Kameron Simmonds
{{short description|Jamaican footballer (born 2003)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Jamaican English|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Kameron Simmonds
| image = FSU vs Wake ACC 2024 - 023 (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Simmonds with Florida State in 2024
| fullname = Kameron Necole Simmonds
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2003|12|06}}
| birth_place = Midlothian, Virginia, U.S.
| height = 1.70 m
| position = Forward, defender
| currentclub = Florida State Seminoles
| clubnumber = 19
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Richmond United
| collegeyears1 = 2022–2023
| college1 = Tennessee Volunteers
| collegecaps1 = 34
| collegegoals1 = 12
| collegeyears2 = 2024–
| college2 = Florida State Seminoles
| collegecaps2 = 21
| collegegoals2 = 5
| years1 = 2024–
| clubs1 = Richmond Ivy
| caps1 = 6
| goals1 = 1
| years2 =
| clubs2 =
| caps2 =
| goals2 =
| nationalyears1 = 2022
| nationalteam1 = Jamaica U20
| nationalcaps1 = 4
| nationalgoals1 = 2
| nationalyears2 = 2022–
| nationalteam2 = Jamaica
| nationalcaps2 = 4
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| medaltemplates =
| club-update = 12 May 2025
| ntupdate = 00:20, 5 October 2022 (UTC)
}}
Kameron Necole Simmonds (born 6 December 2003) is a footballer who plays as a forward or defender for the Florida State Seminoles and for the Richmond Ivy of the USL W League. Born in the United States, she represents Jamaica internationally.
Early life
Kameron Necole Simmonds was born on 6 December 2003 in Virginia{{Cite web |title=Kameron Simmonds - Soccer |url=https://utsports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/kameron-simmonds/18902 |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=University of Tennessee Athletics |language=en |archive-date=1 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230801011419/https://utsports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/kameron-simmonds/18902 |url-status=live }} to Necole and Greg Simmonds. She has three younger brothers. Despite her father being a former footballer, Simmonds only took up the sport when she was unable to continue training in gymnastics after an injury at the age of 11; beginning football the next year, she trained with her father.{{Cite web |title=Why Tennessee soccer players' Jamaican national team invites are special |url=https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/other-sports/2022/09/01/tennessee-soccer-jamaican-national-team-kameron-simmonds-giselle-washington/7906930001/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=Knoxville News Sentinel |language=en-US |archive-date=30 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730201906/https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/other-sports/2022/09/01/tennessee-soccer-jamaican-national-team-kameron-simmonds-giselle-washington/7906930001/ |url-status=live }}
College career
Simmonds played for Richmond United until the summer of 2022 when she began her college soccer career at the University of Tennessee for the Tennessee Volunteers. She chose to join Tennessee due to her parents believing in its values; due to encouragement from Jamaica teammate Giselle Washington, who already attended the university; and being inspired by Jamaica legend and former Volunteer Khadija Shaw.
As a true freshman, she made two top 100 best freshman lists, having scored four goals in sixteen appearances. Playing as a substitute, the college highlighted her productivity in her limited minutes, often with multiple shots on goal per game.
Club career
In February 2024, Simmonds joined Richmond Ivy ahead of their inaugural USL W League season.{{cite web |last1=McGinley |first1=Mannion |title=Jamaican National Team Forward, Florida State Seminole Kameron Simmonds Commits to Play for W League RVA |url=https://www.richmondkickers.com/news/2024/02/08/kameron-simmonds-commits-to-play-for-w-league-rva/ |website=RichmondKickers.com |publisher=Richmond Kickers |access-date=12 May 2025}}
International career
In the under-20 national team, Simmonds competed at the 2022 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship with the Jamaican U-20 team.{{cite web |title=Korea Republic vs. Jamaica - 3 September 2022 - Soccerway |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/03/world/friendly-women/korea-republic/jamaica/3930321/ |accessdate=29 July 2023 |archive-date=29 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230729174810/https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2022/09/03/world/friendly-women/korea-republic/jamaica/3930321/ |url-status=live }} She scored two goals at the tournament, watched by her family.
When she made her senior debut on 3 September 2022, in a 0–1 friendly loss to South Korea, she became the third generation of her family to represent Jamaica in senior international football after her father, Greg, and grandfather, Patrick.
Simmonds then competed at the 2023 Cup of Nations, where her team finished in fourth place.{{cite news|date=22 February 2023|title=WATCH: CommBank Matildas reigning Cup of Nations winners|url=https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news/watch-commbank-matildas-reigning-cup-nations-winners|work=footballaustralia.com.au|access-date=22 February 2023|archive-date=23 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230223062420/https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news/watch-commbank-matildas-reigning-cup-nations-winners|url-status=live}} On 23 June 2023, she was included in the final Jamaica squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.{{cite web |url=https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latest-news/reggae-girlz-squad-named-for-fifa-womens-world-cup/ |title=Reggae Girlz squad named for FIFA Women's World Cup |date=2023-06-23 |language=en-US |accessdate=2023-07-23 |archive-date=24 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624230132/https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latest-news/reggae-girlz-squad-named-for-fifa-womens-world-cup/ |url-status=live }} She made her World Cup debut in the second group game, coming on for Kayla McKenna in a 1–0 victory over Panama.{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/07/29/world/womens-world-cup/panama/jamaica/3705257/|title=Panama vs. Jamaica - 29 July 2023 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com|access-date=30 July 2023|archive-date=30 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230730044929/https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/07/29/world/womens-world-cup/panama/jamaica/3705257/|url-status=live}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|818881}}
- [https://utsports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/kameron-simmonds/18902 Tennessee Volunteers profile]
{{Jamaica squad 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmonds, Kameron}}
Category:American women's soccer players
Category:Women's association football forwards
Category:Women's association football defenders
Category:Jamaican women's footballers
Category:21st-century Jamaican sportswomen
Category:Jamaica women's international footballers
Category:2023 FIFA Women's World Cup players
Category:Tennessee Volunteers women's soccer players
Category:Soccer players from Virginia
Category:People from Chesterfield County, Virginia
Category:21st-century American sportswomen