The induction of Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy promises to draw thousands of fans to what will no doubt be the Soccer Hall’s biggest event yet.

It’s exciting to see a spotlight shining on Oneonta, and to welcome more sports fans to our region. The Hall was the subject of a recent _ and glowing _ travel piece in the Boston Globe, and the weekend’s events are a great opportunity for more fans to see the Hall for the first time.

The question must be asked, though: What happens next? It’s hard to imagine that next year’s class of inductees will share the all-American star power of 2007.

The Soccer Hall will benefit from an ability to create its own memorable moments, even when superstars such as Mia Hamm aren’t paying it a visit. With new president Stephen Baumann at its helm, this could be the start of an era of growth for the Hall.

The Soccer Hall will do well to follow the example of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which has perfected the art of inserting itself into milestone moments in the sport. When Barry Bonds was poised to break Hank Aaron’s home-run record earlier this year, one of the questions surrounding that pivotal moment was whether the ball would make it to the Hall.

More importantly, the Baseball Hall has been there for many more moments that may not have drawn the national spotlight. When Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros got his 3,000th career hit a few weeks ago, the Hall was there to collect his bat, jersey, batting gloves and cap.

Naturally, a lot of requests such as this are made and not fulfilled. But, as the saying goes, it never hurts to ask.

What if the Soccer Hall had David Beckham’s game jersey from his first outing with the L.A. Galaxy?

Capitalizing on year-to-year milestones such as that would help the Soccer Hall grow its name and its presence in the sport.

Years from now, sports writers could look back at this weekend as a pivotal moment that cemented the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s role in the landscape of professional soccer.

Or, the Soccer Hall could end up as nothing more than a historic footnote, a grand idea that never really got off the ground.

Where the organization goes from this weekend will go a long way to determining its future.