The public is invited to grab a soccer ball and head over to the National Sports Center from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday to try out the new FieldTurf Duraspine artificial turf that was installed this week in the indoor Sports Hall.

The $275,000 field is made up of monofilament fiber blades of synthetic grass along with sand and rubber pellets. FieldTurf is installed in 21 NFL stadiums, including the Metrodome. The Sports Hall, at 100 by 60 yards, is a year-round venue for field sports including soccer, lacrosse, rugby and football. Officials hope that the turf will create a buzz about the facility.

Visitors are invited to bring equipment for soccer, football or lacrosse to try out the field; street shoes are permissible, but not metal cleats. The National Sports Center is at 1700 105th Av. NE. in Blaine.

For a play-by-play of the installation, done by FieldTurf Tarkett, go to nscsports.typepad.com/national_sports_center_bl/.

MARIA ELENA BACA