|
 The
National Soccer Hall of Fame opened the doors of
its new museum complex on Saturday, June 12, 1999.
The 40,000 square foot facility houses the National
Soccer Museum and Hall of Fame, Kick's Zone, Kicks
Zone Store,
library, meeting rooms, atrium, administrative offices
and a concession area.
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Us
 This
sports museum and interactive "Kicks Zone" game
area allows visitors to see and hear the little known,
fascinating story of soccer in America and get in on
the action. Hands-on, feet-on interactivities that
have visitors actually kicking and heading balls as
well as being challenged with custom designed computer
games. This all makes for a great museum experience
for the entire family. Come visit and be sure to bring
your sneakers!
The Kicks
Zone lets players test their skills and their strategy
with speed dribbles, a header cage, animated "Kick
It" games, power shots, The Wall, three-on-three
challenges and more. Computer kiosks throughout the
Hall of Fame let visitors test their knowledge of soccer
trivia and of the great moments in the history of the
sport.
Established
in 1979, the National Soccer Hall of Fame houses
an extensive archive of memorabilia associated with
soccer in the United States.
The
Hall, as an institution, was established in 1950
when a group of former players from the Philadelphia
Oldtimers Association took it upon themselves to
recognize the  achievements
of soccer in America. Over 260 individuals have been
elected to the Hall for their outstanding contributions
to soccer in the United States both on and off the
field. The National Soccer Museum, as a physical
entity, was established in Oneonta in 1979 and officially
recognized as the National Soccer Hall of Fame by
the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) in 1983.
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 archive includes: the North American
Soccer League archives; the complete records of 1994
FIFA World Cup, which was held here in the United
States; memorabilia from the U.S. National Teams
participation in World Cup competition including
the first World
Cup in 1930; the American Soccer League archive of
the 1920-1950s; a rare soccer photography collection
from New York depression-era photographer John Albok;
and memorabilia from Major League Soccer as well
as the Women’s United Soccer Association. The Hall
currently displays two FIFA Women’s World Championship
trophies as well as the traditional trophy of the
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament (the Dewar
Challenge Trophy). Also on display in the museum
are the exhibits recognizing those inducted into
the Halls of Fame of the National Soccer Coaches
Association of America (NSCAA), the National Intercollegiate
Soccer Officials Association (NISOA) and the American
Youth Soccer Association (AYSO). The photograph archives
contain thousands of photographic images dating back
to the late 1800's.
From
1979 until 1998 the museum was located in downtown
Oneonta. During the early 1990's 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 officially opened its doors on June 12, 1999.
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