Now that the hubbub of the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Induction Weekend is behind us, we can start looking ahead to another momentous event: the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s induction of Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm later this month.

The Soccer Hall is looking good to rebound from last year’s induction, when an exhibition game was scratched at the last minute because of injuries and scheduling conflicts. This year, the induction itself is expected to be a bigger draw because of the star power of Hamm, but the Hall has gotten an added boost in the form of sponsorship from The Century Council.

Sponsoring this year’s induction is just the beginning of this partnership; the not-for-profit agency has committed to $500,000 over five years. Hall officials have said there are numerous possibilities for how these funds could be put to use, including funding camp scholarships and public service announcements.

The Century Council is an organization devoted to fighting underage drinking and drunken driving. It’s also an organization funded by American distilling companies such as Bacardi.

Is that contradictory? Not necessarily. It’s certainly a positive thing for companies that produce and sell alcohol to promote responsible drinking.

On the other hand, the Century Council’s arguments against drinking might be different than those put forth by, say, a health organization. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, even moderate alcohol consumption may carry risks, depending on the individual _ and, depending on the individual, it may also offer certain health benefits.

Of course, none of this means the partnership won’t benefit the Soccer Hall enormously. One of the Century Council’s premier programs is called "Girl Talk," which focuses on teaching teen girls about the risks of underage drinking. The council has already started promoting its connection with the Soccer Hall by presenting a program for teens with Foudy as a spokeswoman. She is one of many female athletes who has been presented by the council as an example of a healthy role model. As Soccer Hall Interim President George Brown pointed out, this seems especially appropriate as the Soccer Hall celebrates female athletes with this year’s inductions.

It speaks volumes of the Soccer Hall that it has attracted this sponsorship arrangement. The partnership offers a valuable opportunity to make the Soccer Hall’s 2007 inductions its biggest event yet. Beyond that, we look forward to seeing the other ways these funds can be put to use for the local community as well as for the hall’s presence in the larger world of the sport.

Who knows _ in the future, tourists passing through Cooperstown might be asking, "Which way to the Soccer Hall of Fame?"