Jane Llewellyn

Jane Llewellyn is the quintessential volunteer who is the backbone of youth soccer in the US. After 32 years, she  remains tireless in her efforts to continuously improve the game experience for our players, appearing unflappable  and patient. 

Like many American families, Jane was introduced to the ‘beautiful game’ when her firstborn started playing in  1984. She quickly saw the need for more help for the players to enjoy the game and for the parents on the sidelines  to become knowledgeable of the game rules. Enter a new team manager to inject some fun for the families. She  then joined an adult team to better understand the game and its rules. This team of largely expat Brits explained the  game in their own colorful language! Jane established her presence for the next few decades as a permanent  volunteer. Frequently, the team manager on more than one team, she served as Business Manager for five years in  the club that is now Charlotte Soccer Academy, and was frequently called upon by others to provide insight into  club organization and board issues.  

The next step was for Jane to apply her skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm by taking on the role of North  Carolina’s state registrar in 2007, a role she has served in since. She has trained and managed over 175 club  registrars and is well-known for her command of all the rules and her constant efforts to ensure players play fairly  and are not punished by the ill-advised actions of parents or errors in paperwork. Rarely does a Friday evening  pass without a telephone call to Jane from a worried team manager trying to get a player cleared for a Saturday  game! 

Early in her team manager days, Jane volunteered to help run the annual South Region Championships, then  known as the Region III Championships, starting in 1996. In 2009, Region III Director Bob Singer appointed Jane  as the Region III Registration Committee Chair, working directly with state registrars to ensure that their teams  fully comply with USYS rules and to help them feel that each state, large or small, is important. As a result of this  one-on-one collaboration, her team has developed ‘best practices’ for state registrars. Next, Jane was invited to  become a member of the Regional Committee overseeing the region requirements for teams entering the USYS  National Championships and the Presidents Cup, and she ran the on-site registration for both. 

Jane’s work with the Regional Committee was recognized when, in 2018, the Chairperson of the South Region  USYS National Championships committee resigned, and she took over as Chairperson. Within a year, Jane’s hard  work had resolved several outstanding issues, making the 2019 tourney a significant event. As the Chairperson for  the South Regionals, Jane became a member of the National Championship committee, and thus oversight of the  Nationals, together with the other three regions, added another responsibility which she embraced with her usual  cheerful outlook and drive. During this period, Jane continued to work with state registrars to further improve the  registration process. 

As a result of her exposure at the national level, Jane recognized FIFA’s growing focus on international players,  dealing with issues around inappropriate play and the influence of professionalism creeping into the sport – and  she took on the mission of international clearance for players in her state. She has processed more than 4,500  international clearances for North Carolina in the past few years, and often helps registrars from other states with  their issues. Following Jane’s recognition in 2020 as NCYSA Volunteer of the Year and induction into the  Southern Region Hall of Fame, she was awarded the USYS Evelyn Gill Leadership Award in 2022. 

Jane Llewellyn, the consummate volunteer, continues her work on the national, regional, and state level - always  ready to find an answer to any question or challenge that will result in getting a kid onto the soccer pitch. And she  will be cheering her nine grandkids through their years in youth sports – so far, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse,  football, rugby, swimming, gymnastics, track… and yes, more soccer.