US Soccer Hall of Fame

With the first round of the 2006 World Cup in full swing, I thought it might be fun to take a closer look at the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum in Oneonta, New York. Unfortunatly, American soccer took a bit of a step backward with a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic.

The museum, which was established in 1979 has a mission statement of, "Dedicated to the sport of soccer in America by celebrating its history, preserving its legacy, inspiring its youth and honoring its heroes, for generations to come." The actual Hall itself as an organization was established well before the current building was constructed in 1950.

The museum, as well as the website, provides visitors with a wealth of information about the history of soccer in the United States. The website notes that, "The Hall of Fame is home to the nation's soccer archives, which, with more than 100,000 items, comprises one of the largest collections of soccer artifacts and records in the world."

The webpage also notes the recent history of the museum facility itself, "From 1979 until 1998 the museum was located in downtown Oneonta. During the early 1990s more than 60 acres of land were purchased and four world-class soccer fields were constructed at its present location on the outskirts of Oneonta. Then, in 1995, the Hall was awarded a $4.5 million dollar grant from the State of New York to begin the design and development a dedicated museum on that site. In 1998, the U.S. Soccer Foundation pledged $1 million towards the new facility and a major fundraising campaign was undertaken. That campaign generated over $7 million for the construction of the first phase of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. It culminated in the current 40,000 square foot, state-of-the-art, museum facility, which was officially opened its doors on June 12, 1999."