santa Skate," a public skating session at the Schwan Super Rink. Kids could take a break and have their photo taken with Santa, on (what else?) a bright red Schwan Super Rink Zamboni!

Above: Ms. Claus and Santa took time out of their busy holiday schedule to visit the Schwan Super Rink for the Santa Skate.

The day after Christmas, we start two major holiday tournaments. The 5v5 Holiday Classic soccer tournament takes over the indoor Sports Hall for three days.

Also on the 26th, we kick off our most visible hockey event of the year, Schwan Cup. A total of 164 teams from youth to high school divisions will compete through Decembe 30. The high school divisions get major media coverage, sometimes even live television coverage. The marque division is the eight-team boys' gold division. Each year Pete Carlson, our tournament director, invites what we hope will be the eight best teams in the state. Teams like Holy Angels, Centennial, Hill Murray, Duluth East and Moorhead -- legendary programs in a state that reveres its high school hockey. Second, the gold division is played at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, home of the Minnesota Wild.

The 44-team high school girls division will take over all eight sheets of ice at the Schwan Super Rink for three days. The girls will play their championship games at Ridder Arena, home of the University of Minnesota women's hockey team.

High school hockey is a big deal in Minnesota, and Schwan Cup is the most important high school holiday tournament in the state, in any sport.

Above: Holy Angels beats Centennial 8-2 in the championship game of the 2006 Schwan Cup, the NSC's most visible hockey tournament.

So if you're reading this in balmy Florida, Southern California or Hawaii, we invite you to visit the NSC in the winter one of these winters. It's hot!

And if on cue, it's been snowing all day today.