Jane L. Vache (1925-1986) was a lacrosse player and coach from Pennsylvania. She graduated from Swarthmore HIgh School in 1945 and subsequently attended West Chester State Teachers College where she played several sports including lacrosse. She graduated from West Chester in 1949. As a freshman in college in 1946, Vache was named to the United States Women’s Lacrosse Association (USWLA) national team and was an active player for the team from 1946-1951. In 1951, she was selected to be a member of the United States Touring Team to Great Britain and Ireland. The Touring Team was invited by the All England Ladies’ Lacrosse Association and spent August-October of 1951 touring England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland where they participated in several international matches.

During and after her playing days, Vache was a successful high school lacrosse coach, most notably at Springfield (Pennsylvania) High School for 34 years.

Vache also remained involved with the USWLA. She was the coach and manager of the US Touring Team in 1964, and, over the years, she held many other administrative roles. She was Vice President (1957-1958), President (1959-1960), United States Rules Committee member (1952), Team Selection Committee member (1953; 1955-1975), Team Selection Committee chair (1968; 1970), and a member of the Constitution Committee (1971-1972).

In the 1970s, she served a stint as the President of the International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Associations (IFWLA), the sport’s first international governing body. Vache died in 1986. She was posthumously inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1993 and is an honorary member of the USWLA and the International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations.

The United States Women’s Lacrosse Association (USWLA), the first national governing body for women’s lacrosse in the United States, was established in 1931. The organization’s primary goals were to develop and promote the game of women’s lacrosse at all levels, to standardize rules and policies, and to hold tournaments and annual meetings. The USWLA selected its first national team in 1933, and in 1935 began sponsoring international tours by sending a team to England. The European tours were known for competitive matches between England and the US and, as they gained notoriety, with some tours lasting for more than a month.

During the 1940s and 1950s, the USWLA focused on establishing the infrastructure to support women’s lacrosse at the national level. The organization continued to select national teams and to sponsor the first National Tournament, the first National Umpiring Committee, and the first formal National Team program. The USWLA eventually outgrew its volunteer-based model, and in 1998 the organization merged with eight other lacrosse associations to form USA Lacrosse, which, as of 2025, is the current governing body for the sport of lacrosse in the United States.