28 Spots Remain and will be filled with Nominated Players, Coaches, Teams and Contributors

Raleigh, NC (June 21, 2024) – In March 2024, North Carolina FC Youth (NCFC Youth), the largest youth soccer organization in the state serving nearly 17,000 local players annually, announced the formation of an All-Star Commemorative Team as part of its 50^th anniversary of serving the greater Triangle area community. NCFC Youth was originally founded under the name Capital Area Soccer League (CASL). The club rebranded in 2017 to NCFC Youth after a collaboration with Triangle Futbol Club Alliance - a neighboring powerhouse youth soccer club headquartered in Hillsborough, NC - and North Carolina Football Club. And, the All-Star Team is made up of players, coaches, teams, and contributors from CASL, TFCA, and NCFC Youth.

In March, NCFC Youth announced the Starting XI: a foundational group whose contributions and support to the club undoubtedly played an impactful role. NCFC Youth has received numerous nominations since then to help fill the remaining spots. After reviewing the nominations, NCFC Youth is releasing the newest “roster additions” to the All-Star team, leaving 28 spots that will be filled with received or incoming nominations. Nominations can be submitted through this online form or by visiting ncfcyouth.com through June 30.

All-Star Commemorative Team: Newest Additions

• ’88 CASL Elite: In 2003, the ’88 CASL Elite boys, coached by Bruce Talbot, won the Under 14 USYS National Championship, becoming the first boys’ team from North Carolina and CASL/NCFC Youth to be crowned champion.
• Charlie Slagle: The late Charlie Slagle served as CASL’s Chief Executive Officer from 2001 – 2013. He helped grow the grassroots game, led efforts to develop WakeMed Soccer Park, initiated updates to WRAL Soccer Park, and brought the ACC and NCAA Championships to Cary, NC, among many other accomplishments.
• Sean Nahas: Current NC Courage Head Coach Sean Nahas was devoted to the youth game at CASL/NCFC Youth for nearly 20 years where he helped lead the club’s ECNL girls program to national recognition, had success on the field as a coach, and supported coach education and player development across the club.
• John Bradford: Before John took over the Head Coach role with North Carolina FC, he spent 15 years at the youth club developing players and coaches, guiding teams to success on the field, and helping forge the youth-to-pro pathway between NCFC Youth and North Carolina FC.  
• Bob Bode: The late Robert “Bob” V. Bode was a servant to CASL as Chairman of the Board during many formative years, which included the construction and development of WakeMed Soccer Park, professionalizing the youth club, and supporting the overall growth of soccer in the Triangle Area.
• Ramon Gallardo, Sr.: Gallardo is the founder of NCFC Youth’s La Liga program, which is a reduced-fee outreach program designed for the local Hispanic and Latino youth populations. His service to growing the game began before La Liga became part of NFC Youth, as he was operating the league on his own in the community for many years prior. His devotion to growing the game and also volunteer coaching within the club earned him NCYSA Volunteer of the Year in 2017.
• Jay Howell: Howell was the club’s Director of Coaching from 1999-2010, and he is known by many for executing and elevating the professionalization of the organization and its coaches, along with offering expanded programming to fill gaps in the youth development pipeline, coaching teams and players to on-field success, and helping put CASL on the global map with an innovative international partnership with Chelsea FC.
• Adidas: Adidas, CASL, TFCA, and NCFC Youth have all shared a strong, overlapping history since some of the earliest years. Adidas’ significant partner support has elevated and supported the experience of players and coaches through quality uniforms and training gear, coaching equipment/gear, and partner support – which comes in the form of sponsorship, equipment donations, and innovative collaborations to support the experience of our players, families, and coaches.
• Ike Opara: Opara was a member of the ’88 Triangle FC Navy team, who went on to player and team success at all levels of play including college (Wake Forest University), professional (San Jose, Sporting KC & Minnesota), and national teams (U20 USMNT, U23 Olympic camp, and USMNT). Some of his accolades include being the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-American, and MLS Defender of the Year).
• Joanna Boyles Fennema: Fennema was the captain of the ’94 CASL Chelsea Ladies and helped the team win back-to-back National Championships in 2011 and 2012. At the same time, she was also a familiar name in the youth U.S. National Team environment on the U14, U15, U17, and U20 USYNT. She went on to a successful career at UNC Chapel Hill and was drafted into the NWSL, where she retired after injury in 2020. Since then, she’s given back to the game as a college coach, where she is now the Head Coach at Lenoir-Rhyne.  
• Jean Hogshead: Hogshead recently retired from the club after more than 25 years of being one of the first people that players, team managers, parents, and many coaches would interact with. She set the tone for the level of care and customer service to be expected, and during her time in the administrative side of the club, she helped hundreds of thousands of youth players take the field, supported team managers, and helped ensure kids have a safe environment with her role in executing background checks and risk management.

Nominations for the remaining 28 positions will be accepted through June 30. Anyone connected to NCFC Youth's storied history is invited to participate in this momentous occasion by submitting nominations in the categories of players, teams, coaches, and contributors. The committee will review nominations and support the selection of the rest of the team and announce additions to the anniversary team throughout the summer.

About NCFC Youth

Since 1974, NCFC Youth is a non-profit organization committed to enhancing each player’s soccer experience at every level and age of play. Through innovative soccer programming, player development opportunities, and a focus on coaching education, NCFC Youth creates an environment for more than 16,000 players and 1,900 coaches to grow on and off the field. As the largest club in North Carolina, NCFC Youth is proud to offer Recreation, Juniors, Challenge, Classic, Elite Clubs National League, and community outreach programs. NCFC Youth strives to improve the quality of life for our players, families, and community through the game of soccer. For more information, visit www.NCFCYouth.com. 

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