Jimmy Svendsen of Franklin Square Inducted in to the Eastern New York Soccer Hall of Fame
New York Youth Soccer News: Jimmy started volunteering as a teenager
The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is pleased to announce that Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League (CJSL) President Jimmy Svendsen was inducted into the Eastern New York Hall of Fame during our Holiday Party on December 17 at Marina del Rey in the Bronx.
Jimmy started coaching the Boys-Under-10 Scandinavian Sports Club Vikings in 1980. It was a rapid rise up the volunteer ladder for Jimmy as he became a CJSL Trustee two years later as a teenager. In 1984, Jimmy started coaching in the CJSL Select Program.
In 1985, Jimmy started his longtime association with Sporting Club Gjøa, coaching the Boys-Under-14 team and taking their players on tours to Norway and The Netherlands. In 1986, he became Youth Director at Gjøa.
In 1998, Jimmy became CJSL President as well as SC Gjøa President, then went back to being Gjøa’s Youth Director. 2005 was Jimmy’s year as he received Lifetime Membership, soccer’s version of the Lifetime Achievement Award, for both the CJSL and Gjøa. In 2013, he was inducted into the CJSL Hall of Fame and received the same honor from Gjøa last year.
The Franklin Square resident served as CJSL President from 1998 to 2000, and is currently on his second tour of duty as President, being elected in 2015. Jimmy has held every position on the CJSL Executive Board (except Secretary) since Emil Cohill asked him to become involved with it in 1982.
“I am most proud of the coaching that I have done for both the CJSL Select Program and for SC Gjøa, especially my Gjøa Norsemen, who I coached for 10 years,” he commented. “We won a number of championships, tournaments, travelled to Norway for the Norway Cup and Minnesota for the USA Cup. But most importantly, developed lifelong friendships with the players and their parents.”
It’s been a life well-lived as all this volunteering is in addition to his “real job” being the Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology at the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park School District for the past two years. Prior to that, he was the Principal of the Garden City Park School for 15 years.
In his induction speech, Jimmy stated, “I know that I can be a pain in the neck at meetings so I would especially like to thank Eastern New York for honoring me in spite of that. I’d also like to add that Eastern New York has been very responsive to the needs of the CJSL as well as its other member leagues.”
Congratulations to 2017 Hall of Famer, Jimmy Svendsen!
Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association: With over 100,000 youth soccer players–both boys and girls–and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) reaches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 11 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees, and administrators.
